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Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing 1158

Sanjiv K. Bhatia · Shailesh Tiwari ·

Su Ruidan · Munesh Chandra Trivedi ·
K. K. Mishra Editors

Advances in
Computer,
Communication
and Computational
Sciences
Proceedings of IC4S 2019
Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing

Volume 1158

Series Editor
Janusz Kacprzyk, Systems Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences,
Warsaw, Poland

Advisory Editors
Nikhil R. Pal, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, India
Rafael Bello Perez, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Computing,
Universidad Central de Las Villas, Santa Clara, Cuba
Emilio S. Corchado, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
Hani Hagras, School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering,
University of Essex, Colchester, UK
László T. Kóczy, Department of Automation, Széchenyi István University,
Gyor, Hungary
Vladik Kreinovich, Department of Computer Science, University of Texas
at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
Chin-Teng Lin, Department of Electrical Engineering, National Chiao
Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
Jie Lu, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology,
University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Patricia Melin, Graduate Program of Computer Science, Tijuana Institute
of Technology, Tijuana, Mexico
Nadia Nedjah, Department of Electronics Engineering, University of Rio de Janeiro,
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Ngoc Thanh Nguyen , Faculty of Computer Science and Management,
Wrocław University of Technology, Wrocław, Poland
Jun Wang, Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering,
The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
The series “Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing” contains publications
on theory, applications, and design methods of Intelligent Systems and Intelligent
Computing. Virtually all disciplines such as engineering, natural sciences, computer
and information science, ICT, economics, business, e-commerce, environment,
healthcare, life science are covered. The list of topics spans all the areas of modern
intelligent systems and computing such as: computational intelligence, soft comput-
ing including neural networks, fuzzy systems, evolutionary computing and the fusion
of these paradigms, social intelligence, ambient intelligence, computational neuro-
science, artificial life, virtual worlds and society, cognitive science and systems,
Perception and Vision, DNA and immune based systems, self-organizing and
adaptive systems, e-Learning and teaching, human-centered and human-centric
computing, recommender systems, intelligent control, robotics and mechatronics
including human-machine teaming, knowledge-based paradigms, learning para-
digms, machine ethics, intelligent data analysis, knowledge management, intelligent
agents, intelligent decision making and support, intelligent network security, trust
management, interactive entertainment, Web intelligence and multimedia.
The publications within “Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing” are
primarily proceedings of important conferences, symposia and congresses. They
cover significant recent developments in the field, both of a foundational and
applicable character. An important characteristic feature of the series is the short
publication time and world-wide distribution. This permits a rapid and broad
dissemination of research results.
** Indexing: The books of this series are submitted to ISI Proceedings,
EI-Compendex, DBLP, SCOPUS, Google Scholar and Springerlink **

More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/11156

Sanjiv K. Bhatia Shailesh Tiwari
• •

Su Ruidan Munesh Chandra Trivedi

• •

K. K. Mishra
Editors

Advances in Computer,
Communication
and Computational Sciences
Proceedings of IC4S 2019

123
Editors
Sanjiv K. Bhatia Shailesh Tiwari
Department of Mathematics Computer Science Engineering Department
and Computer Science ABES Engineering College
University of Missouri–St. Louis Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
Chesterfield, MO, USA
Munesh Chandra Trivedi
Su Ruidan National Institute of Technology Agartala
Shanghai Advanced Research Institute Agartala, Tripura, India
Pudong, China

K. K. Mishra
Computer Science Engineering Department
Motilal Nehru National Institute
of Technology
Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India

ISSN 2194-5357 ISSN 2194-5365 (electronic)

Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing
ISBN 978-981-15-4408-8 ISBN 978-981-15-4409-5 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4409-5
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part
of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations,
recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission
or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar
methodology now known or hereafter developed.
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this
publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from
the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this
book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the
authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained
herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard
to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
The registered company address is: 152 Beach Road, #21-01/04 Gateway East, Singapore 189721,
Singapore
Preface

The IC4S is a major multidisciplinary conference organized with the objective of

bringing together researchers, developers and practitioners from academia and
industry working in all areas of computer and computational sciences. It is orga-
nized specifically to help computer industry to derive the advances of
next-generation computer and communication technology. Researchers invited to
speak will present the latest developments and technical solutions.
Technological developments all over the world are dependent upon globalization
of various research activities. Exchange of information and innovative ideas is
necessary to accelerate the development of technology. Keeping this ideology in
preference, the International Conference on Computer, Communication and
Computational Sciences (IC4S 2019) has been organized at Mandarin Hotel
Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand, during 11–12 October 2019.
This is the third time the International Conference on Computer, Communication
and Computational Sciences has been organized with a foreseen objective of
enhancing the research activities at a large scale. Technical Program Committee and
Advisory Board of IC4S include eminent academicians, researchers and practi-
tioners from abroad as well as from all over the nation.
In this book, selected manuscripts have been subdivided into various tracks
named—Advanced Communications and Security, Intelligent Hardware and
Software Design, Intelligent Computing Techniques, Web and Informatics and
Intelligent Image Processing. A sincere effort has been made to make it an immense
source of knowledge for all and includes 91 manuscripts. The selected manuscripts
have gone through a rigorous review process and are revised by authors after
incorporating the suggestions of the reviewers.
IC4S 2018 received around 490 submissions from around 770 authors of 22
different countries such as USA, Iceland, China, Saudi Arabia, South Africa,
Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Europe and many more. Each submission has been
gone through the plagiarism check. On the basis of plagiarism report, each sub-
mission was rigorously reviewed by atleast two reviewers with an average of 2.4
per reviewer. Even some submissions have more than two reviews. On the basis

v
vi Preface

of these reviews, 91 high-quality papers were selected for publication in this pro-
ceedings volume, with an acceptance rate of 18.57%.
We are thankful to the keynote speakers—Prof. Shyi-Ming Chen, IEEE Fellow,
IET Fellow, IFSA Fellow, Chair Professor in National Taiwan University of
Science and Technology, Taiwan, and Prof. Maode Ma, IET Fellow, Nanyang
Technological University, Singapore, to enlighten the participants with their
knowledge and insights. We are also thankful to delegates and the authors for their
participation and their interest in IC4S 2019 as a platform to share their ideas and
innovation. We are also thankful to the Prof. Dr. Janusz Kacprzyk, Series Editor,
AISC, Springer, for providing guidance and support. Also, we extend our heartfelt
gratitude to the reviewers and Technical Program Committee Members for showing
their concern and efforts in the review process. We are indeed thankful to everyone
directly or indirectly associated with the conference organizing team leading it
towards the success.
Although utmost care has been taken in compilation and editing, however, a few
errors may still occur. We request the participants to bear with such errors and
lapses (if any). We wish you all the best.

Editors
Bangkok, Thailand Sanjiv K. Bhatia
Shailesh Tiwari
Munesh Chandra Trivedi
K. K. Mishra
About This Book

With advent of technology, intelligent and soft computing techniques came into
existence with a wide scope of implementation in engineering sciences. Nowadays,
technology is changing with a speedy pace and innovative proposals that solve the
engineering problems intelligently are gaining popularity and advantages over the
conventional solutions to these problems. It is very important for research com-
munity to track the latest advancements in the field of computer sciences. Keeping
this ideology in preference, this book includes the insights that reflect the Advances
in Computer and Computational Sciences from upcoming researchers and leading
academicians across the globe. It contains the high-quality peer-reviewed papers of
‘International Conference on Computer, Communication and Computational
Sciences (IC4S-2019)’, held during 11–12 October 2019 at Mandarin Hotel
Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand. These papers are arranged in the form of chapters.
The content of this book is divided into five broader tracks that cover variety of
topics. These tracks are: Advanced Communications and Security, Intelligent
Hardware and Software Design, Intelligent Computing Techniques, Web and
Informatics and Intelligent Image Processing. This book helps the perspective
readers’ from computer and communication industry and academia to derive the
immediate surroundings developments in the field of communication and computer
sciences and shape them into real-life applications.

