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- Originally 70 minutes in running time, only 17 minutes of the world's first full-length narrative feature film survived in stills and other fragments and tell the story of Ned Kelly, an infamous 19th-century Australian outlaw.
- Earliest surviving feature film depicting legend of the 47 ronin (see Mizoguchi, Inagaki, Ichikawa, and others)
- Nothing got the Aussie adrenalin flowing in the early 1900's than some serious gold-fields drama.
- The forerunner of all serials, "What Happened to Mary" was a series of 12 monthly one-reel episodes, each a complete entity in itself, revolving its immediate dramatic and melodramatic problems within the framework of a single episode and designed more for story and suspense situations than action. Episode Titles (q.v.): #1: "The Escape from Bondage"; #2: "Alone in New York"; #3: "Mary in Stage Land"; #4: "The Affair at Raynor's"; #5: "A Letter to the Princess"; #6: "A Clue to Her Parentage"; #7: "False to Their Trust"; #8: "A Will and a Way"; #9: "A Way to the Underworld"; #10: "The High Tide of Misfortune"; #11: "A Race to New York"; #12: "Fortune Smiles."
- Paulin Broquet, the great Parisian detective, has brought the notorious bandit, Zigomar, to justice. Determined not to let the law punish him, he had taken poison in the Hall of Justice. Then he was brought to a hospital where he lay motionless and was visited by hundreds of persons. Among the visitors was a slender woman, dressed in black, who secreted herself in the hospital, and, when all the others had gone, went to the bedside of Zigomar and administered an antidote for poisoning. She was none other than La Rosario, the accomplice of Zigomar. Almost instantaneous with the administering of the antidote, Zigomar opened his eyes and sprang from the bier. They were about to leave the room when the surgeon entered to take a portion of the skin from the bandit's arm, which was all the great detective desired as a recompense for the capture of Zigomar. But he was quickly pounced upon, gagged and placed upon the bier where he was found the next morning by the detective. Later the bandit set a trap for the infuriated Broquet into which he unsuspectingly fell. When the detective was in this predicament, Zigomar offered him $250,000 if he would let him alone. Not acquiescing in this, Zigomar then thrust his captive into an iron cage where he would have starved to death had it not been for the timely rescue by his lieutenant.
- An ex-convict is believed guilty of having attacked a woman, when in fact he tried to help her. Escaping the police he ends in a physician's practice where they meet again, only she became amnesic and cannot recognize him.
- Protea, the best spy of Messinia, is sent on a dangerous mission with The Eel, her partner in crime, to retrieve a secret document in a neighboring country.
- Several Moldavians ("plaiesi") defend the Neamt Citadel against the whole army of Sobieski, the King of Poland.
- A chivalrous British officer takes the blame for his cousin's embezzlement and journeys to the American West to start a new life on a cattle ranch.
- Pauline, a young maiden, must protect herself from the treacherous "guardian" of her inheritance, who repeatedly plots to murder her and take the money for himself.
- Episode 1: Hugo Loubeque and Sumpter Love are cadets at West Point. Both love the same woman. Loubeque is expelled from the institution for theft from his fellow cadets. The principal witness against him is Cadet Love, who, as a result of Loubeque's downfall, wins the woman for the hand of whom both were rivals. Loubeque sets apart his life to avenge himself upon Love. He carefully educates himself to the end of making his revenge more certain and dire. Knowing that Love will someday become an officer in the army, he lays his plans in that direction. He becomes an international spy, a broker in national secrets. He works upon the plan that no country is greater than its smallest secret. After a lapse of many years Love is a general in the U.S. Army, stationed in Manila. He has an only daughter, Lucille, who is engaged to marry Lieutenant Gibson. The butler in the Love household is a cracksman in the employ of Loubeque. After watching the movements of Love for years, Loubeque decides that the time for action has arrived. General Love receives from Washington a set of documents of the utmost diplomatic importance and the contents of which must he kept in the strictest secrecy. As his aide. Lieutenant Gibson locks them in the safe, at the instigation of Loubeque, the butler steals the papers. The honor of General Love is threatened and he informs Gibson to consider himself under arrest until the papers are returned. Lucille takes up a telephone receiver that morning to find that the wires are crossed. She overhears a conversation between Loubeque and his accomplice in which the spy admits that the documents are in his possession, and that he intends leaving Manila on the steamship Empress at once. Lucille decides on the spot that she will regain possession of the documents if she has to follow Loubeque to the ends of the earth. She at once realizes that her only chance of reaching the Empress before it puts well to sea is through the aid of the government aviator, Gibson's rival for her hand. The aviator lends his assistance. She springs into the hydroplane and in a moment later is skipping over the waters in the wake of the Empress. Little does Hugo Loubeque dream that his Nemesis is above his head and ready to land by his side as he contemplates that the last great stroke in his plan of revenge is nearing completion. Episode 2: The second story of this series opens when Lucille deserts the hydroplane in the open ocean and makes a sensational landing upon the steamship. Then, for the first time, Loubeque becomes aware that his program of revenge is being interfered with. The moment he sees the girl he is struck by her resemblance to his first love, who in reality was Lucille's mother. Loubeque 's first move aboard the ship is to have sent out an unsigned wireless message to the effect that General Love and not his aide, proved a traitor by selling the diplomatic secrets. After this message is sent out, and to prevent further communications with the ship, Loubeque disarranges the wireless apparatus. In doing so he causes an explosion in which he is injured. Lucille realizes that her opportunity has arrived, and she volunteers to nurse him. Her services are accepted. She is soon on friendly terms with the international spy, but seek as she will the hiding place of the documents remains a mystery. Fortune, however, favors her. A fierce fire breaks out in the hold of the ship. Lucille is with Loubeque in his stateroom when the impending disaster is announced. With the first shock of the news the spy's first thought is of the valuable documents and his startled glance toward a desk reveals to Lucille the hiding place of the stolen papers. Loubeque leaves the room for an instant, and the next instant Lucille finds the papers and thrusts them in her bosom. The fire in the hold is now burning fiercely, and all hope for the ship is lost. The lifeboats are lowered and the rule of "women first" is adhered to. Realizing that he must desert the ship at once the spy rushes to his cabin only to find the papers gone. He then realizes that his late nurse is no other than Lucille Love, daughter of his deadliest enemy. He rushes to the ship's rail just in time to see the boat in which Lucille is seated, lowered into the angry sea. "Well played. Miss Love," he cries, "but I'm afraid you will have to return the papers." No sooner does Lucille's boat touch the water than it is capsized and all the women occupants are left to the mercy of the waves. The burning ship listing almost to the water's edge, the ocean spotted with the dying and the dead, Lucille grasps a floating timber and clings to it until she loses consciousness. When she regains her senses she finds herself upon a long stretch of beach; a castaway upon one of the South Sea islands. Episode 3: At the opening of the third chapter, Lucille Love is discovered more dead than alive on the beach of the South Sea island where she had been cast by the storm which had wrecked the small boat in which she escaped from the burning liner "Empress." As she regained consciousness she makes sure that she has the papers which she had taken from Loubeque, the return of which will save her father and sweetheart from disgrace. She has them in the bosom of her dress. As she looks about she sees a band of savages and tries to escape. They overtake her and make her captive. The savages, however, seem to consider her a sacred being, and the chief takes her to his hut, where his little daughter is sick, and asks Lucille to cure her. Lucille sets to work and nurses the chief's daughter. She quiets her and makes her comfortable. The chief then assigns a house to her and in the sign language tells her that she will be perfectly safe there. In this hut Lucille for the first time learns the secret of Loubeque's life through reading his diary and seeing the picture of her own mother. When the crisis of the illness of the chief's little daughter is past, and she recovers, the chief is extravagant in his praise, and gives her a sacred amulet, or charm, in the shape of a white elephant. By virtue of his sacred object all the natives become Lucille's slaves. The chief hangs the charm about Lucille's neck, and as a token of service she has rendered she is permitted to ride the holy elephant as a mark of the royal favor, and all the natives bow before her. But Loubeque has escaped the fury of the waves, too, and has been cast up on the same island which is now Lucille's refuge. Loubeque sees the honor which is being conferred upon the girl who has the secret dispatches which she took from the desk in his cabin, and he is filled with hate and determination to get them back. There comes upon the scene at this moment a native of an anarchistic turn of mind, who hates anything which has to do with the white woman. Loubeque sees him and by virtue of their common cause they join forces. Loubeque, however, chokes the savage nearly to death to show him who is master. Together they plot to make away with Lucille. Soon an opportunity offers. Lucille is restless and as she is regarded as a sacred person and can go anywhere without harm, she wanders on the sand dunes. The native, Loubeque's new slave, surprises her and starts to strangle her. In a moment it would have all been over had not the sacred amulet, which the chief had hung about her neck, escaped from her dress and attracted the attention of the savage. The talisman works. He desists and bows three times before her. She is saved. But Loubeque will not be defeated so easily. He plots to drive Lucille out of her hut so that he can search it for the dispatches, and for that purpose he and the native catch snakes and put them through the grass walls of Lucille's hut. Lucille, at course, is terrified and runs out into the night. Loubeque searches the hut, but cannot find the papers and goes away more angry and determined than ever. The girl fears to stay there and resolves to escape through the jungle. She goes to the chief's hut, but decides not to waken him and slips away into the doubly dark shadows of the jungle. But nothing can escape the crafty eye of the spy. He has followed every movement of the girl, who does not even suspect that her enemy is on the island. Loubeque is not the only enemy that Lucille has to contend with. The jungle is full of wild beasts, and she has not gone far before she encounters a ferocious lion. Lucille is horrified and tries desperately to escape. Episode 4: As the fourth installment opens the lion is trying to break down the door of the desperate girl's shelter, and is only foiled by a spear in Lucille's terrified hands. But Loubeque is not so easy to turn from his purpose of recovering the papers, which mean the accomplishment of his revenge and the disgrace of General Love. Be instructs his native slave to collect dry grass and teaches him how to weave a rope. This he stretches from his own hut to Lucille's and ignites the end in his hut. In a short time the fire eats its way to the hut where the daughter of his enemy is asleep. To make assurance doubly sure, Loubeque's native summons the tribe to which he belongs, and which is hostile to that by which Lucille was captured, to assist him. Lucille, scarcely awakened from her sleep, is driven from the hut by the fire and almost runs into the arms of Loubeque. He struggles with her and attempts to seize the papers. But Lucille's savages are at hand and attack the spy before he can recover the papers. The natives, however, are very superstitious and deathly afraid of the "imprisoned fire" in Loubeque's automatic revolver. One shot is enough. The tribe falls down before him in fear and subjection. In the meantime Lucille has made good her escape and has entered the chief's hut. But while the natives are afraid of the white man, they are not afraid of the savages which support him, and a terrible battle ensues between the rival tribes. In order to stop the carnage, Lucille resolves to take advantage of the superstitions of the natives and dresses herself all in white, improvising her garments from sacks and white cloths. Climbing on the great white elephant she goes among the warriors and the fighting ceases like magic. All bow down to the sacred objects, the color white, the sacred elephant and the sacred healing woman. But Loubeque is not discouraged and at this juncture there comes to his assistance an ally in the person of a woman from the tribe to which his slave belongs. After discussing ways and means, Loubeque decides to try a clever bit of deception on Lucille. He sends the woman to the chief, in whose house Lucille is carefully guarded, with instructions to tell the chief that she is from a neighboring tribe which is friendly. She is to say her master lies ill and at the point of death, and that she has heard of the wonderful white healing woman who cured the chief's daughter, and had been sent to get her to heal her master. The ruse succeeds, both the chief and Lucille herself are completely taken in and Lucille starts immediately on horseback with the false guide. In the meantime her companion, under Loubeque's direction, has dug a pitfall and cleverly covered it with brush. When Lucille's horse comes cantering down the trail bearing his rider on her errand of mercy both crash into the pit, in one of the most sensational pictures thus far shown in the series. The horse is killed instantly and Lucille lies like one dead. The two slaves of Loubeque climb down into the pit, and the woman takes the papers from the bodice of Lucille's dress. She returns them in triumph to her new master, who decides that while he lacks the sacred amulet which is still around Lucille's neck, his present mission is but half accomplished. Episode 5: As Lucille Love recovers consciousness in the pit which has been dug by the natives, sees her dead horse beside her and realizes that the papers have been stolen from her, the desperation of her condition is pitiable. She crawls out of the pit only to see a pair of hungry lions in her path. To escape them she climbs up a tree and to her amazement finds a vine ladder on which she escapes into the forest. Loubeque is anxious to secure the amulet which makes Lucille a sacred person in the eyes of the natives, and he orders his native to follow her. In their search they are seen by the lions and in fear of them Loubeque builds a fire all around him through which the lions do not dare to penetrate. The smoke of this fire attracts Lucille and she steals up as near to the camping place of Loubeque as possible. Something in the manner of the native rouses a suspicion in Loubeque's mind that the savage is not loyal, but on second thought he dismisses the doubt and goes