<h2 id="c16"><span class="h2line1">CHAPTER XVI</span> <br/><span class="h2line2"><i>DOYLE’S TREACHERY</i></span></h2>
<p>Flash and Doyle stared in sheer fascination at
the sight before their eyes. Even as they recognized
the danger, their pulses quickened at the possibility
of a spectacular picture of the flaming pass.</p>
<p>“What a shot that will make!” gasped Doyle.
“Give me the camera, Flash!”</p>
<p>Rascomb had no interest in pictures at such a moment.
Steering the boat to shallow water, he sprang
out, ordering tersely: “Wet your clothing and be
quick about it!”</p>
<p>The newsreel men both obeyed, but Doyle dragged
the camera after him. Moving up shore a few yards
he focused it upon Gersham Pass.</p>
<p>“Come back here! Don’t be a fool!” Rascomb
shouted harshly. “We’ve no time for pictures now.”</p>
<p>Dousing his entire body in the river, he motioned
for Flash to do likewise.</p>
<p>“Now into the boat!” he commanded. “If Doyle
wants to stay here that’s his funeral, not ours!”</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_136">136</div>
<p>Flash hesitated. He had no intention of leaving
Doyle behind. But unquestionably, it was no time
for picture taking.</p>
<p>“Get in, I say!”</p>
<p>Rascomb’s hard tone brought Flash up sharply.
In this moment of stress, the man’s voice had changed
completely. Gone was every trace of the cultivated
drawl which had made his speech distinctive.</p>
<p>Flash stared at Rascomb. With wet clothing clinging
to his body, hair plastered against his forehead,
the man looked much thinner. Even more startling,
a tiny pink smear was visible on his left cheek. The
edges of a jagged scar were faintly perceptible.</p>
<p>Flash saw the disfiguring mark and suddenly understood.</p>
<p>Taken completely by surprise he could not hide an
expression of horrified amazement. Nor was he able
to choke off a low cry: “<i>Povy!</i>”</p>
<p>Rascomb’s face became contorted with rage. Seizing
an oar, he swung it with deadly aim.</p>
<p>Flash ducked and jerked up a hand to ward off the
blow. Swiftly as he acted, he was not quick enough to
entirely deflect it. The oar struck him glancingly on
the head.</p>
<p>Momentarily stunned, he staggered sideways,
clutching at the boat for support. His weight pulled
it over, throwing Rascomb into the water.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_137">137</div>
<p>Before Flash could struggle to his feet, brutal hands
were at his throat. He fought weakly to free himself.</p>
<p>Then he was given a powerful shove out into deep
water. The current caught him, pulling him downstream.</p>
<p>Dazed, Flash could not battle against it. He rolled
over on his back.</p>
<p>“Doyle!” he tried to shout.</p>
<p>His words came only as a choked gurgle. He
slipped beneath the surface, fought up again, and
losing interest in the struggle, knew no more.</p>
<p>Flash recovered consciousness to find himself lying
on his side in the soft mud. His feet trailed in the
water. Whether or not he had reached shore by his
own efforts or the current had brought him there, he
did not know.</p>
<p>Pulling himself to his knees, he gazed about.
Downstream, the wall of fire had risen to greater
height. Burning brands dropped like snowflakes,
making a hissing sound as they were extinguished by
the water.</p>
<p>There was no sign of Rascomb, Doyle, or the boat.</p>
<p>Bitter thoughts surged over Flash. So he had been
deserted and left to die! He might expect such
treatment from Albert Povy who had masqueraded as
Rascomb, but Doyle’s actions were unexplainable.</p>
<p>Struggling to his feet, he gazed hopelessly upstream.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_138">138</div>
<p>Fires were starting everywhere and slowly spreading
together. Rascomb had said the only way out was
through Gersham Pass. Should he attempt to reach
the lodge by the woods route, he was almost certain to
find himself soon hemmed in by flames. Either he
must attempt the pass or remain submerged in water
until the fire had burned itself out.</p>
<p>Flash was in no mood to wait. A frenzy possessed
him to get back to the lodge and confront both
Rascomb and Doyle.</p>
<p>As yet, the full meaning of his important discovery
was not entirely clear. But about one point he was
certain. Albert Povy never had lost his life in the
wreck of the streamliner. Instead, the man merely
had found it expedient to disappear.</p>
<p>Rascomb actually was Povy!</p>
<p>Yet, it seemed fantastic. Had the man lived a dual
life for years, planning toward the day when he might
wish to blot out one personality and assume another?</p>
<p>“Povy must be wanted by officials for questioning
as a spy,” Flash reasoned. “Probably that was why
he decided to disappear. I must get back to town and
let the authorities know!”</p>
<p>Raising a hand to his throbbing head, he forced
himself to think only of the problem immediately
confronting him. Unless he acted quickly, he might
never escape to tell his story.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_139">139</div>
<p>Determining to attempt the pass, Flash waded out
into midstream. Allowing the swift current to carry
him off his feet he floated with it, stroking only
enough to keep from being swung toward shore again.</p>
<p>The suffocating, cinder-filled air was a little easier
to breathe close above the water, but the terrific heat
became almost unbearable.</p>
<p>As the shores of the river narrowed, he took a deep
breath and swam below the surface. After a few
moments he was forced to emerge again. Flames
seemed to be everywhere about him.</p>
<p>Gulping in air, Flash dived again. This time he
kept under until his lungs ached. When he came up,
the worst lay behind him.</p>
<p>Aided by the current, he alternately swam and
floated until he reached the river’s outlet. Staggering
from the water, he leaned against a tree and
gazed across the lake.</p>
<p>He knew where the lodge should be, but he could
not see it because of the smoke. The sun had been
entirely blotted out.</p>
<p>Following the shore line, Flash walked as rapidly
as he could. His wet clothing impeded him and chills
began to rack his body. Several times he slipped into
bog up to his knees.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_140">140</div>
<p>The day seemed to grow steadily darker. With a
sense of shock Flash realized that night actually was
coming on. He tried to walk faster but could not.
Each step had become a torment, for he had discarded
his shoes while swimming in the river.</p>
<p>With darkness closing in swiftly, Flash lost all
sense of bearing and clung doggedly to the shore. To
the rear, the sky was red with leaping flames. Ahead,
there was nothing to guide him.</p>
<p>Blindly he staggered on. And then, through the
trees, he caught the gleam of a light shining from a
cabin window. He had reached the lodge!</p>
<p>The clearing opened up ahead of him. Finding
himself on Rascomb’s property, Flash tempered his
approach with caution. Save for the light, there was
no sign of anyone about the place.</p>
<p>Reaching the dock, he counted the boats and bent
to examine them. The one which Doyle and Rascomb
had used was tied to a post with a charred rope.</p>
<p>“They returned safely, all right,” he muttered,
“and they’re figuring they’re well rid of me!”</p>
<p>Flash had taken no time to consider his next move.
But sober reflection now convinced him it would be
folly to confront Doyle and Rascomb in his present
weakened condition. At best, it would be two against
one. His wisest course was to go into town and tell
his story to the authorities.</p>
<p>Walking unsteadily, he made his way to the road
where the <i>News-Vue</i> truck had been parked hours before.
It was gone.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_141">141</div>
<p>As Flash stood leaning against a tree, debating, the
door of the lodge slammed shut. A dark figure moved
down the gravel path toward him.</p>
<p>“That may be Rascomb coming now,” he thought.</p>
<p>Quickly he stepped behind the protecting trunk
of the giant birch, and waited.</p>
<div class="pagenum" id="Page_142">142</div>
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