vii
Contents

Advanced Communications and Security

A Novel Crypto-Ransomware Family Classification Based
on Horizontal Feature Simplification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Mohsen Kakavand, Lingges Arulsamy, Aida Mustapha,
and Mohammad Dabbagh
Characteristic Analysis and Experimental Simulation of Diffuse Link
Channel for Indoor Wireless Optical Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Peinan He and Mingyou He
A Comparative Analysis of Malware Anomaly Detection . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Priynka Sharma, Kaylash Chaudhary,
Michael Wagner, and M. G. M. Khan
Future Identity Card Using Lattice-Based Cryptography
and Steganography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Febrian Kurniawan and Gandeva Bayu Satrya
Cryptanalysis on Attribute-Based Encryption from Ring-Learning
with Error (R-LWE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Tan Soo Fun and Azman Samsudin
Enhanced Password-Based Authentication Mechanism in Cloud
Computing with Extended Honey Encryption (XHE): A Case Study
on Diabetes Dataset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Tan Soo Fun, Fatimah Ahmedy, Zhi Ming Foo, Suraya Alias,
and Rayner Alfred
An Enhanced Wireless Presentation System for Large-Scale Content
Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Khong-Neng Choong, Vethanayagam Chrishanton,
and Shahnim Khalid Putri

ix
x Contents

On Confidentiality, Integrity, Authenticity, and Freshness (CIAF)

in WSN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Shafiqul Abidin, Vikas Rao Vadi, and Ankur Rana
Networking Analysis and Performance Comparison of Kubernetes
CNI Plugins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Ritik Kumar and Munesh Chandra Trivedi
Classifying Time-Bound Hierarchical Key Assignment Schemes . . . . . 111
Vikas Rao Vadi, Naveen Kumar, and Shafiqul Abidin
A Survey on Cloud Workflow Collaborative Adaptive Scheduling . . . . 121
Delong Cui, Zhiping Peng, Qirui Li, Jieguang He, Lizi Zheng,
and Yiheng Yuan
Lattice CP-ABE Scheme Supporting Reduced-OBDD Structure . . . . . 131
Eric Affum, Xiasong Zhang, and Xiaofen Wang
Crypto-SAP Protocol for Sybil Attack Prevention in VANETs . . . . . . 143
Mohamed Khalil and Marianne A. Azer
Managerial Computer Communication: Implementation of Applied
Linguistics Approaches in Managing Electronic Communication . . . . . 153
Marcel Pikhart and Blanka Klímová
Advance Persistent Threat—A Systematic Review of Literature
and Meta-Analysis of Threat Vectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Safdar Hussain, Maaz Bin Ahmad, and Shariq Siraj Uddin Ghouri
Construction of a Teaching Support System Based on 5G
Communication Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Hanhui Lin, Shaoqun Xie, and Yongxia Luo

Intelligent Hardware and Software Design

Investigating the Noise Barrier Impact on Aerodynamics Noise:
Case Study at Jakarta MRT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Sugiono Sugiono, Siti Nurlaela, Andyka Kusuma, Achmad Wicaksono,
and Rio P. Lukodono
3D Cylindrical Obstacle Avoidance Using the Minimum Distance
Technique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Krishna Raghuwaiya, Jito Vanualailai, and Jai Raj
Path Planning of Multiple Mobile Robots in a Dynamic 3D
Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Jai Raj, Krishna Raghuwaiya, Jito Vanualailai, and Bibhya Sharma
Autonomous Quadrotor Maneuvers in a 3D Complex
Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Jito Vanualailai, Jai Raj, and Krishna Raghuwaiya
Contents xi

Tailoring Scrum Methodology for Game Development . . . . . . . . . . . . 233

Towsif Zahin Khan, Shairil Hossain Tusher, Mahady Hasan,
and M. Rokonuzzaman
Designing and Developing a Game with Marketing Concepts . . . . . . . 245
Towsif Zahin Khan, Shairil Hossain Tusher, Mahady Hasan,
and M. Rokonuzzaman
Some Variants of Cellular Automata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
Ray-Ming Chen
An Exchange Center Based Digital Cash Payment Solution . . . . . . . . . 265
Yong Xu and Jingwen Li
Design and Implementation of Pianos Sharing System
Based on PHP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Sheng Liu, Chu Yang, and Xiaoming You
A Stochastic Framework for Social Media Adoption
or Abandonment: Higher Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Mostafa Hamadi, Jamal El-Den, Cherry Narumon Sriratanaviriyakul,
and Sami Azam
Low-Earth Orbital Internet of Things Satellite System on the Basis
of Distributed Satellite Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Mikhail Ilchenko, Teodor Narytnyk, Vladimir Prisyazhny, Segii Kapshtyk,
and Sergey Matvienko
Automation of the Requisition Process in Material Supply Chain
of Construction Firms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 315
Adedeji Afolabi, Yewande Abraham, Rapheal Ojelabi,
and Oluwafikunmi Awosika
Developing an Adaptable Web-Based Profile Record Management
System for Construction Firms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325
Adedeji Afolabi, Yewande Abraham, Rapheal Ojelabi,
and Etuk Hephzibah
Profile Control System for Improving Recommendation Services . . . . 335
Jaewon Park, B. Temuujin, Hyokyung Chang, and Euiin Choi
IoT-Based Smart Application System to Prevent Sexual Harassment
in Public Transport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
Md. Wahidul Hasan, Akil Hamid Chowdhury, Md Mehedi Hasan,
Arup Ratan Datta, A. K. M. Mahbubur Rahman, and M. Ashraful Amin
A Decision Support System Based on WebGIS for Supporting
Community Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353
Wichai Puarungroj, Suchada Phromkhot, Narong Boonsirisumpun,
and Pathapong Pongpatrakant
xii Contents

Structural Application of Medical Image Report Based

on Bi-CNNs-LSTM-CRF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
Aesha Abdullah Moallim and Li Ji Yun
Integrating QR Code-Based Approach to University e-Class System
for Managing Student Attendance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Suwaibah Abu Bakar, Shahril Nazim Mohamed Salleh, Azamuddin Rasidi,
Rosmaini Tasmin, Nor Aziati Abd Hamid, Ramatu Muhammad Nda,
and Mohd Saufi Che Rusuli

Intelligent Computing Techniques

Decision-Making System in Tannery by Using Fuzzy Logic . . . . . . . . . 391
Umaphorn Tan and Kanate Puntusavase
A Study on Autoplay Model Using DNN in Turn-Based RPG . . . . . . . 399
Myoungyoung Kim, Jaemin Kim, Deukgyu Lee, Jihyeong Son,
and Wonhyung Lee
Simulation Optimization for Solving Multi-objective Stochastic
Sustainable Liner Shipping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409
Saowanit Lekhavat and Habin Lee
Fast Algorithm for Sequence Edit Distance Computation . . . . . . . . . . 417
Hou-Sheng Chen, Li-Ren Liu, and Jian-Jiun Ding
Predicting Student Final Score Using Deep Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 429
Mohammad Alodat
Stance Detection Using Transformer Architectures and Temporal
Convolutional Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 437
Kushal Jain, Fenil Doshi, and Lakshmi Kurup
Updated Frequency-Based Bat Algorithm (UFBBA) for Feature
Selection and Vote Classifier in Predicting Heart Disease . . . . . . . . . . 449
Himanshu Sharma and Rohit Agarwal
A New Enhanced Recurrent Extreme Learning Machine Based
on Feature Fusion with CNN Deep Features for Breast Cancer
Detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 461
Rohit Agarwal and Himanshu Sharma
Deep Learning-Based Severe Dengue Prognosis Using Human
Genome Data with Novel Feature Selection Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 473
Aasheesh Shukla and Vishal Goyal
An Improved DCNN-Based Classification and Automatic Age
Estimation from Multi-factorial MRI Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 483
Ashish Sharma and Anjani Rai
Contents xiii

