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"For God's sake, don't keep these women here!" he pleaded in low, tense tones

The Unknown seeel

"Keep them here where we can watch them!" he whispered with fierce impatience "Don't you understand? There's a KILLER loose!"

And so for afor they knew not what So swift had been the transition from joy to deadly terror, and now to suspense, that only Miss Cornelia's agile brain seemed able to respond And at first it did even that very slowly

"I begin to understand," she said in a low tone "The e--theand stabbed that poor wretch in the closet--the man who locked us in downstairs and removed the money from that safe--the man who started that fire outside--is--"

"Sssh!" warned the Unknown imperatively as a sound from the direction of theseemed to reach his ears He ran quickly back to the corridor door and locked it

"Stand back out of that light! The ladder!"

Miss Cornelia and Dale shrank back against the mantel Bailey took up a post beside the , the Unknown flattening hiainst the wall beside him There was a breathless pause

The top of the extension ladder began to treainst the dilow--the Bat, masked and sinister, on his last foray!

There was no sound as the killer stepped into the room He waited for a second that seemed a year--still no sound Then he turned cautiously toward the place where he had left the satchel--the beaht picked it out

In an instant the Unknown and Bailey were upon hiasp of laboring lungs--the thud of fighting bodies clenched in a death grapple

"Get his gun!" muttered the Unknown hoarsely to Bailey as he tore the Bat's lean hands away froasped Bailey He jabbed the le Bailey stepped a little away

"I've still got you covered!" he said fiercely The Bat made no sound

"Hold out your hands, Bat, while I put on the bracelets," commanded the Unknown in tones of terse triumph He snapped the steel cuffs on the wrists of the murderous prowler "Soht and is caught Double ht's work even for you, Bat!"

He switched his flashlight on the Bat's hts caht company had at last remembered its duties All blinked for an instant in the sudden illumination