to sleep. But his doubt of the savage is well founded, and his master is no sooner asleep than he takes the papers from his master's shirt and runs away into the forest. Lucille, however, from her vantage point has seen the pilfering of the papers and follows the man. The lions prove the nemesis of the native and he perishes in their clutches. In order to search the body, Lucille goes to the camp and secures a firebrand from the fire which Loubeque, now awake and aware of his loss, has also deserted. Lucille scares off the lions and secures the precious papers from the mangled native's breech clout. She is overjoyed and makes the best time she can toward the sea-coast. Loubeque at last finds the native's body and searching it in vain, decides that the further attempt to find Lucille are in vain, as she had probably met the same fate as the thief. Lucille in her flight to the coast sees a fluted pillar sticking out of the ground in an unusual manner, and as she is examining it, the earth about her gives way and she is precipitated into the midst of a sunken city, inhabited by a race of men similar to the monkeys but with many features which closely ally them to the human race. Possibly they are a race of missing links. At first they are afraid of Lucille as she is of them. But the encouragement of numbers in on their side and they pursue her to the rude throne of their still ruder king. His primate majesty's method of subduing his subjects is to throw necklaces of diamonds to them, and while they are occupied with collecting them he carries off the prize himself. Lucille sees that she is no safer with the king than with any of the rest of his race and in a super-human burst of strength she frees herself from him and escapes. The unwonted activity of the racing and chasing about displaces certain rocks which hold back gasses. These gasses collecting quickly explode and the side of the mountain is blown out. Once more our heroine is at liberty and she searches all along the riverbank until she comes upon a native dugout, in which she floats down the little river to the seacoast. She finally sees a little brig standing off shore and attracts the attention of the boatswain of the ship's gig. He rescues her and takes her on board the boat. And Lucille passes one comfortable night since she does not realize that the spy, Loubeque, is on board the same boat, having been rescued the preceding day. Episode 6: Hugo Loubeque, an international spy, has stolen certain valuable documents of state from General Sumpter Love; the stolen papers to be used in ruining the General. To save her father's honor from tarnish, Lucille Love, the General's daughter, undertakes to regain possession of the documents single-handed. After a series of thrilling chases over land and sea, and after she has regained the papers, Lucille is picked up from one of the South Sea islands by a sailing vessel. Little does she realize, however, that the vessel is owned by her enemy, Hugo Loubeque, and that he is aboard the same boat. As soon as Loubeque discovers that Lucille is aboard the boat with the coveted documents, he disguises as a Chinese mandarin to further his plans in regaining the papers. Meanwhile Lucille is impressed by two members of the crew. The first is the captain, who is not long in showing her that he has evil designs upon her. The second is the first mate, a gruff old tar, with whom she makes friends. One night the captain attacks Lucille, and she is only saved from his brutality by the timely interference of Loubeque. The girl recognizes the spy despite his disguise, and puts herself on guard against him. Knowing that the papers must be valuable, the captain steals them from Lucille's cabin. Again the captain attacks her. This time the girl draws a revolver, forces the captain to the deck and shows him up to the crew as a coward. By this time there is a general feeling of unrest among the members of the crew. The time comes, however, when the sailors divide and carry on an armed mutiny. A few cast their lot with Lucille and the rest side with the captain. A fierce battle between contending forces is then waged upon the deck of the ship. At a critical moment when Lucille and her followers seem to be doomed, Loubeque comes unexpectedly to the girl's aid and for an instant the danger is past. But only for an instant because in the thick of the fray a battleship is sighted. Realizing that the boat is carrying contraband arms to China and that capture will mean imprisonment, those of the crew who were Lucille's friends turn against her and join the captain. Again in command, the captain has Loubeque thrown overboard and for Lucille he has even a worse fate planned. She is placed in a rowboat with a jug of water and cast adrift upon the South Seas. When she has drifted some distance from the ship, she rescues Loubeque from the water. In the small boat there is but sufficient water to last a few days. Loubeque, however, shows the greatest consideration for the helpless girl and when the chill of night comes on he covers her with his own coat. They are alone, adrift upon the South Seas and neither has the documents, the quest of which has caused them to face so many dangers. Episode 7: After numerous stirring adventures by land and sea in her effort to regain the papers which will save her father from dishonor, Lucille Love and Hugo Loubeque, her father's enemy, find themselves adrift in an open boat off the coast of China. The papers, possession of which both are fighting for, are now in the hands of Captain Wetheral of the ship from which Lucille and Loubeque were cast adrift. The enmity between Lucille and the spy dies down when they find themselves in the same boat at the mercy of the waves and winds. They are a man and a woman fighting against death. When Lucille awakens from her first sleep of trouble and exhaustion, she learns from Loubeque that the water barrel has sprung a leak and is empty. In the days that follow Loubeque proves to be a man, indeed. As a result of thirst and exposure Lucille becomes delirious, and it is only by use of main strength that Loubeque keeps her in the boat. After many days, however, the outcasts land on the coast of China. Lucille is ill and the spy turns her over to an old Chinese woman. Howbeit, as soon as one danger is averted another springs up. The Chinese woman no sooner sees the costly necklace which Lucille wears than she decides to steal it. Lucille learns of the plot, and when the thieving woman and a confederate come to rob her she is prepared. In self-protection she shoots the Chinese woman and uses the confederate to cover her retreat. In the meantime Hugo Loubeque has gathered a force of men and attacked Captain Wetheral's ship, which rides in the harbor. Loubeque takes the precious documents from the captain and has him thrown into prison. Loubeque then opens negotiations with a Chinese merchant, which results in his signing an agreement to smuggle ammunition to the port. Lucille learns from the imprisoned sea captain that Loubeque has again come into the possession of the papers. The captain, however, had retained Loubeque' s diary, and this he gives to the girl. While shadowing Louheque Lucille learns of his intended smuggling operations, and when the occasion offers she steals Loubeque's signed contract with the Chinese merchant, with the intention of using it as a lever to force the stolen documents from him. The girl, however, is now in a new predicament. Loubeque has regained possession of his ship and intends sailing immediately for the United States, where the papers will be used to dishonor her father. She hides on the wharf and watches Loubeque board the ship. It will sail within a few minutes, and whatever she does must be done quickly. Episode 8: No sooner than Lucille hides herself among the boxes on the wharf than she hears Loubeque's voice. An officer of the Chinese police is questioning him concerning the whereabouts of Lucille. Her overt act in protecting her life against a Chinese woman has been construed as murder, and she is confronted by this new danger. Even while Loubeque is talking with the policeman, he looks around the corner of the boxes and sees Lucille. He is impressed by her forlorn situation, and out of sheer pity for her he throws the policeman off the trail. Loubeque then goes aboard the ship, and it sets sail, not, however, before Lucille has stolen into the hold and found a hiding place. Again Loubeque is touched by pity for the girl, and he sends a sailor into the hold that he may discover Lucille, and that she may not want for the necessities of existence. The girl is discovered and taken before the captain. The good old mariner takes on an air of mock seriousness, and ordains that the punishment shall consist in serving as his cabin boy during the voyage. The documents of which Lucille is in search are again in the possession of Loubeque. One day, while he is in his stateroom, he catches sight of Lucille spying on him through a porthole. Surmising her purpose. Loubeque takes the documents from his pocket, places them in a scarf and hides the scarf under a cushion. The face of Lucille disappears from the porthole. The man now removes the genuine documents from the scarf and places a package of blank papers in their place. As a result, when Lucille steals in to his stateroom, she falls into Loubeque's trap. She steals the blank papers, and when she discovers Loubeque's trick, her anger is only equaled by her chagrin. But two can play at the same game. The girl holds the papers signed by Loubeque, which mark him as a smuggler of contraband arms into China. The international spy discovers the girl in his stateroom. He proposes to her that she give him the papers in exchange for the documents which will save her father's honor. She agrees and each hands the other a package of blank papers. It is still a neck to neck race of wits and cunning until Loubeque makes veiled threats as to what will transpire when the ship arrives at San Francisco. Lucille appeals to the captain for aid and describes her adventures to him. The captain calls Loubeque for an explanation of his conduct, and Loubeque tells the captain that she is insane. Her strange story partly corroborates this, and the captain is not decided in the mater when the boat arrives at San Francisco. Despite the captain's precautions, Loubeque's agents press around Lucille at the gangplank and abduct her. She is whisked away in a taxicab in a city where she has no friends. Episode 9: After Lucille is abducted from the ocean liner on its arrival at San Francisco, she is hurried to Hugo Loubeque's house by his accomplice. Although Loubeque treats his pretty captive kindly, she is never left unguarded. Again the extreme prowess of Loubeque is impressed upon the unfortunate girl. His house even, has been specially constructed to trap his victims and deceive the police. Ordinary-appearing staircases sink into secret chambers at his wish. The side walls of rooms contract as it were with dungeons of the inquisition, and even the floors of rooms move upward and downward, from story to story. Never had a successful outcome of her mission looked more hopeless. While Lucille is held incommunicado, Captain Clarkson, of the liner, and her friend, is not idle. He locates the house where the girl is held prisoner, and has it surrounded by detectives. In the meantime Loubeque becomes a victim of his own cleverness. He stumbles into a pitfall of his own making. One of the moving floors comes down upon him by accident and crushes him into unconsciousness. Before he has regained his senses Lucille is in his pocket, and is again in possession of the papers. Fearing the consequences of her act she hides the papers in the baseboard of a wall. When Loubeque awakens he misses the documents, and, although the girl denies all knowledge of them, he knows that only she would take them. His plans are interrupted, however, by the arrival of Captain Clarkson and the police. Loubeque allows them to search every nook and corner of the house. The house was built for just such an emergency, and they do not find Lucille, although they are sure she is there. Shortly afterward Lucille communicates with the detectives. The officers of the law fight their way into the house, and a terrific battle with Loubeque's henchmen follows. Collapsible rooms close in and crush the fighters. Traps open and receive the unwary, and the floors of rooms move from one story to another. In the midst of the fight a rope is dropped to Lucille, and she escapes to the roof. Loubeque is hot on her trail, however. He disables or slays her rescuers, and the fight continues at a dizzy height over housetops. Lucille at last sees an opening. She climbs down a fire-escape and Loubeque does not follow. He has a better plan. Lucille finds her way into an office building and rejoices at her freedom. She starts downstairs and meets Loubeque coming up. "You are too much trouble here," comments Loubeque, "I will take you to my ranch in Mexico." The words daze Lucille. Her tongue cleaves to the roof of her mouth. Her usual poise and self-possession flee. Ordinarily, she would have sought safety in flight. Now she seems to sense the futility of such a move. Crestfallen and supine, she follows the man of iron will down the stairs and into the street. Episode 10: When Lucille again finds herself in the hands of Hugo Loubeque all the spirit of fight is temporarily taken out of her. She is overpowered and crushed down by her utter helplessness in the hands of the unscrupulous spy. Consequently, she allows herself to be led to another of Loubeque's strongholds. To make easy his plans for removing the girl to his Mexican estate, Loubeque orders her drugged. Realizing the uselessness of combating him, Lucille agrees to drink a potion of drugged wine, providing that a lady attends her during the trip to Mexico. Loubeque agrees to this, and she swallows a powerful sleeping potion. Thompson, Loubeque's right-hand man, knows that Lucille has the costly ruby necklace she found in the sunken city, and as soon as the drug takes effect he plans to take the jewels from her. He attacks her, however, before the drug has completely done its work. She struggles with the thief and is rescued from the situation by Loubeque. Lucille is now overcome by a deep, unnatural sleep. Friends are at hand, but they come too late, as Lucille cannot combine with them against the spy. Detectives again locate Loubeque. A battle ensues, and the detectives are again defeated by the cunning spy, who prepares for every emergency. When Lucille awakens from the effect of the drugs she finds herself on Loubeque's estate in Mexico. She has the liberty of a large hacienda, but is forbidden to go outside of its walls. Indeed, she cannot go outside, as every avenue of escape is guarded by armed men. Considering that Lucille is now safely out of his way. Hugo Loubeque returns to San Francisco to search his house for the fateful papers which Lucille hid there. Howbeit, coincidence and chance play a part in the affairs of men which the most sagacious cannot foretell. After Loubeque's departure a Mexican bandit ventures into the hacienda in a spirit of mischief, and thus Lucille finds a friend in her dire need. Thompson again plans to steal the ruby necklace from Lucille, and to forward his design he saws the iron bars of Lucille's window with the purpose of entering her room that night and stealing the jewel. His trivial act becomes a means of succor to Lucille. When Thompson enters her room and attacks her that night, the bandit is called to the scene by her cries. He shoots Thompson, and with his help Lucille escapes from her prison house and from the hacienda. Even while she is escaping a new element of mystery enters into the story. The guards stand upon the hacienda walls firing at Lucille and her escort, when a veiled woman arrives and directs operations against the fugitives. When they have