The Application of Machine Learning Methods in Drug

Consumption Prediction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 497
Peng Han
Set Representation of Itemset for Candidate Generation with Binary
Search Technique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 509
Carynthia Kharkongor and Bhabesh Nath
Robust Moving Targets Detection Based on Multiple Features . . . . . . 521
Jing Jin, Jianwu Dang, Yangpin Wang, Dong Shen, and Fengwen Zhai
Digital Rock Image Enhancement via a Deep Learning
Approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533
Yunfeng Bai and Vladimir Berezovsky
Enhancing PSO for Dealing with Large Data Dimensionality
by Cooperative Coevolutionary with Dynamic Species-Structure
Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 539
Kittipong Boonlong and Karoon Suksonghong
A New Encoded Scheme GA for Solving Portfolio Optimization
Problems in the Big Data Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 551
Karoon Suksonghong and Kittipong Boonlong
Multistage Search for Performance Enhancement of Ant Colony
Optimization in Randomly Generated Road Profile Identification
Using a Quarter Vehicle Vibration Responses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 561
Kittikon Chantarattanakamol and Kittipong Boonlong
Classification and Visualization of Poverty Status: Analyzing
the Need for Poverty Assistance Using SVM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 571
Maricel P. Naviamos and Jasmin D. Niguidula
Comparative Analysis of Prediction Algorithms for Heart
Diseases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 583
Ishita Karun
Sarcasm Detection Approaches Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 593
Anirudh Kamath, Rahul Guhekar, Mihir Makwana, and Sudhir N. Dhage

Web and Informatics

Interactive Animation and Affective Teaching and Learning
in Programming Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 613
Alvin Prasad and Kaylash Chaudhary
IoT and Computer Vision-Based Electronic Voting System . . . . . . . . . 625
Md. Nazmul Islam Shuzan, Mahmudur Rashid, Md. Aowrongajab Uaday,
and M. Monir Uddin
xiv Contents

Lexical Repository Development for Bugis, a Minority Language . . . . 639

Sharifah Raihan Syed Jaafar, Nor Hashimah Jalaluddin,
Rosmiza Mohd Zainol, and Rahilah Omar
Toward EU-GDPR Compliant Blockchains with Intentional
Forking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 649
Wolf Posdorfer, Julian Kalinowski, and Heiko Bornholdt
Incorum: A Citizen-Centric Sensor Data Marketplace for Urban
Participation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 659
Heiko Bornholdt, Dirk Bade, and Wolf Posdorfer
Developing an Instrument for Cloud-Based E-Learning Adoption:
Higher Education Institutions Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 671
Qasim AlAjmi, Ruzaini Abdullah Arshah, Adzhar Kamaludin,
and Mohammed A. Al-Sharafi
Gamification Application in Different Business Software
Systems—State of Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 683
Zornitsa Yordanova
Data Exchange Between JADE and Simulink Model for Multi-agent
Control Using NoSQL Database Redis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 695
Yulia Berezovskaya, Vladimir Berezovsky, and Margarita Undozerova
Visualizing Academic Experts on a Subject Domain Map
of Cartographic-Alike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 707
Diana Purwitasari, Rezky Alamsyah, Dini Adni Navastara,
Chastine Fatichah, Surya Sumpeno, and Mauridhi Hery Purnomo
An Empirical Analysis of Spatial Regression for Vegetation
Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 721
Hemlata Goyal, Sunita Singhal, Chilka Sharma, and Mahaveer Punia
Extracting Temporal-Based Spatial Features in Imbalanced Data
for Predicting Dengue Virus Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 731
Arfinda Setiyoutami, Wiwik Anggraeni, Diana Purwitasari,
Eko Mulyanto Yuniarno, and Mauridhi Hery Purnomo
The Application of Medical and Health Informatics Among
the Malaysian Medical Tourism Hospital: A Preliminary Study . . . . . 743
Hazila Timan, Nazri Kama, Rasimah Che Mohd Yusoff, and Mazlan Ali
Design of Learning Digital Tools Through a User Experience
Design Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 755
Gloria Mendoza-Franco, Jesús Manuel Dorador-González,
Patricia Díaz-Pérez, and Rolando Zarco-Hernández
Contents xv

Fake Identity in Political Crisis: Case Study in Indonesia . . . . . . . . . . 765

Kristina Setyowati, Apneta Vionuke Dihandiska, Rino A. Nugroho,
Teguh Budi Santoso, Okki Chandra Ambarwati, and Is Hadri Utomo
Cloud Computing in the World and Czech Republic—A
Comparative Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 771
Petra Poulová, Blanka Klímová, and Martin Švarc
Data Quality Improvement Strategy for the Certification
of Telecommunication Tools and Equipment: Case Study
at an Indonesia Government Institution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 779
E. A. Puspitaningrum, R. F. Aji, and Y. Ruldeviyani
Evolution of Neural Text Generation: Comparative Analysis . . . . . . . . 795
Lakshmi Kurup, Meera Narvekar, Rahil Sarvaiya, and Aditya Shah
Research on the Status and Strategy of Developing Financial
Technology in China Commercial Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 805
Ze-peng Chen, Jie-hua Xie, Cheng-qing Li, Jie Xiao, and Zi-yi Huang
Understanding Issues Affecting the Dissemination of Weather
Forecast in the Philippines: A Case Study on DOST PAGASA
Mobile Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 821
Lory Jean L. Canillo and Bryan G. Dadiz
Guideme: An Optimized Mobile Learning Model Based on Cloud
Offloading Computation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 831
Rasha Elstohy, Wael Karam, Nouran Radwan, and Eman Monir
Model Development in Predicting Seaweed Production Using Data
Mining Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 843
Joseph G. Acebo, Larmie S. Feliscuzo, and Cherry Lyn C. Sta. Romana
A Survey on Crowd Counting Methods and Datasets . . . . . . . . . . . . . 851
Wang Jingying
Decentralized Marketplace Using Blockchain, Cryptocurrency,
and Swarm Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 865
Jorge Ramón Fonseca Cacho, Binay Dahal, and Yoohwan Kim
A Expansion Method for DriveMonitor Trace Function . . . . . . . . . . . 883
Dong Liu
Load Prediction Energy Efficient VM Consolidation Policy
in Multimedia Cloud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 893
K. P. N. Jayasena and G. K. Suren W. de Chickera
An Attribute-Based Access Control Mechanism
for Blockchain-Enabled Internet of Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 905
Sheng Ding and Maode Ma
xvi Contents

Intelligent Image Processing

An Investigation on the Effectiveness of OpenCV and OpenFace
Libraries for Facial Recognition Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 919
Pui Kwan Fong and Ven Yu Sien
Virtual Reality as Support of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
of Adults with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 929
Ivan Kovar
Facial Expression Recognition Using Wavelet Transform
and Convolutional Neural Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 941
Dini Adni Navastara, Hendry Wiranto, Chastine Fatichah,
and Nanik Suciati
Survey of Automated Waste Segregation Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 953
Vaibhav Bagri, Lekha Sharma, Bhaktij Patil, and Sudhir N. Dhage
Classification of Human Blastocyst Quality Using Wavelets
and Transfer Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 965
Irmawati, Basari, and Dadang Gunawan
Affinity-Preserving Integer Projected Fixed Point Under Spectral
Technique for Graph Matching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 975
Beibei Cui and Jean-Charles Créput
A New Optimized GA-RBF Neural Network Algorithm for Oil Spill
Detection in SAR Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 987
Vishal Goyal and Aasheesh Shukla
Survey of Occluded and Unoccluded Face Recognition . . . . . . . . . . . . 1001
Shiye Xu
A Survey on Dynamic Sign Language Recognition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1015
Ziqian Sun
Extract and Merge: Merging Extracted Humans
from Different Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1023
Minkesh Asati, Worranitta Kraisittipong, and Taizo Miyachi
A Survey of Image Enhancement and Object Detection Methods . . . . 1035
Jinay Parekh, Poojan Turakhia, Hussain Bhinderwala,
and Sudhir N. Dhage
About the Editors

Sanjiv K. Bhatia works as a Professor of Computer Science at the University of

Missouri, St. Louis, USA. His primary areas of research include image databases,
digital image processing, and computer vision. In addition to publishing many
articles in these areas, he has consulted extensively with industry for commercial
and military applications of computer vision. He is an expert on system program-
ming and has worked on real-time and embedded applications. He has taught a
broad range of courses in computer science and has been the recipient of the
Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. He is also the Graduate Director
for Computer Science in his department. He is a senior member of ACM.

