in the direction to New York.
Polly, angry and frightened, ran after him, screaming at the top of her
voice.

Voles was in such a desperate hurry that he did not pay heed to his
steering, and nearly ran over a motor-cyclist coming in hot haste to
East Orange. The rider, a young man, pulled up and used language. He
heard Polly, panting and shrieking, running toward him.

"Good gracious, Miss Barnard, what's the matter?" he cried, for Polly
was pretty enough to hold many an eye.

"Is that you, Mr. Petch? Thank goodness! There's been murder done in
Gateway House. That villain is carrying off the young lady he has
killed. He has escaped from the police. They're in there now. Oh, catch
him!"

Mr. Petch, who had dismounted, began to hop back New York-ward, while
the engine emulated a machine-gun.

"It's a big car--goes fast--I'll do my best--" Polly heard him say, and
he, too, was gone. She met Carshaw and the chief half-way up the drive.
To them, in gasps, she told her story.

"Cool hand, Voles!" said Steingall.

"The whole thing was bungled!" cried Carshaw in a white heat. "If Clancy
had been here this couldn't have happened."

Steingall took the implied taunt coolly.

"It would have been better had I followed my original plan and not
helped you," he said. "You or our East Orange friend might have been
killed, it is true, but Voles could not have carried the girl off so
easily."

Carshaw promptly regretted his bitter comment. "I'm sorry," he said,
"but you cannot realize what all this means to me, Steingall."

"I think I can. Cheer up; your car is easily recognizable. We have a
cyclist known to this young lady in close pursuit. Even if he fails to
catch up with Voles, he will at least give us some definite direction
for a search. At present there is nothing for us to do but lodge these
people in the local prison, telephone the ferries and main towns, and go
back to New York. The police here will let us know what happens to the
cyclist; he may even call at the Bureau. I can act best in New York."

"Do you mean now to arrest those in the house?"

"Yes, sure. That is, I'll get the New Jersey police to hold them."

"On what charge?"

"Conspiracy. At last we have clear evidence against them. Miss Polly
here has actually seen Voles carrying off Miss Bartlett, who had
previously been rendered insensible. If I am not mistaken in my man,
Fowle will turn State's evidence when he chews on the proposition for a
few