arrived almost at a point of safety. Lucille's good friend, the bandit, is shot and the girl rides forth alone into a foreign country embroiled in civil wars. Episode 11: When Lucille escapes from Hugo Loubeque's Mexican ranch, where she was held prisoner, she falls into a veritable hotbed of revolutionary activity. While hiding from a troop of rebel soldiers she overhears a number of Mexicans plotting against an American ranchman. Out of sympathy for her countrymen she hurries to them and tells them of the danger which threatens. Instantly the cowboys fly to arms and meet the advancing soldiers. In the height of a fierce battle, with shrapnel and bombs bursting about her. Lucille is grabbed from her horse by a Mexican and carried away from the scene of battle to a strange hacienda, which is used as a base of operations by the Mexican troops in the vicinity. An instant after Lucille is locked in a prison room she looks out of the window and sees an automobile approaching. In that automobile is Hugo Loubeque, and with a sinking heart she realizes that it was through his activity that she is again in his power. In a spirit of hopeless desperation which lends her the strength of a man. the girl wields a heavy bottle in the air and strikes her Mexican guard senseless. In order to perfect her plan of escape, which she so suddenly conceived, she dresses herself in the Mexican clothes. Before she can leave the room, however, a second soldier enters and it is not until she disables him that she makes her escape from the house. Once outside she jumps into Loubeque's automobile and dashes away. In the meantime the Mexican position has been attacked by Federals. With soldiers moving in two directions during the progress of battle, Lucille glides the machine toward the American border. She is hotly pursued by a detachment of cavalry, but she outdistances the horsemen and arrives at the American military headquarters in safety. The officers listen to her story and aid her with money and clothes. Now that she has thrown off Loubeque's power Lucille's first thought is of the papers which she hid in the spy's San Francisco home, and she sets out to get possession of them. While en route to San Francisco by train she is recognized by Thompson, one of Loubeque's principal confederates. Thompson telegraphs Loubeque of the girl's movements, and is instructed by Loubeque to allow Lucille to enter his home without interference, but that when she is once inside to hold her prisoner. Little suspecting that the spy knows of her movements. Lucille disguises herself and enters Loubeque's house to get the papers. She finds the papers, but a moment before she leaves, the room in which she is in hiding sinks to the cellar, and she finds herself trapped and Hugo Loubeque awaiting her with a sinister smile. Episode 12: True it is that Lucille has regained possession of the priceless documents, still she is in a more dangerous position than ever before. She again finds herself Hugo Loubeque's prisoner in his San Francisco residence. Her position is especially dangerous because Loubeque is now thoroughly tired of the extreme bother she has caused him. She realizes that he is now in deadly earnest, and when he demands the return of the papers she promptly hands them to him in fright and misgiving. A fortunate incident to divert Loubeque's anger occurs when Thompson, the crook-butler, enters. Lucille accuses him of stealing her jewels, and to prove her assertions she takes the "stolen" jewels from his pocket. Loubeque's pent-up anger and impatience then breaks in all its fury on the butler. The spy knocks the man down and strangles him almost into insensibility. While Lucille is waiting for her fate to be decided she glances listlessly out of the barred window. Outside of the house she sees Lieutenant Gibson, the man she loves, and who is in the same predicament with her father in that both will be dishonored unless the documents are recovered from Loubeque before he finds an opportunity to use them. Lieutenant Gibson has tracked Lucille to this house. However, Loubeque sees Gibson almost as quick as does Lucille, and he at once begins giving orders to his men that they may forestall an attack. However, Lieutenant Gibson is just as quick in action as Loubeque, and before the spy can get his forces together Gibson's men attack the house, batter down the front door and begin fighting in the corridors and upon the stairways. Loubeque realizes that his force is outnumbered and commands all to escape through the underground tunnel. Lucille is carried into the tunnel, but in covering the retreat of his men Loubeque hesitates a moment too long and Gibson dashes in and holds him up at the point of a revolver. Loubeque holds up his hands and backs against the door. Gibson looks around and gives an order, and as he does so the door against which Loubeque leans quickly pivots and the spy disappears. Loubeque joins his men in the tunnel. They escape with Lucille to an automobile. The girl soon realizes that she is being taken back to Loubeque's estate in Mexico. Once arrived at the hacienda. Thompson, the butler, begins to smart under the ill-treatment given him by Loubeque. The butler rebels against the spy and takes Loubeque's chauffeur into his confidence, and between them they plan to liberate Lucille and escape themselves. They communicate their plans to Lucille and all three decide that that night at the third hoot of the owl, they will escape in Loubeque's automobile. Loubeque becomes suspicious of the conspirators, and when he can learn nothing by other means, he plays possum. He pretends that he is asleep, and watches the three people out of the corner of his eye. Already the owl-hoot signal has been twice given, and Lucille is ready to escape, when Loubeque jumps to his feet and grapples with the astonished butler. While they are fighting the spy drops the documents. Lucille picks them up. She herself gives the third signal, jumps over the balustrade, climbs into the automobile and speeds away with the chauffeur. After overpowering Thompson, Loubeque dashes to the front of the house just in time to see Lucille being whisked away in his machine. He calls his men together. They mount their horses and give chase. Episode 13: Taking advantage of Loubeque's quarrel with Thompson, his butler, Lucille picks up the priceless documents from the floor, where they fell during the scuffle. She runs out of the hacienda, jumps into Loubeque's machine with the chauffeur, who has decided to aid her, and begins a wild dash toward the American frontier. Loubeque takes after her in another machine, and a spectacular and thrilling chase begins. The country is rough and the roads are rough and in bad shape. Loubeque can better stand the rough handling than the girl, and as a consequence he gains on her rapidly. Knowing what his fate will be if the spy overtakes him, Lucille's chauffeur loses his head while driving the machine over a dugway. The sight which Loubeque then witnesses freezes his blood and causes him to cover his eyes that he may see no more. Lucille's automobile swerves, hesitates and then dashes from the dugway and topples from the edge of the cliff into the terrible abyss. When she regains consciousness she finds herself in bed, with Loubeque caring for her and administering to her injuries. The papers are gone, and she is set back to the point where she started. The futility of fighting the purposes of such a man as Loubeque, with all his physical power, determination and keen sense of intrigue, dawns upon the girl and leaves her without an ounce of fighting energy. Unasked, she agrees to give up the fight which has already cost her so much and return to San Francisco. In her heart she has begun to admire Hugo Loubeque, his steadfastness to a purpose which could actuate only a man of intense character and brilliant imagination. Although he dare not admit it to himself, Loubeque has a feeling for Lucille which is far greater than a passing admiration for her determination, bravery and energy in fighting apparently insurmountable obstacles. However, Loubeque has never lost sight of his objective point, viz, the ruination of Sumpter Love, the man who stole his sweetheart and wrecked his life. Thus when he arrives in San Francisco with Lucille he at once begins negotiations with a Lieutenant Hadley to turn over the papers to the Department of State and thus dishonor Lucille's father. He makes an appointment to meet Hadley at a café, and there deliver the papers to him. Lucille learns of his plans and accompanies him to the café. Knowing that the spy will not talk business in her presence, Lucille feigns illness and is excused. She hires one of the cabaret dancers to allow her to use her clothes and dance in her place. Lucille dances in the café, and now and then, when she edges near Loubeque, she overhears portions of his conversation. Then a most unexpected thing happens. Lieutenant Gibson, Lucille's sweetheart, happens into the café. He cannot believe his eyes when he sees Lucille, the only daughter of General Sumpter Love, as a cabaret dancer. Lucille also sees Gibson and runs to him with the light of recognition and love in her eyes. But Gibson pushes her from him in disgust. He can have nothing to do with a cabaret dancer. She pleads with him, but he will not listen to an explanation and rushes from the café. Episode 14: After her humiliation in the eyes of the man she loves, and after failing to secure the information she sought to secure by eavesdropping on Loubeque in the café, Lucille returns to her hotel crestfallen and without hope. However, good fortune comes from an unexpected source, and by a strange stroke of circumstances Hugo Loubeque is again outwitted in an attempt to deliver the documents to Lieutenant Hadley. By previous arrangement, Hadley was to communicate with Loubeque by carrier pigeon and arrange for a definite meeting place. As Lucille sat at breakfast before an open window the pigeon, bound for Loubeque's room, was attracted into Lucille's window by the crumbs upon the table. She took up the bird and began fondling it, when she discovered Hadley's note, and then wrote another, a misleading missive, and substituted it for the original. The pigeon then was liberated and flew to Loubeque's room with the counterfeit message. In the meantime, Thompson, the crook-butler, steals into Loubeque's room in an attempt to avenge himself upon the international spy. While Thompson is still hiding in his room, Lucille enters with the intention of drawing Loubeque out and making him speak. She is unsuccessful, however, and leaves, but not before she realizes that something is wrong. Loubeque has heard someone behind his curtain, and then begins to steal forward toward the spy. Lucille is watching from the fire escape. She watches Loubeque wait for an opportune moment, and then swing around on the butler and disarm him before he can put his murderous plan into execution. Loubeque then telephones the police that there is a thief in his room. Loubeque hesitates in having Thompson arrested, however, when the butler tells him that he will tell the police all. Thompson awaits his chance, and attempts to kill Loubeque, who is too quick for him, and shoots him. He drags Thompson's body out of his room and into Lucille's room. In the meantime the girl has entered Loubeque's room and begins searching for his papers. The police enter and arrest her as a thief. Despite her objections she is taken to the police station. While this is happening, however, Loubeque discovers that Lucille has been arrested in error. Then he does a strange thing. As long as she is in jail she cannot interfere with his plans. It would have been the most natural thing in the world for him to have left her there. Instead of doing this, he at once communicated with the police and instructed them to release Lucille, as she was not the thief, and was arrested in error. Lucille is set free. She is coming to understand Loubeque less every day. She realizes, and had had demonstration of his iron will. She had done everything in her power to defeat him, and even to attempt to kill him, and then he is instrumental in having her released from prison. He is an enigma, a paradox. Episode 15: Hugo Loubeque, the international spy, falls into the trap which heretofore he had used to defeat those who opposed him. Plan as a man will, unforeseen coincidences arise which confound reason and place the work of a lifetime at naught. It happened thus with Loubeque. When Lucille learned that Loubeque was to meet Lieutenant Hadley at his (Loubeque's) home, she at once hastened to the rendezvous herself. As she was the first to arrive, she took a look through the house of so many terrors. When she beheld a picture of Loubeque upon the wall, the thought of all his crimes and the bitter hatred of her father overwhelmed her, and she raised her revolver and fired into the face of the picture. Even before the echo of the report had died away an amazing thing happened. She saw the floor of a bedroom slowly sink out of sight. Had she not known what had already transpired in that house, she would have been, indeed, confounded. Lucille removed the picture from the wall, and behind it found a switchboard. It was from this board that Loubeque controlled all the traps, staircases and sliding ways and floors of the house. Forthwith she tested every switch. One caused a staircase to disappear, while another caused a desk to sink into the floor. No sooner than she had mastered the system of switches than Lieutenant Hadley arrived. In an instant she laid her plan of action. She informed Hadley that Loubeque was not there, but that he would leave on the Golden State Limited that night. Hadley was satisfied and left. A few moments later Loubeque arrived to keep his appointment with Hadley. Instead of Hadley he found Lucille. As Loubeque leaned against the desk Lucille pressed the proper button and Loubeque fell through the floor with the heavy desk upon him. While he was still in a stunned condition, Lucille crept into the cellar and removed the documents from his inside pocket. An instant later Loubeque recovered and ran after the girl, but he was just one minute too late. She ran to the mouth of the secret tunnel, and just before Loubeque grasped her in his arms she closed down and locked the iron gate. This was her moment at last. She could laugh and jibe the spy, and he was helpless to harm her. But time had not ceased to be precious. Lucille rushed to the railroad station and caught the outgoing train. Loubeque also arrived, but he was too late. Lucille was gone forever with the papers. Returning to his home, Loubeque told Gibson that Lucille was on her way to Washington with the documents, but Gibson thought the spy was lying to him. Each took a sword, and they decided to settle the argument with blood. In the midst of a terrible duel, however, the house was surrounded by detectives, and Loubeque saw that he must escape while there was yet time. In the instant before the detectives rushed in, Loubeque took a package from his pocket containing Lucille's costly necklace and banded it to Gibson, with instructions to take it to the Secretary of War. A moment later Loubeque disappeared and the floors of the house tumbled into the cellar, trapping those who had come to arrest a spy. Lucille delivered the documents to the Secretary of War at Washington, and thus saved the name of her father and of her sweetheart, Lieutenant Gibson. Gibson arrived while Lucille was yet with the Secretary. He fell at Lucille's feet and begged her forgiveness for misjudging her, and she was only too willing to re-establish him again in her heart. That night Loubeque wrote in his diary: "My debt of hate toward Sumpter Love is canceled, for no hate can outlive love in the man who has known Lucille." Loubeque loved Lucille. END
- The life and career of Panccho Villa from young man to revolutionary leader is chronicled.