Shailesh Tiwari currently works as a Professor at the Department of Computer

Science and Engineering, ABES Engineering College, Ghaziabad, India. He is an
alumnus of Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, India. His
primary areas of research are software testing, implementation of optimization
algorithms, and machine learning techniques in software engineering. He has
authored more than 50 publications in international journals and the proceedings of
leading international conferences. He also serves as an editor for various Scopus,
SCI, and E-SCI-indexed journals and has organized several international confer-
ences under the banner of the IEEE and Springer. He is a senior member of the
IEEE and a member of the IEEE Computer Society.

Su Ruidan is currently an Assistant Professor at Shanghai Advanced Research

Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He has completed his Ph.D. from
Northeastern University in 2014. His research areas include machine learning,
computational intelligence, software engineering, data analytics, system optimiza-
tion, multi-population genetic algorithm. Dr. Su has served as Editor-in-Chief of the
journal “Journal of Computational Intelligence and Electronic Systems” during
2012–2016. He has published more than 20 papers in international journals.

xvii
xviii About the Editors

Dr. Munesh Chandra Trivedi is currently working as Associate Professor,

Department of Computer Science & Engineering, National Institute of Technology,
Agartala (Tripura). He worked as Dean Academics, HoD & Associate Professor
(IT), Rajkiya Engineering College with additional responsibility of Associate
Dean UG Programs, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University, Lucknow (State
Technical University). He was also the Director (In charge) at Rajkiya Engineering
College, Azamgarh. He has a very rich experience of teaching the undergraduate
and postgraduate classes in Government Institutions as well as prestigious Private
institutions. He has 11 patents in his credit. He has published 12 text books and 107
research papers publications in different International Journals and in Proceedings
of International Conferences of repute. He has also edited 21 books of the Springer
Nature and also written 23 book chapters for Springer Nature. He has received
numerous awards including Young Scientist Visiting Fellowship, Best Senior
Faculty award, outstanding Scientist, Dronacharya Award, Author of Year and
Vigyan Ratan Award from different national as well international forum. He has
organized more than 32 international conferences technically sponsored by IEEE,
ACM and Springer’s. He has also worked as Member of organizing committee in
several IEEE international conferences in India and abroad. He was Executive
Committee Member of IEEE UP Section, IEEE computer Society Chapter India
Council and also IEEE Asia Pacific Region-10. He is an active member of IEEE
Computer Society, International Association of Computer Science and Information
Technology, Computer Society of India, International Association of Engineers,
and life member of ISTE.

K. K. Mishra is currently working as an Assistant Professor at the Department of

Computer Science and Engineering, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology
Allahabad, India. He has also been a Visiting Faculty at the Department of
Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Missouri, St. Louis, USA. His
primary areas of research include evolutionary algorithms, optimization techniques
and design, and analysis of algorithms. He has also authored more than 50 publi-
cations in international journals and the proceedings of leading international
conferences. He currently serves as a program committee member of several
conferences and an editor for various Scopus and SCI-indexed journals.
Advanced Communications and Security
A Novel Crypto-Ransomware Family
Classification Based on Horizontal
Feature Simplification

Mohsen Kakavand, Lingges Arulsamy, Aida Mustapha,

and Mohammad Dabbagh

Abstract Analytical research on a distinct form of malware otherwise known as

crypto-ransomware was studied in this current research. Recent incidents around the
globe indicate crypto-ransomware has been an increasing threat due to its nature
of encrypting victims, targeted information and keeping the decryption key in the
deep Web until a reasonable sum of ransom is paid, usually by cryptocurrency. In
addition, current intrusion detection systems (IDSs) are not accurate enough to evade
attacks with intelligently written crypto-ransomware features such as polymorphic,
environment mapping, and partially encrypting files or saturating the system with
low entropy file write operations in order to produce a lower encryption footprint,
which can cause inability toward the intrusion detection system (IDS) to detect mali-
cious crypto-ransomware activity. This research has explored diverse data prepro-
cessing technique to depict crypto-ransomware as images. In effort to classify crypto-
ransomware images, this research will utilize the existing neural network methods to
train a classifier to classify new crypto-ransomware files into their family classes. In
a broader context, the concept for this research is to create a crypto-ransomware early
detection approach. Nevertheless, the primary contribution is the proof of baselining
horizontal feature simplification concept, whereby it provides an accurate real-time
detection rate for crypto-ransomware with less system load toward the user device.

M. Kakavand (B) · L. Arulsamy · M. Dabbagh

Department of Computing and Information Systems, Sunway University Sunway City, Petaling
Jaya, Malaysia
e-mail: [email protected]
L. Arulsamy
e-mail: [email protected]
M. Dabbagh
e-mail: [email protected]
A. Mustapha
Department of Dept of Software Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia Johor, Johor,
Malaysia
e-mail: [email protected]

© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021 3

S. K. Bhatia et al. (eds.), Advances in Computer, Communication
and Computational Sciences, Advances in Intelligent Systems
and Computing 1158, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4409-5_1
4 M. Kakavand et al.

Keywords Sophisticated crypto-ransomware · Horizontal feature simplification ·

System load · Computational cost

1 Introduction

The Internet of things (IoT) relates to the interconnected network of intelligent

devices, sensors, embedded computers and so forth. IoT applications propagate most
life infrastructure from health, food to sophisticated cities and urban handling. While
IoT’s effectiveness and prevalence are increasing, security concerns for the sectors
still remain a needed consideration [1]. Therefore, as cybersecurity threats continue
to evolve, thus crypto-ransomware is also becoming the number one menace for
both consumers and businesses using the Internet of things (IoT) devices worldwide.
Moreover, crypto-ransomware has caused millions of dollars in loss for both informa-
tion and money in paying the ransom. Current intrusion detection systems (IDSs) are
not accurate enough to evade attacks with intelligently written crypto-ransomware
such as polymorphic, environment mapping, partially encrypting files or saturating
the system with low entropy file write operations [2].
Thus, this research study proposes a novel crypto-ransomware classification
based on horizontal feature simplification (HFS) approach, in order to identify
crypto-ransomware family attacks by monitoring the hexadecimal coding pattern
of different structured and procedural programming languages to classify crypto-
ransomware family from non-malicious applications. Furthermore, this algorithm
also helps to prevent sophisticated written crypto-ransomware from infecting the
host. The primary contribution of this research is to proof the baselining horizontal
feature simplification can provide a transfiguration of a data to an image without
compromising the integrity of the features.

