ring cattle and the galloping horses of the
ranch. There he had spent one summer vacation of his college life. It was
ten years past, but this pose, the rope in his hand, flashed it back to
him.

Now they were almost on the Japanese. For the moment he seemed to waver.
He glanced at the approaching launch, and reached uncertainly for the
boathook. Even his subtle resources were almost at an end. Yet it did not
seem to occur to him to yield.

And then, as for the hundredth time he laid his hands on the motor, he
uttered a cry. It was plain to Orme that the cause of the supposed
breakdown had been discovered. But was there time for the Japanese to get
away? It was doubtful. He opened the feed-pipe, and let the gasoline
again flow in. The launch was now so near that Orme could almost have
leaped the gap, but the Japanese bent his energy to the heavy fly-wheel,
tugging at it hurriedly.

The motor started. The boat began to move.

Even now it looked as though the collision could not be prevented, but
the Japanese, seizing the steering-wheel, turned the boat so quickly to
starboard that the stern fell away from the bow of the approaching
launch. There was no crash, no hard bump; merely a glancing blow so
slight that in that calm water it scarcely made the boats careen.

Then Orme threw his noose. The distance was less than ten feet, and the
loop spread, quick and true, over the head of the Japanese. But, swift
though the action was, the Japanese had an instant to prepare himself.
His right arm shot up. As Orme, jerking at the rope, tried to tighten the
noose, the hand of the Japanese pushed it over his head and it slid over
the side into the water. In a few seconds the swift boat had disappeared
in the night.

Tightening his lips grimly, Orme drew the wet rope in and mechanically
coiled it. There was nothing to say. He had failed. So good an
opportunity to recover the papers would hardly return.

Silently he turned back to the others. Porter had swung the launch around
and was heading toward the distant lights of Evanston. The girl was
peering in the direction whence came the sound of the receding boat.
Thus, for some time they remained silent.

At last the girl broke into a laugh. It was a rippling, silvery laugh,
expressing an infectious appreciation of the humor of their situation.
Orme chuckled in spite of himself. If she could laugh like that, he need
not stay in the dumps. And yet in his mind rankled the sense o