- An account of the battle of the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, during the Texan War of Independence against Mexico in 1836.
- A foreign spy tries to steal the plans of the newest Romanian army cannon model by seducing the granddaughter of a fort guardian.
- Helen, informed of the danger which menaces an excursion train because another engine on the same track is running wild, mounts a motorcycle and speeds down the track to warn the passengers of their imminent peril.
- Esra Kincaid takes land by force, and having taken the Espinoza land, he sets his sight on the Castro rancho U.S. Government Agent Kearney holds him off until the cavalry shows up and he can declare his love for Juanita--"The Rose of the Rancho."
- Episode 1: "Gold Madness" Two mining prospectors. James Gallon and his partner, Wilkerson, in a temporary camp, have been searching for gold. Gallon has made a lucky strike and has tried to conceal the fact from Wilkerson, who already suspects his partner is not giving him a square deal. The partners are sitting around the campfire one evening when suddenly Wilkerson becomes thirsty. After taking innumerable drinks of water, he falls asleep. Gallon walks off some distance from the sleeper and starts drawing the plans of his great find, but every now and again he furtively turns his eyes in the direction of Wilkerson, fearing he may awaken and discover his secret. Wilkerson awakens, observes Gallon and wonders what he is doing. Quietly he crawls on his hands and knees until he can peer over Gallon's shoulder; and in his eagerness to see he accidentally touches him. Gallon discovers Wilkerson is looking at him, and starts running away, with Wilkerson in pursuit. Gallon grabs his gun, turns and fires at Wilkerson. A terrific fight follows. Gallon leaves Wilkerson apparently dead. Gallon, after hours of wandering, reaches the small mining town of Jacito. A stranger takes him to the sheriff's office. Gallon tells the sheriff he and his partner were attacked by outlaws and his partner was killed. The sheriff, accompanied by his deputy and Gallon, goes toward the saloon and calls for volunteers. A crowd soon collects. Out of the saloon comes a half drunken boy, who cries, "I'm game," jumps on a horse, and the posse are off. As they gallop up the hill, the drunken boy is thrown to the ground when his horse stumbles. The others ride on. The boy lies dazed. His horse gets upon its feet and whinnies. "Who's coming?" mutters the boy. Through the brush he distinguishes a faint form; it is a man. Could this be one of the outlaws? He wonders. He pulls his revolver. "I'm Wilkerson." replies the voice. Wilkerson confides his story to the boy and asks his help. The boy consents and the two go slowly on. At the camp, the sheriff and deputy find no one. The sheriff returns and orders Gallon's arrest. The boys bind him. Evening comes on the posse camp, leaving Gallon tied by the fire. A cowboy is left on watch. In time the watcher falls asleep. Gallon manages to sever his bonds by holding his hands over the fire. He manages to get to a horse and escape. The posse pursue him. Gallon has reached the thick brush, and when he knows he is safe he lies down and takes out the plans he had drawn, also a picture of a twelve-year-old girl, his only daughter, Ruth, and with that picture clasped tightly to his heart he falls asleep, muttering, "I'll save 'The Master Key' for Ruth." Fearing to return to the scene of his supposed crime, Gallon leaves San Francisco by ship for his home. Visions of Wilkerson appear before him. His conscience is troubled. Shortly after boarding the ship, he finds an old sea chest, which he opens. He takes out a curious Japanese idol. In the head of this he hides the plan to his mine. The captain of the vessel is a brute. Once out to sea a mutiny ensues, during which the ship catches fire. Shortly after it sinks, Gallon is washed ashore. Realizing he has nothing to indicate the location of the disaster, he engraves the approximate longitude and latitude where the ship went down on the key to the chest, known afterward as "The Master Key." Later, he is rescued and returns home, where he meets his daughter, Ruth. Five years ensue. Gallon returns to the mines, which he begins developing. He keeps a diary, and in this writes a notation to the effect that he has been seeking for the secret of his lost plans. About this time Gallon writes to a New York stock broker, named Gates, asking him for advice relative to floating "The Master Key" mines. On the day Gates receives Gallon's letter, John Dore, a young mining engineer, calls upon the former and is engaged as consulting and construction engineer for Gallon. He goes West to take up his work. Here he meets Gallon's daughter. Gallon takes his diary from his safe and writes: "This day has been a repetition of all those gone before for the past five years. I am still seeking for the secret of my lost plans. I had not yet discovered" Episode 2: "A Ship Wreck and Wrecked Hopes" Many a man writes down on paper the things he cannot articulate. James Gallon, dreaming of two women, taciturn and silent as he was, wrote down the thoughts which he could not express in speech. His diary, well thumbed, held the history of many a lonely night, but of all these nights there was one that stood out in his mind. It was the darkness enclosing a woman on a bed. He still heard her whispered cry, "You speak of God, Tom, but I have no religion but motherhood." Before his closed eyes came the vision of a lamp lit, then almost an apparition, the face of his daughter. One life had fled, possibly appalled by the horrors of a world that reeks not of our poor humanity. Yet there was in the dead woman's arms a child grotesquely asleep, as if unawakened mother had known. "Ruth," he cried. There was no answer from in the darkness, but thus he had christened his only child. And Gallon knew he was getting old. The problem before him was no longer dim and vague, as it had been in the days of his prime, but absolutely distinct and clear. What was to become of Ruth when he died. He sternly put out of his mind the thought of his former partner, the man, was he dead? If he had not died that night in the gulch, if he were still alive, knowing the secret of "The Master Key," who could save Ruth from his vengeance? Then there rose before Gallon's mind the straight, strong, almost austere figure of his mining engineer, John Dore. Youthful, of course, but he had proved himself wholly competent in almost every task that had been given him. And as though Fate desired to give further proof of Dore's manliness, she arranges for him, shortly after this, a fearful undertaking. Ruth, while exploring the tunnels, is thrown into an ore car by a terrific explosion. This explosion sends the car on its downward flight out through the tunnel and over the trestle. She is in danger of tragic death if the car goes over the dump at the end. Dore, superintending the operations of a traveling bucket, sees her predicament. He orders the bucket swung loose by its cable and, hanging down by his legs, he swings over the girl and pulls her up to him, the car rushing on and smashing over the ore dump. But what of Gallon? Those whom we most want to forget reappear at strange times. James Gallon saw the ghost of the partner he had murdered on the crest of the hill above the mine they had discovered years ago together. Yes, Wilkerson, the partner, was alive. He had continually searched for Gallon. In some vague way Gallon had realized this, and his fears had been summarized by the words written down in the diary: "Wilkerson still alive by night. When will he come into the day? He shall never have the key that will unlock the secret to my little girl's happiness. I will trust John Dore." But it was no apparition that Gallon had seen, first on the crest of the hill and men at the window; it was really Wilkerson who, after one satisfied glance, rode swiftly away toward Valle Vista. It was midnight when he rapped at the door of the railroad station and called the sleepy agent waiting for the express. This is the telegram he sent: "Valle Vista, Cal. Jean Darnell, Astor House, New York City, N.Y: Have found Gallon at last. Address Master Key Mine to-morrow. Wilkerson." Who was Jean Darnell? Well, she had a mission of vengeance, too. Incidentally, she welcomed money. Wilkerson had to have it if he ever expected to possess her. When Ruth came to make her fight, with the help of her sweetheart, John Dore, she had two crafty persons to deal with. Episode 3: "The Ghost Appears" Hounded by Wilkerson, Gallon is made to realize that his former partner is a real being and not an apparition. It is this knowledge which breaks the spirit of Gallon and prepares him for death. Wilkerson compels Gallon to employ him as superintendent of the mine. It is the last straw; Gallon sinks fast, and as his life is about to flicker out, his daughter, John Dore and the old cook are gathered in the death-room. Supported in Ruth's arms, Gallon writes his last will. It reads: "I leave all my property to my daughter Ruth, to come into her full possession on her eighteenth birthday. I direct her never to let go of 'The Master Key,' which will make my little girl happy. I direct that my daughter keep Harry Wilkerson as superintendent until she is eighteen. I appoint as executor or this, my last will and testament, John Dore." When Gallon dies Dore finds in the desk a sealed envelope, addressed to him, which reads: "To be opened on Ruth's eighteenth birthday, sooner if her welfare is threatened." It is hard for Dore and Ruth to appreciate all that has and is happening; much of it is a mystery to them. Vaguely they realize that Gallon had a dread of Wilkerson, that he had evidently wronged him, and that Wilkerson, in his turn, has a mission of vengeance. At the "Master Key" mine matters come to a critical point when Wilkerson, now in full charge, posts a notice to the effect that "After this day all wages in this mine will be reduced 25 per cent." The man is after money, as much of it as he can get. He also sees that Dore is a stumbling block to his schemes. Of an afternoon Dore interferes when Wilkerson knocks a miner down. It is the excuse for Wilkerson firing him as the mine engineer. Following this move, the miners decide to strike. Wilkerson's domineering manner has earned the dislike of every one of them. There is a fight in the office between Wilkerson and an old miner. The former draws a gun, and is only prevented from shooting the miner by the timely appearance of Dore. But the incident is sufficient excuse for the rough miners to seek Wilkerson's life. They secure a rope and prepare to lynch him. Because of Ruth, because he cannot see murder done even in the heat of passion, Dore goes to the defense of the cornered rat. Standing on a box, he tells the miners in a few brief words the exact situation so far as he is concerned, begs them not to risk Ruth's property. For a time the men listen, and then they seem to get out of hand. Ruth climbs onto the box beside her sweetheart and joins her own appeal with his. And this proves successful, so far as the life of Wilkerson is concerned. But the strike; it must be ended. Wilkerson realized this if he hoped to continue the mine operations and secure money, his life would be threatened at any moment so long as the strike lasted. It is a bitter draught to swallow, but Wilkerson announces to the men that the former scale of wages will be again put in force, and that John Dore will be appointed superintendent of the mine. He is ready to bide his time for revenge. Episode 4: "Over the Divide" With his miners still hostile, Wilkerson realizes that he must get Dore out of the way, if only temporarily. Inasmuch as Dore has saved Wilkerson's life, thus preventing him from openly assaulting him, the scheming executor of Ruth Gallon's will plans to induce Dore to go to San Francisco. Accordingly he alters the books of "The Master Key" mine to make it appear that unless more capital is secured at once the mine will go into bankruptcy. Wilkerson suggests that Dore leave at once, but Ruth's protector scents another conspiracy, and arranges that Ruth, instead of himself, shall make the trip to secure more capital. Wilkerson, who plans to oust both Ruth, the rightful heir to "The Master Key" mine, and Dore, accepts Dore's counter proposition with bad grace. Making the most of the opportunity to rid himself of one of the obstacles to the success of his schemes, however, Wilkerson consents to Ruth's visiting San Francisco in Dore's place. Upon Ruth's departure Wilkerson wires Mrs. Darnell, an old flame, to introduce Ruth to a 'Frisco confidence man, Charles Drake, as the Mr. Everett with whom she is to make arrangements for securing further capital for the financing of the mine. Drake is instructed to gain control of the deeds which Ruth takes to San Francisco with her. Ruth, all unsuspecting of the net into which she is being drawn, is introduced to Drake, and entrusts him with the sending of a telegram to Dore, telling the young mine superintendent of her safe arrival in San Francisco. Drake sends the telegram after making himself acquainted with its contents. Dore, back at his mine, receives Ruth's telegram at the same time he is handed another puzzling wire from the real Mr. Everett, which reads: "Miss Gallon has not arrived; what is the trouble?" Upon comparing Ruth's telegram, which assures him that she has "met Mr. Everett at depot," Dore instantly realizes that something is amiss, and decides to leave for San Francisco at once to straighten out the matter. Hearing of Dore's plan to leave, Wilkerson resolves to prevent his departure at all costs. For several hours he considers several plans, and finally decides upon one which he hopes will rid him for all time of the