第77章

Red streaks swam before Jimmie Dale's eyes.The wall was such a long way off--a yard or two was a very long way more to go--the weakness seemed to be creeping up now even to numb his brain.No, here was the wall--they hadn't hit him again--he laughed in a demented way--and rolled his body over, and fell to the other side.

"JIMMIE!"

The cry seemed to reach some inner consciousness, revive him, send the blood whipping through his veins.That voice! It was her--HERS! The Tocsin! There was an automobile, engine racing, standing there in the road.He won to his feet--dark, rushing forms were almost at the wall.He fired--once--twice--fired again--and turned, staggering for the car.

"Jimmie! Jimmie--QUICK!"

Panting, gasping, he half fell into the tonneau.The car leaped forward, yells filled the air--but only one thing was dominant in Jimmie Dale's reeling brain now.He pulled himself up to his feet, and leaned over the back of the seat, reaching for the slim figure that was bent over the wheel.

"It's you--you at last!" he cried."Your face--let me lee your face!"A bullet split the back panel of the car--little spurting flames were dancing out from the roadway behind,"Are you mad!" she shouted back at him."Let me steer--do you want them to hit me!""No-o," said Jimmie Dale, in a queer singsong sort of way, and his head seemed to spin dizzily around."No--I guess--" He choked.

"The paper--it's in--my pocket"--and he went down unconscious on the floor of the car.

When he recovered his senses he was lying on a couch in a plainly furnished room, and a man, a stranger, red, jovial-faced, farmerish looking, was bending over him.

"Where am I?" he demanded finally, propping himself up on his elbow.

"You're all right," replied the man."She said you'd come around in a little while.""Who said so?" inquired Jimmie Dale.

"She did.The woman who brought you here about five minutes ago.

She said she ran you down with her car."

"Oh!" said Jimmie Dale.He felt his head--it was bandaged, and it was bandaged, he was quite sure, with a piece of torn underskirt.

He looked at the man again."You haven't told me yet where I am.""Long Island," the other answered."My name's Hanson.I keep a bit of a truck garden here.""Oh," said Jimmie Dale again.

The man crossed the room, picked up an envelope from the table, and came back to Jimmie Dale.

"She said to give you this as soon as you got your senses, and asked us to put you up for a while, as long as you wanted to stay, and paid us for it, too.She's all right, she is.You don't want to hold the accident up against her, she was mighty sorry about it.

And now I'll go and see if the old lady's got your room ready while you're readin' your letter."The man left the room.

Jimmie Dale sat up on the couch, and tore the envelope open.The note, scrawled in pencil, began abruptly:

You were quite a problem.I couldn't take you HOME--could I? Icouldn't take you to what you call the Sanctuary could I? Icouldn't take you to a hospital, nor call in a doctor--the stain you use wouldn't stand it.But, thank God! I know it's only a flesh wound, and you are all right where you are for the day or two that you must keep quiet and take care of yourself.By the time you read this the paper will be on the way to the proper hands, and by morning the four where they should be.There were a few articles in your clothes I thought it better to take charge of in case--well, in case of ACCIDENT."Jimmie Dale tore the note up, and smiled wryly at the door.He felt in his pockets.Mask, revolver, burglar's tools, and the thin metal insignia case were gone.

"And I had the sublime optimism," murmured Jimmie Dale, "to spend months trying to find her as Larry the Bat!"