2 Related Work

Crypto-ransomware development continues to dominate the threat landscape and

influenced vital sectors (hospitals, banks, universities, government, law firms, mobile
users) as well varied organizations equally worldwide [3, 4]. Securing from crypto-
ransomware is a vigorous analysis space. Furthermore, crypto-ransomware classifi-
cation is one of many analyzed challenges and opportunities are known and asso-
ciate current analysis topic [2, 5]. However, there are a few approaches to detect
and remove the threat. One of the detection approaches includes using static-based
analysis which means analyzing an application’s code prior to its execution to deter-
mine if it is capable of any malicious activities. On the other hand, the fundamental
flaw of signature-based detection is its inability to detect unknown malware which
has yet to be turned into a signature. A malicious executable is only detectable once
A Novel Crypto-Ransomware Family Classification Based … 5

it has first been reported as malicious and added to the malicious signature repos-
itory. Moreover, static-based detection is also ineffective against code obfuscation,
high variant output and targeted attacks [2]. Furthermore, static-based detection is
not an effective stand-alone approach to detect crypto-ransomware. Therefore, past
researcher has reviewed on crypto-ransomware characteristics and developed few
detection methods in order to overcome mitigation of crypto-ransomware [6].
Shaukat and Ribeiro proposed RansomWall [7], a cryptographic-ransomware-
layered defense scheme. It follows a mixture of static and dynamic analysis strategy
to produce a new compact set of features characterizing the behavior of crypto-
ransomware. This can be accomplished when initial RansomWall layers tag a process
for suspected crypto-ransomware behavior, and process-modified files are backed
up for user data preservation until they have been categorized as crypto-ransomware
or benign. On the other hand, behavioral-based detection methods are based on
detecting mass file encryption where it could be effective however may come at
a resource-intensive cost; this is because the file entropy needs to be calculated
for every single write operation executed by an application [2]. In addition, these
operations need to track file operations for each file separately over the life span of
an observed process. Hence, such an approach may considerably deteriorate disk
read and write performance and result in a high system load. Besides that, detecting
crypto-ransomware by analyzing the file rename operations to identify ransom-like
file names or extensions may work on simple crypto-ransomware, but will not work on
more intelligently written crypto-ransomware such as CryptXXX which randomizes
the file name or Spore which retains the original file name. Consequently, this will
lead the model to produce a high false-positive rate.
Azmoodeh et al. suggested a solution [8] that uses a strategy based on machine
learning to identify crypto-ransomware attacks by tracking android device energy
usage. In particular, it has been suggested that technique tracks the energy consump-
tion patterns of distinct procedures to classify non-malicious apps for crypto-
ransomware. However, the use of energy consumption to detect crypto-ransomware
can trigger a significant false negative indicating that a crypto-ransomware is not
identified and marked as a non-malicious application [2]. Typically, this could occur
because crypto-ransomware developers are aware of data transformation analysis
techniques that have been known to use simple tricks to mask the presence of mass
file encryption [2]. Nevertheless, the use of energy consumption to detect crypto-
ransomware can also set off a notable false positive, whereby benign application such
as Web browsers uses high system resource which could lead the model to indicating
benign application is identified and marked as a malicious application.
Sgandurra et al. proposed EldeRan [9], a dynamically analyzing and classifying
machine learning approach for crypto-ransomware. EldeRan observes a set of actions
applied in their first phase of installation to check for crypto-ransomware character-
istics. In addition, EldeRan operates without needing a complete family of crypto-
ransomware to be accessible in advance. EldeRan, however, has some limitations.
The first limitation addresses the analysis and identification of crypto-ransomware
samples that have been silent for some duration or are waiting for a trigger action
done by the user. Hence, EldeRan does not properly extract their features; this is due
6 M. Kakavand et al.

Table 1 Similarity between past models

Past models Advantage Disadvantage
Uses dynamic analysis High detection rate classifies Resource-intensive
ransomware family Impractical commercial use
Vulnerable to sophisticated attacks

to certain crypto-ransomware capable of environment mapping [2]. In other words,

when crypto-ransomware is executed it will map the system environment before
initiating its setup procedure. Typically, this is performed to determine whether it
runs on a real user system or on a sandbox setting that might attempt to analyze
it [2]. Another limitation of their approach is that in the current settings no other
applications were running in the analyzed virtual machine (VM), except the ones
coming packed with a fresh installation of Windows. This might not be a limitation
by itself, but as in the previous cases, the crypto-ransomware might do some checks
as to evade being analyzed.
Recently, [10] conducted a research work toward ransomware threats, which
leading to propose Deep Ransomware Threat Hunting and Intelligence System
(DRTHIS), whereby it is capable of detecting earlier in invisible ransomware data
from new ransomware families in a timely and precise way. However, DRTHIS is
not capable for classifying some new threat such as TorrentLocker attack.
In summary, the preliminary literature review shows that past studies are primarily
focused on understanding distinct types of system design and layered architecture as
stated in Table 1. In terms of the detection engine, it uses classifiers in order to increase
the detection rate. Many system designs use a similar approach as shown in Table 2 in
order to detect crypto-ransomware behavior. However, the false-positive and false-
negative rate towards intrusion samples differ due the unique research model design
and layered architecture. Therefore, the detection rates for false positive and false
negative toward intrusion samples differ. Therefore, the aim of this research is to
create an approach baselining horizontal feature simplification to provide accurate
real-time detection rate for crypto-ransomware with less system load toward the user
device.

3 Objectives

The objective of this research is to develop a novel crypto-ransomware family clas-

sification based on horizontal feature simplification with reduced system constraint
approach. The term constraint is defined here as the process of identifying crypto-
ransomware without overloading the users’ machine. For example, encryption
measures such as entropy change which requires the file entropy to be calculated
for every single write operation executed by an application. Furthermore, these oper-
ations need to track file operations for each file separately over the life span of
an observed process. Such an approach may considerably cause high system load
A Novel Crypto-Ransomware Family Classification Based … 7

Table 2 Past model summary

References Model architecture Advantage Disadvantage
Homayoun et al. Deep Ransomware DRTHIS is capable of DRTHIS is not capable
(2019) Threat Hunting and detecting previously for classifying some
Intelligence System unseen ransomware new threat such as
(DRTHIS) approach is data from new TorrentLocker attack
used to distinguish ransomware families
ransomware from in a timely and
goodware accurate manner
Shaukat and Ribeiro Each layer tags the Able to detect Resource-intensive,
(2018) process of the Portable common whereby the file
Executable file for crypto-ransomware entropy needs to be
behavior such as read, with high detection calculated for every
write, rename and rate single write operation.
delete operation Moreover, this
operation will also
deteriorate the disk
read and write
performance.
Furthermore,
vulnerable toward
intelligently written
crypto-ransomware [2]
Azmoodeh et al. Tracks the energy Outperform other Having significant
(2017) consumption pattern models such as false positive due to
of distinct procedures k-nearest neighbors, certain characteristics
to classify neural network, and weak against
crypto-ransomware support vector partially encryption
from non-malicious machine and random files [2]
forest
Sgandurra (2016) Analyze a set of Able to classify The model does not
actions applied in their common variant of properly extract their
first phase of ransomware family features as certain
installation to check crypto-ransomware
for capable of environment
crypto-ransomware, mapping [2]
without needing a
complete family of
crypto-ransomware to
be accessible in
advance

leading to deteriorating the disk read and write performance. In summary, the objec-
tive is to produce a classification algorithm with the practical approach for feature
representation that is able to distinguish the crypto-ransomware family with a low
computational cost.
8 M. Kakavand et al.

4 Methodology

This section describes the approaches will be taken to achieve the proposed solution.
Moreover, this section intends to describe and show the relationship between the
various work activities that are performed during this research. Furthermore, the
expected result from these activities will also be listed here.

4.1 Data Collection

The crypto-ransomware and goodware dataset were obtained from [11] which consist
of 100 working samples of 10 distinct classes of ransomware and 100 benign
applications. The crypto-ransomware samples are gathered to represent the most
common versions and variations presently found in the wild. Furthermore, each
crypto-ransomware is grouped together into a well-established family name, as there
are several discrepancies between the naming policies of anti-virus (AV) suppliers,
and therefore it is not simple to obtain a common name for each ransomware family.

4.2 Android Application Package Conversion

into Hexadecimal Codes

This segment highlights the approaches used by the data preprocessing module to
transform the raw information into a comprehensible format in order to support
toward this research framework. Furthermore, three data preprocessing approaches
will be utilized in this research. Generally, it is possible to consider all binary files
as a series of ones and zeros. As shown in Fig. 1, the first method is to convert each
android application package to binary. After that, the binary file will be converted to
hexadecimal code. Moreover, during this process the data has retained the original
integrity of the application. In line with our knowledge, the reason for using binary to
hexadecimal conversion is to reduce the code complexity as shown in Fig. 2, which
will be effective toward the next stage of the transfiguring image conversion process.