young mining engineer. During the night he withdraws a pin from the brake on the rear wheel of the motor truck which Dore will use next day in making the journey from the mine to the railroad station. A half hour before Dore leaves Wilkerson rides ahead and fires the bridge at the foot of a steep decline down which Dore's truck must come. The bridge is hidden by a bend in the road, and the driver of Dore's truck fails to see the steadily mounting flames until he is halfway down the side of the steep hill. He at once applies the brakes to the truck, but the pin which Wilkerson has removed prevents the brakes from working, and the car soon attains a terrific momentum. Bounding from side to side of the narrow mountain roadway, the driver of the machine has great difficulty from preventing the truck from leaping the trail. Realizing that death awaits him when the truck strikes the blazing timbers of the bridge, the driver jumps for his life into a ditch alongside the road. Dore, anticipating the driver's desertion, springs to the steering wheel of the truck just in time to prevent it from overturning. He applies the brakes frantically in an attempt to control the runaway car, but with no success. With the flames of the bridge already beating in his face, Dore jumps at the last moment from the car, rolls down the hillside, and hangs unconscious over the edge of the canyon, into which the massive motor truck plunges through the rotten timbers of the blazing plank bridge. The heat from the burning structure and the crackling of flames in nearby bushes and mountain grass brings Dore to semi-consciousness and a realization of his danger. Painfully crawling away from the canyon's edge to a bare rock where the flames cannot reach him, he again falls unconscious from his injuries. Wilkerson, meanwhile, has reached the station, and catches the local for San Francisco, believing that Dore has plunged into the depth of the canyon. Episode 5: "The Lost Vein" At the conclusion of the fourth episode Dore barely saved himself from plunging through a blazing bridge into the depths of the canyon. The introduction of the fifth episode of the serial shows Tom Kane cook of "The Master Key" mine, coming to the rescue of Dore as he lies half-conscious on the brink of the precipice. Wilkerson, who set fire to the bridge, meanwhile, is on his way toward San Francisco. En route he sends a telegram to Drake and the latter meets him at the station. Mrs. Darnell, Drake and Ruth are registered at the Manx Hotel, the adventuress and confidence man passing off the pretty young woman as their daughter. Upon arriving at the hotel Drake, Wilkerson and Mrs. Darnell discuss their plan to secure control of "The Master Key" mine. Ruth, secreted in her room, overhears the conversation and learns for the first time that she has been trapped by her dead father's enemies. In order to prevent the conspirators from securing the deeds to "The Master Key" mine, Ruth locks them in a dresser drawer and puts the key in her grip. The conspirators enter Ruth's room soon afterward and, realizing that she has been listening, seize her. In the struggle Ruth faints and the conspirators decide to get her out of the hotel at once. They 'phone for a taxi, bundle Ruth up and rush her downstairs through the lobby of the hotel to the taxi only stopping long enough to pay their bill. The hotel clerk and house detective think the hurried departure strange, and try to stop Drake and Mrs. Darnell. Failing in this they give chase in another taxicab. The pursuit brings them to Chinatown, where they arrive in time to see Wilkerson force Ruth into an opium den owned by Sing Wah, a former opium smuggler. Dore meanwhile arrives in San Francisco, and goes to the Manx Hotel. The only suite vacant is that just given up by the conspirators. Dore unpacks his personal effects in the room from which Ruth has just been hurried away. One of the dresser drawers is locked and Dore sends for a key. The drawer is opened and, to his surprise, the young mining engineer finds deeds to "The Master Key" mine within. Episode 6: "Wilkerson Strikes" Dore learns from the hotel authorities of the mysterious disappearance of Mrs. Darnell and her companions. Aided by the hotel detective they find the taxi driver who drove the party and direct him to take them to the place where he drove the others. An immediate search of Chinatown is begun. By accident Dore sees Drake enter a Chinese shop. Meanwhile, Mrs. Darnell and Wilkerson have discovered that the deeds to the mine are not in Ruth's grip, as they supposed. Believing that Ruth has them they send Drake to win her confidence and thus secure them. When he enters the shop Dore, the detective and the taxi driver follow. They see him disappear through a panel door and hurry out for police assistance. In the interim, Sing Wah, the Chinese, has decided to hold Ruth for his own purpose. When Drake comes for her, he escapes from the cylindrical trap room and takes her down to the bay, with the intention of carrying her to a safe hiding place. Dore and the detective with police assistance return quickly, and a general raid on the opium den is made. Drake evades the police. He does not meet Dore but escapes and returns to the lodging house, where he reports his failure to secure the papers. Dore and the detective are trapped in the cylindrical room by a Chinese woman who had previously guarded Ruth. Dore is slightly injured, and in the excitement of the moment the woman pulls a trap and drops the mining engineer and the detective into the water underneath the den. They swim to a rowboat and thus pass through the underground canal into the bay. They come upon Sing Wah with Ruth and an exciting chase follows, ending with the rescue of Ruth. Episode 7: "The Battle in the Dark" Dore secures a room for Ruth in the same hotel where he is stopping in San Francisco and borrows some clothing for her, pending a trip to the shopping district. In order to take her mind off her experience, Dore takes Ruth on a trip to Cliff House. The trip and accompanying dinner take the greater part of the evening and upon her return Ruth goes down the hall into her room. Dore is inserting the key into the lock of his room down the hall when he hears Ruth scream. Running into her room he sees a figure crawling out on the fire escape. In their absence Wilkerson, by bribes and threats of exposure, has engaged Sam Pell, an ex-second story man and hotel worker, to make a further attempt to recover the deeds of "The Master Key" mine. Pell, by following Dore and Ruth, has learned their room number. He had about completed his night's work when Ruth and Dore returned and interrupted him. Dore fiercely pursued the second-story worker across the roof of the hotel, cornering him behind the great chimneys. Ruth, following closely after, witnesses the struggle between the two men. Pell has about overcome Dore when another figure crawls up the fire escape. It is Tom Kane, who has returned to San Francisco to report to Dore the distress among the miners of "The Master Key" workings. Tom immediately turns the tide of battle by drawing a gun on Pell. The slippery second-story man, however, eludes both Dore and Kane. Just as he reaches the edge of the roof, Dore again catches him and throws him so heavily that the criminal falls over the roof to the street below and is killed. Unnoticed by Dore, Kane or Ruth, Pell had skillfully thrown the deeds down the inner "well" of the hotel. Upon the arrival of hotel employees and the police, Pell's body is searched but no trace of the deeds is obtained. The police recognize Pell as an old criminal, and Dore's story is accepted without question. After a short investigation the police permit Dore and Ruth to leave. Kane assures Ruth that things are "going along fine" at the mine but secretly admits to Dore that the men are out of work and that there is extreme suffering among them. Wilkerson's man, Tubbs, has discharged Kane and taken things at the mine into his own hands. Dore at once realizes that something must be done to prevent Wilkerson from ruining the property through his hirelings. Episode 8: "The Struggle on the Roof" As a matter of form, John Dore is arrested for the death of Pell. Everett goes with him to arrange for his release on bail. Ruth is left in the care of Tom Kane. Kane tells her that the miners are out of work and threatened with starvation. Ruth listens sympathetically as Kane tells her how he opened the cook house to the wives of the miners and supplied them with food. She is pleased to learn that when the engineer interfered he was only saved from being mobbed by Kane, although Kane could not stop the miners from running the engineer out of camp. These events, Kane explains, made him resolve to go to John and Ruth to obtain their assistance in raising funds to help the starving people. Wilkerson and Mrs. Darnell learn of the death of Pell and decide to forge a note, supposedly from Dore, asking Ruth to visit him at the jail. Drake, disguised as a chauffeur, takes the note and after getting Ruth in the cab is to take her to a deserted part of town, where Wilkerson will meet him and thus secure the deeds. Ruth shows the note to Kane. The old miner is suspicious and when she leaves he accompanies her. When the cab stops, Wilkerson appears and threatens Ruth, but Kane defeats their purpose and has Drake arrested for attempted abduction. Wilkerson escapes. In the meantime, an ashman cleaning in the alley at the rear of the hotel, finds the deeds and takes them home. He advertises his find, and Wilkerson, seeing the "ad," compels the maid to disguise and go for the papers. The ashman is suspicious at first, but after she offers him a sum of money, he forgets his scruples and delivers them to her. Dore is released on bail and coming to the hotel finds Ruth has gone. The clerk informs him of her departure and shows Dore the note she had received. He is immediately suspicious. While he is deciding on a plan of action, Ruth and Kane come in and tell of their experiences. Everett is nearby reading the papers, when he suddenly shows them the ashman's advertisement. All go to the address mentioned in the advertisement, but find that Wilkerson's emissary has forestalled them. Ruth breaks down and the doctor advises them to take her to the southern part of the state for a change of climate. Wilkerson, Mrs. Darnell and the maid have all disguised themselves and secured tickets to Los Angeles via boat. They get aboard safely and find that Dore. Ruth and their party are on the same boat. Ruth's party, however, do not recognize Wilkerson and Mrs. Darnell on account of their disguises. Episode 9: "Arrested for Murder" John Dore, Tom Kane and Ruth Gallon arrives in Los Angeles from San Francisco and go to the Beverly Hills Hotel for a few days' rest. Harry Wilkerson and Mrs. Darnell also arrive in the city and discover that the deeds to the Master Key Mine, which they secured from the ashman in San Francisco, are worthless to them because no conveyance of the property has been made out. Wilkerson forgets this and they then take steps to seize the mine. Wilkerson wires Drake in San Francisco to go to Silent Valley and represent him there until further notice. He also sends word to the engineer at the mine that Dore is no longer in the company's employ and to recognize the authority of Drake until he can reach the property. At the Beverley Hills Hotel, Ruth meets a young Englishman, heir to a title, who is somewhat of a fortune seeker. He is a new type to her and his breeding and sartorial good taste makes an impression on the young girl. She is not infatuated although John Dore is led to believe that she is, and as a consequence a slight coldness arises between them which neither can explain to the other. Everett follows them from San Francisco to continue his work of raising money to develop the mine, but shows them that he can do nothing unless they secure the deeds of ownership. They, therefore, begin tracking Wilkerson and Mrs. Darnell. With a few hundred dollars, which Everett has loaned Dore, the latter repays his debt to Tom Kane and sends him to Silent Valley to care for the starving miners. Kane finds the mine in the possession of Drake. Kane wires Dore, who leaves at once for Los Angeles with Ruth, arriving at the mine the next day. An open war follows, Wilkerson hurrying to the scene of action on hearing from Drake that trouble is brewing. Without any trouble Dore drives off the intruders and prepares for further attacks. Wilkerson returns with a band of Mexicans from the southern part of the state and opens on Dore and his followers. Many miners and Mexicans are killed in the battle which rages all over the property. Ruth has a narrow escape but is again saved by Dore. In a hand-to-hand fight Wilkerson is thrown from a high trestle down the side of an ore dump. Dore fears that he has killed Wilkerson but in the gathering darkness cannot make sure. Episode 10: "The Fight for the Mine" At the end of Episode Nine of this serial it will be remembered that John Dore throws Wilkerson from a high trestle to the foot of an ore dump near the mine. Wilkerson, although fearfully bruised, revives and drags himself to a spot where he is found by his Mexican hirelings. The Governor of the State, upon the request of the local sheriff, sends a troop of state cavalry to quell the disturbance at the mine. The captain of the company sends for the two leaders and demands an explanation. Both claim ownership of the mine, Dore on behalf of Ruth and Wilkerson for himself. The officer places the camp under martial law and gives the opposing leaders the liberty of the village. Dore accuses Wilkerson of abduction and forgery, but the captain and the sheriff are officially powerless to make an arrest. Dore thereupon sends Tom Kane to the nearest