"Five thousand
dollars." And he shook his head wonderingly.
He was standing near an open window and was commencing to fold the suit
preparatory to taking it to the end of the dock where lay the
engine-case, when, without the slightest warning, three emissaries of
the Automaton, who had appeared just a moment before on the dock, leaped
through the window and felled him to the floor. He struggled feebly, but
it was no use, and a final blow left him unconscious.
The emissaries next grabbed the diving-suit and left hurriedly by the
way they had come. But they had not completed what it was they sought to
do.
The old boatman was not as badly hurt as it seemed and was able to drag
himself across the floor with just strength enough to pull the telephone
from the table and call Brent Rock. Then as weakness again overcame him
he managed to blurt out a message to Eva, who answered.
"Don't let Mr. Locke come to the dock," he managed to gasp. "He'll be
killed." Then he collapsed and fainted.
Eva tried frantically to get the boatman again on the wire, but it was
useless. Quickly a plan formed in her mind.
If she could only intercept Locke before he reached the dock!
She dashed out to the garage, realizing that it was almost hopeless,
since Locke had been gone some time.
Pages:
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134