4.3 Hexadecimal Code to Dynamic Image Transfiguration

In this process, the hexadecimal code content of the string is extracted into 6 char-
acters which refers to 6 characters for every unit. Now knowing each unit as 6
characters, it is possible to take their unit as indicators of a two-dimensional color
map that stores RGB values that match the particular unit. Furthermore, repeating
this process for each unit allows me to get a sequence of RGB values (pixel values)
A Novel Crypto-Ransomware Family Classification Based … 9

Fig. 1 Hexadecimal code

conversion framework

from the stage 1 preprocessed file. Next, we have transformed this series of pixel
values into a two-dimensional matrix, which will be used in image transfiguration
process resulting in an RGB picture representation. Besides, Fig. 3 shows the width
of the image output is set to 510; however, the height image is set to be dynamic
based on the hexadecimal to dynamic image transfiguration algorithm. The reason
for setting the width of the image static and the height of the image dynamic is to
create a standard baseline feature dimension.
From this part of the analysis, we found out there is a frequent amount of the
unique pattern appearing in the images corresponding to each crypto-ransomware
family. Moreover, this statement can be proved in Fig. 4. Besides as we further dive
into analyzing the crypto-ransomware family, we have discovered a complication
whereby all the crypto-ransomware family image dimensions are not standardized.
Furthermore, this complication will affect the convolution neural network model,
whereby the model will assign inequal weight toward the stage 2 preprocessed images
which will cause the loss function in the model to increase leading to bad predic-
tions. In addition, general approaches to manipulate the images such as center crop,
squashing or padding will not work toward this research dataset. This is because the
images will be losing a significant number of important features and this will lead
to bad classification. Therefore, in this research we have developed an algorithm
which solves the problem faced by stage 2 preprocessed images. The algorithm will
be explained in depth in the next stage of data preprocessing.
10 M. Kakavand et al.

Fig. 2 Android application package conversion into hexadecimal code output

Fig. 3 Hexadecimal code to dynamic image conversion flowchart

4.4 Horizontal Feature Simplification

In this process, we have used the created algorithm known as “horizontal feature
simplification (HFS)” to further preprocess the images produced by stage 2 data
preprocessing. Moreover, the main condition for horizontal feature simplification is
the width of the image should be fixed. The rule is applied because if the image does
A Novel Crypto-Ransomware Family Classification Based … 11

Fig. 4 Hexadecimal code to dynamic image transfiguration output for WannaLocker ransomware
variant

not have a fixed number of features, it will cause the images to be not normalized
leading bad prediction toward this research. If the condition meets the algorithm,
then it will be executed. As shown in Fig. 5, the first process will be converting
the stage 2 preprocessed image to two-dimensional plane array to extract each row
pixel vector. Next, SimHash algorithm with a prime number hash bit is used to a

Fig. 5 Horizontal feature simplification flowchart

12 M. Kakavand et al.

Fig. 6 Horizontal feature simplification output for Koler ransomware variant output

create coordinate corresponding to row pixel vector, whereby the algorithm takes
each row vector, passes through a segment, then acquires effective feature vectors
and weighs each set of feature vectors (if a row pixel vector is given, then the feature
vector is the pixels in the image and the weight is the number of times the pixel
may appear). Furthermore, DJB2 algorithm with a prime number hash bit is used
to produce 26-bit hash value which will be utilized to create an RGB color pixel.
Besides, if there is a collision between two-row pixel vectors, then the RGB colors
will be added together in order to maintain the integrity of the image. In summary,
horizontal feature simplification will create a static image dimension which will be
used in the convolution neural network model to create unbiased weight distribution
in order to produce a better classification model.
In this part, we will be analyzing HFS data output. From this part of the analysis,
we found out there is still a frequent amount of unique pattern appearing in the
images corresponding to each crypto-ransomware family even after the images been
preprocessed from stage 2 to stage 3. Furthermore, this statement can be proved
from Fig. 6. Besides, number pixel density per image is increased 5% due to using
prime numbers for SimHash and DJB2 algorithm hash bits compared to non-prime
numbers. Therefore, the number of characteristics in an image also increases, causing
the classification model to produce a higher-quality prediction.

4.5 Crypto-Ransomware Classification

Neural networks have been very effective in finding significance or acknowledging