county seat to swear out a warrant for Wilkerson's arrest. Dore lives meanwhile at his own house and Ruth in her old home where she is chaperoned by one of the miner's wives. Wilkerson bunks in one of the miner's cabins. Dore thinks the situation is serious enough to warrant his opening a letter left in his care by Tom Gallon which was to be opened on Ruth's eighteenth birthday or prior to that date should her welfare be threatened. Dore opens the letter which reads as follows: "Silent Valley, Cal., June 20, 1914. Little Girl, read carefully what I now write. On this depends your future welfare. The Master Key mine discovered by me five years ago contains a mother lode of inestimable worth. The exact location of the lode is written on a slip of paper which I placed in the head of an Indian idol, hidden in an old sea chest which sank on the ship on which I was wrecked. On the Master Key, the key to that chest which you wear on your neck, is carved the latitude and longitude where the vessel went down. Find that slip of paper and wealth is yours. Your devoted daddy, JOHN GALLON." In opening the letter with a paper knife, Dore accidentally cuts the letter into two parts. He pieces it together in reading it but in putting the letter into his pocket a part containing the last paragraph drops on the floor. One of Wilkerson's henchmen, who has been instructed to shadow Dore, sees this through the window and when Dore goes out, enters the house and picks up the paper. The Mexican hurries with this part of the letter to Wilkerson and the latter, who always realized that the mine was not located correctly, is elated at the discovery. His next move is to get the key from Ruth. Dore starts to read the letter to Ruth and discovers that half of it is gone. Although he makes a careful search he fails to find it. Dore tells Ruth what the letter contained and copies from the key she wears the numerals so crudely carved by her father five years before and which always have been a puzzle to her. That night the "greaser" steals the key from Ruth's neck and takes it to Wilkerson. Wilkerson leaves camp at once but is pursued to the mine entrance and its caverns by Dore's men. Eluding his pursuers he escapes through the caverns of the mine through a secret opening at the back of the cliff. With a rope he drops over the ledge and lowers himself downward. The soldiers seize the rope and are about to haul Wilkerson up when he drops, lands unscathed in a bush and hurries away. Jumping a freight, he lands in San Diego, secures the services of a diver, wires Mrs. Darnell to join him and then sets out for the sunken ship. Dore, meanwhile, leaves for San Pedro with Ruth, leaving word for Kane to remain in charge of affairs at the mine. At the port of Los Angeles, Dore secures a boat and diver with a hoisting apparatus. Dore and Wilkerson approach the latitude and longitude indicated on "The Master Key" at about the same time. Wilkerson's diver is already down on the sea bottom when Dore's diver puts on his harness and sinks into the waves. Wilkerson's party attempts to prevent the diver from going to work, but Dore and his men hold them back with their rifles and revolvers. Wilkerson's diver finds the chest and it is hauled upward just as Dore's diver crawls along the sea bottom toward him. Episode 11: "The Secret of the Chest" It will be remembered that Wilkerson and Dore are both striving to recover the secret to the rich lode of ore in the mine, which secret is contained in a sea-chest, which Wilkerson has recovered from the depths of the Pacific Ocean. Wilkerson's ship continues toward land, and he at once forces the chest open and makes a search for the paper, from which he hopes to learn the secret of "The Master Key"' mine. He fails to find any such slip, but does find the Indian idol, which he casts aside with the other contents as being worthless. Meantime, Dore's boat, which has been pursuing Wilkerson's vessel, reaches shore. Mrs. Darnell upbraids Wilkerson for his seeming stupidity, and another quarrel between them ensues. Members of the crew examine the seemingly worthless contents of the chest, and one of the sailors appropriates the idol among other articles, with a view to selling them in port. Upon arriving in San Diego, Mrs. Darnell goes to a hotel, while Wilkerson remains to pay off the captain and crew. Dore's boat puts into dock, and with the captain and Ruth, he hastens to find Wilkerson and the mysterious idol. In the interim, the sailor, with his idol, goes ashore and seeks out a pawnshop where he may sell his treasures. On the arrival of Dore and Ruth at Wilkerson's boat another altercation ensues between the two enemies, the respective sea captains interfering. Wilkerson gives Dore the laugh, but the latter at once realizes that Harry Wilkerson has not found the papers. Wilkerson goes into town to cash a check with which to pay off the captain. Dore thereupon questions the latter regarding the idol and is referred to members of the crew. He learns that one of the sailors had taken some of the articles in the chest, and search is at once continued. Wilkerson returns to the ship with the cash, and from the captain learns of Dore's inquiry. Thus Wilkerson realizes that he has missed the clue to his search. He goes ashore to shadow Dore. A Hindu peddler visits the pawnshop to sell his wares, consisting of a few Oriental rugs. In the shop he sees the idol, recognizes it and hastens to his squalid quarters, where he holds it close to him in a pathetic manner. As he gazes at the little image it seems to dissolve from view, and a series of pictures of the past appears. The Hindu sees himself as a watcher in a temple. A sailor enters the sacred confines and watches him roam about. He sees him standing before a sacred shrine. The Hindu turns from the visitor and takes up his religious duties where he had left off when he first saw the visitor. Later he notices that the sailor is gone, and, on walking to the shrine, in the performance of a sacred rite, he finds that one of the idols is gone. He immediately commences a search for it and, recalling the incident of the sailor, he runs forth and gives an alarm. He is severely censured by the high priest and is sent forth to find the idol. He visits the wharves and when boarding one of the ships he peers through a porthole and in a cabin sees the sailor gloating over the idol. He moves nearer and the sailor, seeing him, thrusts the idol into his chest and closes the lid. Other sailors come along the dock and question the Hindu. The first sailor comes from his cabin and joins the party. Realizing that the Hindu is searching for the idol, the sailor tells his comrades to throw him overboard. The Hindu is thereupon seized and thrown into the water. He swims ashore and, on being unable to board the ship again, is forced to watch her as she sails away. He returns to the temple and is told that he is banished until he returns with the sacred image. He returns to the wharves and boards another vessel. The Hindu's vision then closes and Ruth and Dore are seen to enter the pawnshop with Wilkerson following close behind, although they are unaware of it. Ruth and Dore question the shopkeeper closely, but the latter evades their queries. Episode 12: "The Quest for the Idol" It will be remembered that in the eleventh episode of "The Master Key" that a Hindu peddler, visiting a pawnshop to sell his wares, consisting of a few Oriental rugs, sees the idol, recognizes it as one which was stolen from him in India years before, and immediately purchases it. The idol has a long history, of which Dore and Ruth know nothing. Upon tracing it to the pawnshop, however, they learn that the Hindu has forestalled them, and that the idol is gone. Wilkerson, also searching for the valuable little idol, which he has permitted to slip through his fingers, trails Ruth and Dore. The pawnbroker tells Ruth and Dore of the strange Hindu to whom he sold it. Dore decides that the oriental is likely to return to India with it, and through the captain of the steamer he traces the Hindu to a ship bound for the Orient. Everett again assists them with money for the voyage. Sir Donald Faversham, learning that Ruth is in Los Angeles, calls on her to renew their friendship, and, learning that they are going to the Orient, he offers his services, he having been previously stationed in India as a British officer. In passing through the streets Ruth's sympathy is aroused in the interest of a poor beggar who is being tormented by the natives, and she goes to his rescue. Later this native proves his gratitude to her. A former servant of Sir Donald is engaged to assist them, and in the guise of natives they visit the temple, after having found where the sacred image has been hidden. In attempting to steal it Dore is captured. Sir Donald returns to Ruth with the news. She begs him to assist Dore to escape, and the Englishman offers to do so on condition that Ruth will promise to marry him if he succeeds. Torn between conflicting emotions, Ruth forces herself to accept the proposition. Sir Donald thereupon secures the services of other former troopers, and with his old servant he rescues Dore after a desperate struggle, in which Hindus and soldiers take part. Episode 13: "A Queer Alliance" Episode Thirteen opens with the same balcony scene which closed Episode Twelve. Ruth and Sir Donald are seen together. Sir Donald makes it plain that he feels much satisfaction at having rescued Dore and forces things to a point where Ruth must live up to her promise to marry him. Dore sees the exchange of glances between Sir Donald and Ruth and is much perplexed. Meanwhile there is much confusion in the temple. The high priest, angered at the desecration of the Temple by Sir Donald's Hindus, calls for vengeance. They start out to make a tour of the European hotels in their efforts to find Dore and Sir Donald. Ruth is bathing Dora's wound and Sir Donald is outside smoking when the Hindus come up the street. Wilkerson and Drake see the mob approaching the square yelling excitedly. The native police are quite unable to quiet the mob. Sir Donald is warned by a Hindu servant of his danger. He goes into the room where Ruth is attending to Dore and seizes her by the wrist. Ruth breaks from him and flees with Dore, who straps on his revolver. The mob arrives as they descend and bombards the hotel with stones. The porter of the hotel, fearing the vengeance of the high priests, opens the gates and permits the mob to enter. Meanwhile Dore, Ruth and Sir Donald, guided by a servant, dart into a side passage, which leads into a walled court. Ruth recognizes among the crowd of beggars in the courtyard the one she befriended some time previously. While the mob is besieging the front gates the beggar tells Ruth to get into a basket nearby. The beggar then closes the lid and opens a door leading down into a cellar. Dore and Sir Donald follow into the cellar and the beggar closes the door upon them. The mob then surges into the court. The beggar leads them into a blind passage. Meanwhile he hurries Ruth, Dore and Sir Donald into vegetable carts and covers them with rugs. Other beggars then run off with the two-wheeled carts through another passage just as the mob, seeing that they have been tricked, runs back into the court. The mob searches the cellar thoroughly but fails to find the Europeans. Ruth, Dore and Sir Donald are meanwhile wheeled off in safety while the police scatter the mob. His vengeance frustrated, the high priest decides to send the idol to a distant temple for safe keeping. The idol is wrapped up and the high priest with his acolytes engage eight donkeys and start inland with the precious idol. Ruth, Dore and Sir Donald are well taken care of by the beggars meanwhile. Through the English papers Wilkerson, Mrs. Darnell and Drake learn of the riot among the natives in Calcutta and of the attempted stealing of an idol. Drake suggests bribing their guide to find out where the idol is being taken by the priests of the temple. The scheme works and the bribed guide returns with the information regarding the destination of the priests and the idol. Wilkerson follows the high priests, with the Hindu for a guide, and engages a number of English sailors and roustabouts to waylay the party and to secure the idol. They surround the camp of the priests. The sailors and roughs kill all the priests in a hand to band fight. When they have finished Wilkerson and Drake search the mule packs. The idol is soon found. When the eye of the idol is removed the plan of "The Master Key" mine is seen to be within. Wilkerson withdraws and examines them carefully. He then secretes the plans in his bosom. The last scene of the episode shows Ruth snuggled closely against Dore waiting for the dawn to come. Ruth is uneasy, although she does not know why, and seems to sense that something has gone wrong. Episode 14: "The God Takes All" After spending the night in the camp of the beggars, Ruth, Dore and Sir Donald are given a hearty breakfast. Wilkerson has, meanwhile, decided to keep the idol and he and Drake, with their men, continue on their way back to the city. In the hills they become lost and take refuge in a deserted hut. The lone priest, who escaped from Wilkerson and his men, come upon a band of wandering hillmen and relate to them the story of the stealing of the idol and the murder of his comrades. The hillmen start out to avenge the deed. Dore places Ruth in the care of the American Consul, where Sir Donald also remains, while he goes into the hills to endeavor to find the elusive idol. Aided by his faithful Indian friends, he arrives in the hills where he is seen by the aroused Hindus. They pursue him to the deserted hut, where he comes unexpectedly upon Wilkerson. It is a case of race against race, and thus the two enemies are forced to bury the hatchet for the time being and fight side by side to save their lives. The hillmen are driven off, and Dore returns to the hut with Wilkerson and Drake. Ruth has been entertained at the consulate during Dore's absence, a small reception and dance being given. She meets a young American naval officer who later proves a connecting human link in her life of many experiences. After the guests have departed and she goes to the balcony overlooking the market square below her, she has a vision of Dore in trouble and her woman's intuition tells her he needs help, and at once. Episode 15: "Fate Unlocks the Doors" Ruth, feeling more forcibly the danger that John Dore is in, hastens into the house to prepare to go with him. She is met by the Consul's wife, who tries to persuade her to do nothing so rash, but neither her words nor those of the consul are of any avail. While he is dressing to go out with her, the girl slips from the house and makes her way to the walled court where her beggar friends spends his nights. She arouses him and with his guidance hurries to the waterfront in hopes of finding the young naval officer she met at the dance. The hillmen have, meantime, renewed their attack upon Wilkerson and Dore, and the former, realizing that he will lose his life unless he can escape from the hut, leaves Dore bound to the chair to which he has tied him shortly after their return to the hut. Dore's remaining followers are set upon by Wilkerson's ruffians, the Hindu servant alone getting away. Ruth arouses the naval officer who comes to her aid with a squad of his marines. The British frontier troops have also been aroused by the continued firing and hasten to quell the disturbance. The Hindu servant meets Ruth and the officer on the road and guides them to the cabin, which has been set on fire by the hillmen. Wilkerson and Drake make a getaway and Dore is rescued by Ruth and her new friends. On their return to the city Dore learns that Wilkerson, Mrs. Darnell and Drake have sailed for America, carrying with them the secret to the mine. He cables Tom Kane at Silent Valley to arrest them on their arrival. This is done, and when Dore, Ruth and Sir Donald get back a consultation is held. It is decided not to prosecute Wilkerson and his allies in return for their giving up the plan to the mine. Wilkerson complies, but substitutes a false set of drawings. Dore, with Everett back of him, continues operations. Wilkerson proceeds to seek for the hidden gold at the spot near the original diggings. In a premature explosion he is killed. Dore finds on his body the real plans. Drake and Mrs. Darnell are apprehended for their part in this trickery. Sir Donald releases Ruth from her promise to marry him, and the story closes with a happy meeting between John and Ruth. END
- "Cameo" Kirby, so called because of his fondness for cameos, is the son of a New Orleans plantation owner who dies insolvent. When the plantation and slaves are sold at auction, Cameo's favorite body-servant is bought at auction by one of his father's friends, John Randall. John and Kirby head north on a Mississippi river boat where Randall meets Colonel Moreau. There he loses heavily on a wager and consents to a game of poker hoping to get back his losses. Kirby, through his friendship with another gambler, is adept at the manipulation of cards and suspects that Moreau is not an honest player. He joins the game and soon Randall, having lost all of his money, wagers the old homestead. Kirby wins the hand and Moreau accuses him of cheating while Randall, unappreciative of the fact that Kirby won the hand to keep Randall's estate falling into Moreau's hands, shoots himself. When his body is taken ashore, Kirby meets Randall's daughter, Adele, and instantly falls in love with her. But Kirby is on very shaky ground as he is known as the man who caused Adele's father to commit suicide, and she treats him to some southern disdain. Her brother, Tom, vows to take revenge on Kirby. He and Moreau have an un-witnessed duel and Colonel is shot dead by Kirby, who is somewhat of a dead shot among his many other talents. But Tom takes the gun from Moreau's hand so it will appear he was unarmed. Kirby, slave-owner becomes a fugitive from justice. This also deals a blow to his courtship of Adele. But, a true-blue southern gentleman such as Kirby should be able to win the day, sooner or later.
- With the help of a private detective, Elaine tries to catch the masked criminal mastermind The Clutching Hand, who has murdered her father.
- Murice Brachard, a dock laborer, rises to be a "Samson" of finance with terrific power and a primordial ferocity, which he needs when his wife spurns his devotion, and people he trusts try to pull down the structure of wealth he has erected.
- John Douglas, a high-society playboy, is a cynic concerning the women of his social set, and has a pictured ideal of the girl of his dreams. Wising to avoid the upcoming social season, he hops a freighter bound for the Orient. It sinks in mid-ocean and he, as the sole survivor, is washed upon a island, where he is rescued by Nia, daughter of the tribal chief, Neto.John is puzzled as all of the tribe are white people, but he learns from the tribal chief they are descendent's of English-origin who also are on the island because of a ship wreck a few hundred years ago. John soon arouses the jealousy of Kaura, the tribal sub-chief who wants Nia as his bride, but Nia wants nothing to do with Nia, and favors John. Kaura demand that Nia become his bride, but John Rescues her and they head for the jungle, with Kaura and his henchmen in hot pursuit. The pursuit only lasts until a storm comes up and Kuara is killed by a bolt of lightning, and his followers take that as a sign the Gods aren't in favor of the pursuit. John and Nia take up residence in the Tribal Priest's jungle cave, after the Tribal Chief performs a marriage ceremony. They are quite happy and content, especially Nia who likes to play the harp John made for her. But a yacht appears on the horizon, and John struggles with a decision as to light a signal fire and be taken back to civilization.
- Episode 1: "The Serpent Sign" Miss Elaine Dodge, daughter and heiress of the late Taylor Dodge, whose murder has attracted such world-wide attention, has again had her life seriously threatened. It appears that before the death of Perry Bennett, this modern Dr. Jekyll disclosed the hiding-place of his tremendous fortune to one Long Sin, a Chinese adventurer. Bennett formerly owned the house now occupied by Miss Dodge's Aunt Tabby. On a recent visit to her aunt, Miss Dodge was startled in the early hours of the morning by strange noises. Her aunt had already been aware of this condition, but being superstitious, had put it down to ghosts. Miss Dodge, whose life has lately been one continuous round of self-defense, immediately communicated with Craig Kennedy, the scientific detective whose apprehension of the notorious Clutching Hand caused such favorable comment throughout the land. Kennedy has lately come into the possession of Bennett's papers and his keen eye detected at once the similarity of a plan on one of these and the construction of Aunt Tabby's fireplace. A secret passageway was disclosed, through which the redoubtable sleuth and his assistant descended, only to be overcome by gas, and almost murdered by Long Sin, who had entered the passage from the mouth of a cave in an adjoining woods. Miss Dodge, whose nerve has been put to the test in a hundred cases, alarmed by the fumes, and fearing for the lives of her protectors, descended to the passageway where a queer sight met her eyes. Interviewed to-day by a Journal reporter, Miss Dodge said: "1 had no sooner turned an angle in the passageway when I was almost paralyzed by the sight of Long Sin bending over Craig and Mr. Jameson with a long, murderous knife. A safe embedded in the rock had been opened, and the Chinaman had a small strongbox under his arm. Strength born of love then possessed me, and I closed with the heathen in a struggle that lasted for some minutes. Then I felt my strength desert me; the earth seemed to cave in and crumble all around me and [paper will here appear to have been torn.] Episode 2: "The Cryptic Ring" Elaine becomes the innocent purchaser of a cryptic ring stolen from Wu Fang, for the possession of which this desperate heathen will commit murder many times over. The ring is the key to the hidden millions of the late Perry Bennett, alias Clutching Hand, whose sudden death has left the whereabouts of his tremendous fortune a mystery. Wu Fang seeing the ring on Elaine's finger, decides she is the thief, and in an attempt to recover it, lures her to his rooms, where, but for the timely arrival of her lover and protector, Craig Kennedy, she would have met a horrible death. To make good his escape, Wu Fang has to walk a tight-rope over the yawning chasm between two city skyscrapers, and once over, severs the cable on which Kennedy, hand over hand, is following. However, Kennedy is spared to us for many another hair-raising episode, and Elaine, still ignorant of its value, holds the mysterious cryptic ring. Episode 3: "The Watching Eye" In Wu Fang and Long Sin, Craig Kennedy seems to have found an opposition worthy of his tempered metal. With Blaine kidnapped, and no clue to work on but a meaningless cryptic ring, the great scientific detective feels the necessity for his most concentrated thought. Aunt Josephine is the recipient of a huge vase, at the bottom of which Kennedy finds a note from Elaine, saying that she is as yet unharmed, and instructing him, if he would save her, to deliver the cryptic ring that night in an appointed place. Kennedy forges a ring the counterpart of the original, hoping thereby to trick the crafty Chinamen, but out from the side of the gigantic vase peers the crafty eye of the artful heathen, and unknown to him, Kennedy's plans are blighted in the making. Events then follow quickly. Kennedy in trying to double-cross the Tongs, is himself checkmated, and barely escapes with his life when he goes to barter the fake ring for Elaine. The ring, however, proves the "Open Sesame" to the underground treasure vault of the late Clutching Hand, although a small comfort in consideration of Elaine's probable fate. Episode 4: "The Vengeance of Wu Fang" With Elaine in his power, Wu Fang decides on a vengeance more fiendish than he had ever before contemplated. He releases Elaine, telling her that her ultimate punishment will be more frightful than any bodily injury he can now enact. Slowly, and one by one, he tells her, her dearest friends will die, while she will live on in dread apprehension of a fate that will ultimately overtake her. He then places an African Tick, an insect, whose bite means certain death by a lingering fever, in the 'phone receiver in Kennedy's laboratory. Two fake calls are enough to infect both Jameson and Kennedy, and the malignant fever is working in their blood. A specialist is called in who recognizes the symptoms, and prepares the only drug known to counteract this fatal fever. Wu Fang, seeing that he is about to be foiled, intercepts the specialist's message for a nurse, and sends instead a woman of the underworld to carry out his design. This is to infect whatever instruments the doctors are going to use on Kennedy and Jameson, with a virulent poison. His second failure he must needs credit to Elaine, who, arriving at Kennedy's apartment, and seeing Weepy Mary in the guise of a nurse, immediately denounces her to the company as a notorious criminal. Weepy Mary makes her escape in the excitement, and Elaine is installed as nurse of the men to whom she owes her life many times over. Episode 5: "The Saving Circles" A new ally of Wu Fang, the serpent, is an aviator in his plane circling ominously above Craig Kennedy's house. Balanced in the reckless flyer's palm is a bomb of Trodite, the new super-force in explosives. The bird-man looks for a painted circle as the prearranged target for his agent of destruction. He sees it. Straight to the mark goes the infernal death dealer. A startling white flash, a million splinters, an unrecognizable body, and far off on the horizon the fast fading outline of the modern bird of prey. Tense, expectant, shocked, but ultimately triumphant, the detective who harnesses Science in his pursuit of Crime stands watching at the window of his laboratory. He knew about the aeroplane; he knew that the Government had been robbed of the ultra powerful Trodite; he knew of the large white circle that was to mark his house as the object of attack. He knew also that directly across the court one of Wu Fang's henchmen was spying upon him. That's why, in the dead of night, he and his assistant Jameson ascended to the roof where they scrubbed out the fateful circle. That's why they ever so quietly ascended to the roof of the house directly across the court and painted thereon a large white circle the counterpart of the one recently scrubbed off, and that's why, when the detonation came, the fragments of what was once a Chinaman mixed with the fragments of what was once a house, and left Craig Kennedy shaken, but sound. Did you ever see an aeroplane high in the heavens get hit with a steel jacketed shell projected from an armored automobile? Did you ever see a death duel between a terror of the skies and a gun constructed especially to bring it down? Here you see the aeroplane get hit, shiver as though in startled hesitation, make a final desperate struggle to keep afloat, and finally descend in circles, fluttering helpless, like a wounded bird, to the ground. These are some of the awe-inspiring incidents to be seen in this episode. Episode 6: "Spontaneous Combustion" His constant failure to accomplish the death of both Elaine and her protector, Craig Kennedy, makes