patterns from a collection of images. The model functions used in this research are
sequential functions, which allowed me to build a linear stack of layers. Hence, each
layer will be treated as an object that feeds data to the next one. The next layer is
the convolution layer, whereby the parameters accept a “100 * 100 * 3” array of the
pixel value. In addition, the feature map is passed through an activation layer called
rectified linear unit (ReLU). In fact, ReLU is a nonlinear operation that replaces
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wares dolefully. Then a small boy, escaping from the confines of his
domestic circle, came to revel in the downpour and wade ecstatically
but thoroughly through the puddles that had formed on the uneven
surface of the road. Nemesis, in the shape of a shrill-voiced mother,
overtook the boy and sent him whining and expectant to the heavy
hand of maternal authority. With the coast clear Mr. Lane lost no
time. In effecting an entrance to the headquarters of the “Borough
Lot,” Mr. Lane’s method lacked subtlety. He climbed over the gate
leading to the yard, trusting inwardly that he was not observed, but
taking his chance. Had he been an accomplished burglar, with the
experience of any exploits behind him, he would have begun by
making a very thorough inspection of likely windows. Certainly he
would never have tried the “office” door. Being the veriest tyro, and
being conscious, moreover, that his greatest feats had connection
with doors carelessly left ajar, he tried the door, and to his delight it
opened.
Again the skilled craftsman would have suspected some sort of
treachery, and might have withdrawn; but Mr. Lane, recognizing in
the fact that the old man had forgotten to fasten the door behind him
only yet another proof of that benevolent Providence which exerts
itself for the express service of men “in luck,” entered boldly. He lit a
candle stump and looked around.
The evidence of that wealth which is the particular possession of
“master-men” was not evident. Indeed, the floor of the passage was
uncarpeted, and the walls bare of picture or ornament. Nor was the
“office,” a little room leading from the “passage,” any more prolific of
result. Such fixtures as there were had apparently been left behind
by the previous tenant, and these were thick with dust.
“Bah!” said the inquisitive Mr. Lane scornfully, and his words echoed
hollowly as in an empty house.
With the barren possibilities of his exploit before him, Mr. Lane’s
spirits fell.
He was of the class, to whom reference has already been made, that
looked in awe and reverence toward the “Borough Lot” in the same
spirit as the youthful curate might regard the consistory of bishops. In
his cups—pewter cups they were with frothing heads a-top—he was
wont to boast that his connection with the “Borough Lot” was both
close and intimate. A rumor that went around to the effect that the
“mouthpiece” who defended him at the closing of the unsatisfactory
horsehair episode had been paid for by the “Borough Lot” he did not
trouble to contradict.
If he had known any of them, even by sight, he would not at that
moment have been effecting a burglarious entry into their premises.
Room after room he searched. He found the ill-furnished bedroom of
Connor, and the room where old George slept on an uncleanly
mattress. He found, too, the big room where the “Lot” held their
informal meetings, but nothing portable. Nothing that a man might
slip under his coat, and walk boldly out of the front door with. No little
article of jewelry that your wife might carry to a pawnbroker’s with a
long face and a longer story of a penury that forced you to part with
her dear mother’s last gift. None of these, noted Mr. Lane bitterly,
and with every fresh disappointment he breathed the harder.
For apart from the commercial aspect of this, his burglary, there was
the sickening humiliation of failure. An imaginative man, he had
already invented the story he was to tell to a few select cronies in
sneak-thief division. He had rehearsed mentally a scene where, with
an air of nonchalance, he drew a handful of golden sovereigns from
his pocket and ordered drinks round. And whilst they were sipping
his drinks, smirking respectfully, he would have confided to them the
fact that he had been duly, and with all ceremony, installed a full-
fledged member of the “Borough Lot.” Of the irony of the situation he
was ignorant. A qualified burglar would have completed a systematic
examination of the premises in ten minutes, but Mr. Lane was not so
qualified. In consequence he dawdled from room to room, going
back to this room to make sure, and returning to that room to be
absolutely certain that nothing had been overlooked. Oblivious of the
flight of time, he stood irresolutely in the topmost room of the house
when the real adventure of the evening began. He heard the click of
a lock—he had thoughtfully closed the office door behind him—and a
voice, and his heart leapt into his throat. He heard a voice, a voice
hoarse with rage, and another, and yet another.
Mr. Lane realized, from the stamping of feet on the stairs, that half a
dozen men had come into the house; from their language he
gathered they were annoyed.
Then he heard something that froze his blood and turned his marrow
to water.
It had begun in a rumble of hoarse, undistinguishable words, and
ended in the phrase that caught his ear.
“... he’s sold us, I tell ye! Put spies on us! He led us into the trap,
curse him....”
He heard another voice speaking in a lower tone.
“What are we worth? You’re a fool! What d’ye think we’re worth?
Ain’t we the ‘Borough Lot’? Don’t he know enough to hang two or
three of us.... It’s Connor and his pal the lawyer....”
The “Borough Lot”!
The paralyzing intelligence came to Mr. Lane, and he held on to the
bare mantelshelf for support. Spies! Suppose they discovered him,
and mistook him for a spy! His hair rose at the thought. He knew
them well enough by repute. Overmuch hero-worship had invested
them with qualities for evil which they may or may not have
possessed.
There might be a chance of escape. The tumult below continued.
Scraps of angry talk came floating up.
Mr. Lane looked out of the window; the drop into the street was too
long, and there was no sign of rope in the house.
Cautiously he opened the door of the room. The men were in the
room beneath that in which he stood. The staircase that led to the
street must take him past their door.
Mr. Lane was very anxious to leave the house. He had unwittingly
stepped into a hornets’ nest, and wanted to make his escape without
disturbing the inmates. Now was the time—or never. Whilst the
angry argument continued a creaking stair board or so might not
attract attention. But he made no allowance for the gifts of these men
—gifts of sight and hearing. Bat Sands, in the midst of his tirade, saw
the uplifted finger and head-jerk of Goyle. He did not check his flow
of invective, but edged toward the door; then he stopped short, and
flinging the door open, he caught the scared Mr. Lane by the throat,
and dragging him into the room, threw him upon the ground and
knelt on him.
“What are ye doing here?” he whispered fiercely.
Mr. Lane, with protruding eyes, saw the pitiless faces about him, saw
Goyle lift a life-preserver from the table and turn half-round the better
to strike, and fainted.
“Stop that!” growled Bat, with outstretched hand. “The little swine has
fainted. Who is he? Do any of you fellers know him?”
It was the wizened-faced man whom Angel had addressed as Lamby
who furnished the identification.
“He’s a little crook—name of Lane.”
“Where does he come from?”
“Oh, hereabouts. He was in the Scrubbs in my time,” said Lamby.
They regarded the unconscious burglar in perplexity.
“Go through his pockets,” suggested Goyle.
It happened—and this was the most providential happening of the
day from Mr. Lane’s point of view—that when he had decided upon
embarking on his career of high-class crime he had thoughtfully
provided himself with a few homemade instruments. It was the little
poker with flattened end to form a jemmy and the center-bit that was
found in his pocket that in all probability saved Mr. Lane’s life.
Lombroso and other great criminologists have given it out that your
true degenerate has no sense of humor, but on two faces at least
there was a broad grin when the object of the little man’s visit was
revealed.
“He came to burgle Connor,” said Bat admiringly. “Here, pass over
the whisky, one of ye!”
He forced a little down the man’s throat, and Mr. Lane blinked and
opened his eyes in a frightened stare.
“Stand up,” commanded Bat, “an’ give an account of yourself, young
feller. What d’ye mean by breaking into——”
“Never mind about that,” Goyle interrupted savagely. “What has he
heard when he was sneaking outside?—that’s the question.”
“Nothin’, gentlemen!” gasped the unfortunate Mr. Lane, “on me word,
gentlemen! I’ve been in trouble like yourselves, an’——”
He realized he had blundered.
“Oh,” said Goyle with ominous calm, “so you’ve been in trouble like
us, have you?”
“I mean——”
“I know what you mean,” hissed the other; “you mean you’ve been
listenin’ to what we’ve been saying, you little skunk, and you’re ready
to bleat to the first copper.”
It might have gone hard with Mr. Lane but for the opportune arrival of
the messenger. Bat went downstairs at the knock, and the rest stood
quietly listening. They expected Connor, and when his voice did not
sound on the stairs they looked at one another questioningly. Bat
came into the room with a yellow envelope in his hand. He passed it
to Goyle. Reading was not an accomplishment of his. Goyle read it
with difficulty.
“Do the best you can,” he read. “I’m lying ‘doggo.’”
“What does that mean?” snarled Goyle, holding the message in his
hand and looking at Bat. “Hidin’, is he—and we’ve got to do the best
we can?”
Bat reached for his overcoat. He did not speak as he struggled into
it, nor until he had buttoned it deliberately.
“It means—git,” he said shortly. “It means run, or else it means time,
an’ worse than time.”
He swung round to the door.
“Connor’s hidin’,” he stopped to say. “When Connor starts hiding the
place is getting hot. There’s nothing against me so far as I know,
except——”
His eyes fell on the form of Mr. Lane. He had raised himself to a
sitting position on the floor, and now, with disheveled hair and
outstretched legs, he sat the picture of despair.
Goyle intercepted the glance.
“What about him?” he asked.
“Leave him,” said Bat; “we’ve got no time for fooling with him.”
A motor-car came buzzing down Cawdor Street, which was unusual.
They heard the grind of its brakes outside the door, and that in itself
was sufficiently alarming. Bat extinguished the light, and cautiously
opened the shutters. He drew back with an oath.
“What’s that?” Goyle whispered.
Bat made no reply, and they heard him open his matchbox.
“What are you doing?” whispered Goyle fiercely.
“Light the lamp,” said the other.
The tinkle of glass followed as he removed the chimney, and in the
yellow light Bat faced the “Borough Lot.”
“U—P spells ‘up,’ an’ that’s what the game is,” he said calmly. He
was searching his pockets as he spoke. “I want a light because
there’s one or two things in my pocket that I’ve got to burn—quick!”
After some fumbling he found a paper. He gave it a swift
examination, then he struck a match and carefully lit the corner.
“It’s the fairest cop,” he went on. “The street’s full of police, and
Angel ain’t playing ‘gamblin’ raids’ this time.”
There was a heavy knock on the door, but nobody moved. Goyle’s
face had gone livid. He knew better than any man there how
impossible escape was. That had been one of the drawbacks to the
house—the ease with which it could be surrounded. He had pointed
out the fact to Connor before.
Again the knock.
“Let ’em open it,” said Bat grimly, and as though the people outside
had heard the invitation, the door crashed in, and there came a
patter as of men running on the stairs.
First to enter the room was Angel. He nodded to Bat coolly, then
stepped aside to allow the policemen to follow.
“I want you,” he said briefly.
“What for?” asked Sands.
“Breaking and entering,” said the detective. “Put out your hands!”
Bat obeyed. As the steel stirrup-shaped irons snapped on his wrists
he asked—
“Have you got Connor?”
Angel smiled.
“Connor lives to fight another day,” he said quietly.
The policemen who attended him were busy with the other
occupants of the room.
“Bit of a field-day for you, Mr. Angel,” said the thin-faced Lamby
pleasantly. “Thought you was goin’ to let us off?”
“Jumping at conclusions hastily is a habit to be deplored,” said Angel
sententiously. Then he saw the panic-stricken Mr. Lane.
“Hullo, what’s this?” he demanded.
Mr. Lane had at that moment the inspiration of his life. Since he was
by fortuitous circumstances involved in this matter, and since it could
make very little difference one way or the other what he said, he
seized the fame that lay to his hand.
“I am one of the ‘Borough Lot,’” he said, and was led out proud and
handcuffed with the knowledge that he had established beyond
dispute his title to consideration as a desperate criminal.