Wu Fang only the more persistent. Money means nothing to him. His enormous wealth enables him to carry out the most elaborate plans for the death of the hated detective and his fair-haired sweetheart. His followers know no word other than their masters, and his Oriental craftiness enables him to keep well out of the law's reach. He secures a corrupt young girl to help him carry out a plot as fiendish as it is intricate. A fake attack on the girl in front of Elaine's window is excuse for the girl's sad story, which so touches Elaine and her aunt that they take her into their service. Acting on the chemical principle of spontaneous combustion, Wu Fang rigs up a trick chair to hold fast whoever sits in it, and eventually burn its occupant to death. This chair is shipped to the Dodge home, where the new maid receives it and has it put up in the garret, knowing that Elaine will go there shortly to make a selection of her dresses for a charity gift. Meanwhile, Kennedy learns of the joint in which Wu Fang hides himself from the outer world, and disguised as a heathen goes there to smoke a pipe. How he is tricked by the cunning Wu Fang, how he learns of Elaine's imminent peril, how he manages to outwit the crafty Celestial, and rescue Elaine from the most frightful death, is all so graphically pictured on the screen that a word description fails utterly in its purpose. Episode 7: "The Ear in the Wall" Wu Fang, the Chinese master criminal, knows the charm of Elaine, and knows also the danger of her ready wit. He sends her a box of roses, half white and half red, with a fiendish note attached giving her a choice as to who shall die first, Craig Kennedy, or her Aunt Josephine. Elaine is terror-stricken, but Kennedy, all unknown to her, flashes the red roses in the window, as the signal that they have chosen his life as the first to be attempted. The signal is noted and the deadly machinery of Wu Fang set in motion. Kennedy prepares for what he knows will be an ingenious attack. He sprays his hall-mat directly outside his door with a fluid that will photograph whosoever's foot steps on it. Wu Fang, by means of a method of wiring, connects a detectaphone between Kennedy's room and the cellar, where, with bis henchmen, he hears Kennedy's 'phone instructions to police headquarters, ordering a raid on Long Sin and Innocent Inez, the demi-monde. Wu Fang communicates with Long Sin in time to forestall the police, who, when they arrive, find an empty apartment. Kennedy knows that his instructions must have been overheard, so, using a galvaniscope he detects the wiring in the hall, and knows that Wu Fang is listening at the other end of the wire, somewhere nearby. The super-grip of this episode is in how he tricks the wily Oriental at his own game. It's too good to give away in the synopsis. Episode 8: "The Opium Smugglers" Wu Fang, the serpent, kidnaps Elaine's chauffeur, and substitutes in his place one of his henchmen. Craig Kennedy, disguised, searching Chinatown for a trace of Wu Fang, is met by Capt. Brainerd, of the U.S. Secret Service. Brainerd is trying to locate a band of opium smugglers who are going to "pull off a trick" that night. Kennedy points out a passing Chinaman who he knows keeps an opium joint. Together they track him to a dingy apartment, where they find and overpower three Chinamen receiving messages via carrier pigeons from the captain of a tramp sloop. They learn where the sloop is lying, and start out in a revenue cutter to apprehend it. Meanwhile, Wu Fang, through his underling the chauffeur, kidnaps Elaine, whom he intends to slip abroad the smuggler's sloop for shipment to Shanghai, where she is to be sold. The opium is unloaded, and Elaine carried to the ship. Kennedy, Brainerd, and Jameson, after a sharp fight, capture the Chinamen guarding the opium and load the stuff into their boat, before starting to run down the smuggler's ship. Elaine, aboard ship, uses the wireless telephone Kennedy has provided her with, and apprises him of her predicament. She flashes a lantern from the porthole, and Kennedy's boat makes for it. She flees from the Oriental set to guard her and climbs a rope ladder to the dizzy height of the topmast. He follows, a knife in his teeth. She makes a startling leap into the dark waters and he after her. It is a race for life in the fathomless ocean, with the Chinaman gaining at every stroke. He overtakes her and is about to strike when a shot from the racing revenue cutter kills him. Elaine is rescued, and the smuggler's ship captured. Episode 9: "The Tell-Tale Heart" Jameson, Kennedy's assistant, follows Innocent Inez, one of Wu Fang's confederates, to her apartment where he attempts to question her. She touches a knob in the table carvings and an iron bar swings out from the wall behind Jameson and knocks him unconscious. Inez then sends a gypsy confederate to tell Elaine's fortune, and to incidentally bind Elaine's eyes with a handkerchief holding in its seam a vial containing a spark of radium. Inez has been instructed by Wu Fang that the proximity of the radium to Elaine's eyes for three minutes will be sufficient to blind her. Kennedy, informed previously by 'phone of Jameson's destination, follows him and when he arrives is assaulted in the same way as was his assistant. Jameson's glove on the floor attracts his attention and he stoops to pick it up just as the murderous bar swings out from the wall to strike him. Inez is overpowered and Jameson is found. A 'phone message to Inez from Wu Fang reveals Elaine's peril, and Kennedy and Jameson arrive at the Dodge home. They are relieved to discover that Elaine, in binding her eyes, substituted her own handkerchief for the one furnished by the gypsy. Inez is taken to Kennedy's laboratory, where the sphygmograph is applied while Kennedy repeats certain house numbers in the Chinatown district. Wu Fang is known to live in that vicinity and Kennedy realizes that when his house number is repeated, it will cause a quicker pulsation of Inez's blood. Wu Fang, knowing of Inez's predicament, makes a sensational rescue, but Kennedy "has his number," and the next episode promises thrilling situations. Episode 10: "Shadows of War" Wu Fang is approached by secret agents who commission him to secure at any price the model torpedo invented by Craig Kennedy, and in the possession of the United States Government. Wu Fang sets his machinery in motion and awaits results. In the meantime Kennedy, apprised by his agents of Wu Fang's hiding place, goes there with Jameson and by a piece of remarkable strategy, succeeds in capturing him. Wu Fang is wounded and taken to a hospital, where he manages to substitute another Oriental in his place and makes his escape. He meets his henchman coming in from Washington with the stolen torpedo model. The only other model in existence is one in Kennedy's possession, Kennedy is demonstrating its use in a fountain in the Dodge Conservatory. A momentary distraction gives Wu Fang's lieutenant opportunity to steal this model. He starts away with it, but is seen by the butler, who gives chase. Seeing he is likely to be apprehended, he quickly hides the torpedo model in a large flower-pot, and escapes, wounded to a waiting automobile. Kennedy commandeers another car, and follows. In the enthralling game of wits that follows Wu Fang is killed and the whereabouts of Kennedy becomes a matter of serious conjecture. END
- Harry Ogden - ne'er-do-well - is caught by a sheriff's posse and is about to be hung when he is saved by Betty, the daughter of a Kentucky Colonel, who is traveling in the West for his health. Ogden is addicted to a morphine habit and Betty, who is a doctor, hides him in their house and nurses him back to health. Ogden asks Betty to be his wife, and he is returning to his family home to get some money. The Colonel, mistaken for Ogden by Taylor, a rival for Betty's hand, is shot and killed by Taylor, who leaves evidence pointing to Ogden as the killer. Betty plans to turn him over to the law when he returns. Meanwhile, Taylor is killed by Choo, who is secretly in love with Betty, and she learns through Choo that Ogden is innocent of her father's murder.
- In 1840, while California is ruled by Mexico, American settlers are in constant danger from Mexican marauders. After a band of Mexican soldiers led by American renegade George Granville kill the parents of Leonardo Davis, he vows vengeance and begins a career as a masked highwayman who terrorizes the Mexican offenders. Because Leonardo gives his plunder to those Americans who have been robbed, and he protects the women, children, poor, and helpless from attacks, he becomes known as "Captain Courtesy." At the San Fernando Mission, Leonardo falls in love with Eleanor, the orphaned ward of Father Reinaldo. For Eleanor's sake, Leonard renounces his mission of vengeance and joins the California Riflemen. When Granville learns about a cache of gold hidden at the Mission, he organizes an attack. Leonardo crashes through the stained glass window on his horse and rides to General Stephen Kearny's troops encamped in Los Angeles, who then rout the Mexicans. When Granville boldly admits that he slew the Davises, Leonardo fights him, but Eleanor persuades him to spare Granville's life.
- Fearing former suitor James Armstrong, Louise Newbold accompanies her husband William on a trip to the Colorado Rockies. While riding a mountain trail, Louise and her horse fall over a high cliff. Her injuries are so severe that she begs her husband to kill her to end her suffering, and, out of love, he does so--and blames Armstrong for being the instrument that drove Louise to take the dangerous trip. Five years later, Armstrong meets Enid Maitland and falls in love with her, and they go on a camping trip with several acquaintances. While out fishing, Enid is caught in a sudden violent storm and is rescued by a mountain man: William Newbold, who has become a recluse. But the snow imprisons them in his camp for the winter. The spring thaw brings Armstrong and others searching for Enid, and Newbold recognizes Armstrong as his old enemy.
- Bill Matthews and his partner, owners of the "Croix D'or mine, are beset on all sides dues to the schemes of a trusted colleague who plots to take their mine away from them, and leaves no under-handed method un-attempted in the process.
- The opening scenes are designed to represent the Commonwealth Defence Offices, where the Minister in busily engaged dealing with dispatches from the Imperial Government. There is in the employ of the department, in a responsible position, an Australian born of German parents. He is discovered by a German spy, Herr Henschell, a Melbourne business man, and through being helped out of a card entanglement by the latter's manager he is forced to copy official documents from the War Minister's cabinet. In the spy's house a wireless plant is concealed in an attic. Messages are being received from Berlin, and information dispatched there concerning the movements of the Australian transports. The German spy, however, has an adopted daughter, in love with the War Minister's son, who is about to go to the front. She discovers her father's treachery, and in forms the authorities, who quickly deal with the situation. Throughout the picture the military element is introduced. Soldiers are seen drilling in Melbourne; on board the transports en route to Egypt, and finally storming the heights of Gallipoli. In the first plane the Turks are shown on the hills, and then the actual assault by the Australians takes place. Shells are seen bursting in the water, throwing spray into the air, land mines are exploded, soldiers fall as they rush across the sandy strip and up the rugged cliffs.
- Urged on by his wife and daughter and against his better judgment, Texas cattle-baron Maverick Brander, finds himself in Washington D. C. as an elected congressman. However, when the Brander family arrives in Washington, they are met at every junction by snobbery and ridicule. Then an investigative committee arrives from Texas to check up on how Maverick is representing their interests.
- When San Francisco social butterfly Octavia Van Ness falls into decline, on a physician's advice her grandfather, mining king Ezra Whitney, takes her to Alaska, hoping that she will regain health and find a mate more suitable than the gilded youths of the California city. In the far north they meet "Chuck" Hemingway, whom the girl supposes to be a "sourdough," but whom the grandfather recognizes as a young collegian from the east. When she rejects Hemingway's advances, the caveman instinct wakens within him. The day before she is to return to civilization, Hemingway kidnaps her, enters into a forced marriage with her, and installs her in his cabin--where she suffers no more harm than if she were with her mother. Six months later, Octavia is now well and strong and rejoices in housework, but is still antagonist to Chuck. When Kitty Malloy, the queen of the Arctic Cabaret, suddenly arrives in the city, Octavia's jealousy is excited. She realizes his true worth and for the first time loves her husband. They return to California, where they are united with Octavia's family.
- The story of the Eureka Stockade, where 12,000 gold miners rose up against the government.
- As heiress to a large fortune, Marguerite is able to satisfy her love for beautiful clothes and a taste for adventure, while confronted by a multitude of schemers and gangsters bent on reducing her to poverty.
- An intrepid reporter and his loyal friend battle a bizarre secret society of criminals known as The Vampires.
- This is a completely bogus title; there is no reliable documentation that any film bearing this title was ever produced or distributed at this time. The only film in which Love, Myers and Talmadge all appeared in was D.W. Griffith's Intolerance (1916).