Mr. Spedding was a man who thought quickly. Ideas and plans came
to him as dross and diamonds come to the man at the sorting table,
and he had the faculty of selection. He saw the police system of
England as only the police themselves saw it, and he had an open
mind upon Angel’s action. It was within the bounds of possibility that
Angel had acted with full authority; it was equally possible that Angel
was bluffing.
Mr. Spedding had two courses before him, and they were both
desperate; but he must be sure in how, so far, his immediate liberty
depended upon the whim of a deputy-assistant-commissioner of
police.
Angel had mentioned a supreme authority. It was characteristic of
Spedding that he should walk into a mine to see how far the fuse
had burned. In other words, he hailed the first cab, and drove to the
House of Commons.
The Right Honorable George Chandler Middleborough, His Majesty’s
Secretary of State for Home Affairs, is a notoriously inaccessible
man; but he makes exceptions, and such an exception he made in
favor of Spedding. For eminent solicitors do not come down to the
House at ten o’clock in the evening to gratify an idle curiosity, or to
be shown over the House, or beg patronage and interest; and when
a business card is marked “most urgent,” and that card stands for a
staple representative of an important profession, the request for an
interview is not easily refused.
Spedding was shown into the minister’s room, and the Home
Secretary rose with a smile. He knew Mr. Spedding by sight, and had
once dined in his company.
“Er—” he began, looking at the card in his hand, “what can I do for
you—at this hour?” he smiled again.
“I have called to see you in the matter of the late—er—Mr. Reale.”
He saw and watched the minister’s face. Beyond looking a little
puzzled, the Home Secretary made no sign.
“Good!” thought Spedding, and breathed with more freedom.
“I’m afraid——” said the minister. He got no further, for Spedding
was at once humility, apology, and embarrassment.
What! had the Home Secretary not received his letter? A letter
dealing with the estate of Reale? You can imagine the distress and
vexation on Mr. Spedding’s face as he spoke of the criminal
carelessness of his clerk, his attitude of helplessness, his recognition
of the absolute impossibility of discussing the matter until the
Secretary had received the letter, and his withdrawal, leaving behind
him a sympathetic minister of State who would have been pleased—
would have been delighted, my dear sir, to have helped Mr.
Spedding if he’d received the letter in time to consider its contents.
Mr. Spedding was an inventive genius, and it might have been in
reference to him that the motherhood of invention was first identified
with dire necessity.
Out again in the courtyard, Spedding found a cab that carried him to
his club.
“Angel bluffed!” he reflected with an inward smile. “My friend, you are
risking that nice appointment of yours.”
He smiled again, for it occurred to him that his risk was the greater.
“Two millions!” he murmured. “It is worth it: I could do a great deal
with two millions.”
He got down at his club, and tendered the cabman the legal fare to a
penny.
 CHAPTER XI
THE QUEST OF THE BOOK

When Piccadilly Circus, a blaze of light, was thronged with the

crowds that the theaters were discharging, a motor-car came
gingerly through the traffic, passed down Regent Street, and
swinging along Pall Mall, headed southward across Westminster
Bridge.
The rain had ceased, but underfoot the roads were sodden, and the
car bespattered its occupants with black mud.
The chauffeur at the wheel turned as the car ran smoothly along the
tramway lines in the Old Kent Road and asked a question, and one
of the two men in the back of the car consulted the other.
“We will go to Cramer’s first,” said the man.
Old Kent Road was a fleeting vision of closed shops, of little knots of
men emerging from public-houses at the potman’s strident
command; Lewisham High Road, as befits that very respectable
thoroughfare, was decorously sleeping; Lea, where the hedges
begin, was silent; and Chislehurst was a place of the dead.
Near the common the car pulled up at a big house standing in black
quietude, and the two occupants of the car descended and passed
through the stiff gate, along the graveled path, and came to a stop at
the broad porch.
“I don’t know what old Mauder will say,” said Angel as he fumbled for
the bell; “he’s a methodical old chap.”
In the silence they could hear the thrill of the electric bell. They
waited a few minutes, and rang again. Then they heard a window
opened and a sleepy voice demand—
“Who is there?”
Angel stepped back from the porch and looked up.
“Hullo, Mauder! I want you. I’m Angel.”
“The devil!” said a surprised voice. “Wait a bit. I’ll be down in a jiffy.”
The pleasant-faced man who in dressing-gown and pajamas opened
the door to them and conducted them to a cozy library was Mr.
Ernest Mauder himself. It is unnecessary to introduce that world-
famous publisher to the reader, the more particularly in view of the
storm of controversy that burst about his robust figure in regard to
the recent publication of Count Lehoff’s embarrassing “Memoirs.” He
made a sign to the two men to be seated, nodding to Jimmy as to an
old friend.
“I am awfully sorry to disturb you at this rotten hour,” Angel
commenced, and the other arrested his apology with a gesture.
“You detective people are so fond of springing surprises on us
unintelligent outsiders,” he said, with a twinkle in his eye, “that I am
almost tempted to startle you.”
“It takes a lot to startle me,” said Angel complacently.
“You’ve brought it on your own head,” warned the publisher, wagging
a forefinger at the smiling Angel. “Now let me tell you why you have
motored down from London on this miserable night on a fairly
fruitless errand.”
“Eh?” The smile left Angel’s face.
“Ah, I thought that would startle you! You’ve come about a book?”
“Yes,” said Jimmy wonderingly.
“A book published by our people nine years ago?”
“Yes,” the wonderment deepening on the faces of the two men.
“The title,” said the publisher impressively, “is A Short Study on the
Origin of the Alphabet, and the author is a half-mad old don, who
was subsequently turned out of Oxford for drunkenness.”
“Mauder,” said Jimmy, gazing at his host in bewilderment, “you’ve hit
it—but——”
“Ah,” said the publisher, triumphant, “I thought that was it. Well, your
search is fruitless. We only printed five hundred copies; the book
was a failure—the same ground was more effectively covered by
better books. I found a dusty old copy a few years ago, and gave it to
my secretary. So far as I know, that is the only copy in existence.”
“But your secretary?” said Angel eagerly. “What is his name? Where
does he live?”
“It’s not a ‘he,’” said Mauder, “but a ‘she.’”
“Her name?”
“If you had asked that question earlier in the evening I could not
have told you,” said Mauder, obviously enjoying the mystery he had
created, “but since then my memory has been refreshed. The girl—
and a most charming lady too—was my secretary for two years. I do
not know what induced her to work, but I rather think she supported
an invalid father.”
“What is her name?” asked Angel impatiently.
“Kathleen Kent,” replied the publisher, “and her address is——”
“Kathleen Kent!” repeated Jimmy in wide-eyed astonishment.
“Angels and Ministers of Grace defend us!”
“Kathleen Kent!” repeated Angel with a gasp. “Well, that takes the
everlasting biscuit! But,” he added quickly, “how did you come to
know of our errand?”
“Well,” drawled the elder man, wrapping his dressing-gown round
him more snugly, “it was a guess to an extent. You see, Angel, when
a man has been already awakened out of a sound sleep to answer
mysterious inquiries about an out-of-date book——”
“What,” cried Jimmy, jumping up, “somebody has already been
here?”
“It is only natural,” the publisher went on, “to connect his errand with
that of the second midnight intruder.”
“Who has been here? For Heaven’s sake, don’t be funny; this is a
serious business.”
“Nobody has been here,” said Mauder, “but an hour ago a man
called me up on the telephone——”
Jimmy looked at Angel, and Angel looked at Jimmy.
“Jimmy,” said Angel penitently, “write me down as a fool. Telephone!
Heavens, I didn’t know you were connected.”
“Nor was I till last week,” said the publisher, “nor will I be after to-
morrow. Sleep is too precious a gift to be dissipated——”
“Who was the man?” demanded Angel.
“I couldn’t quite catch his name. He was very apologetic. I gathered
that he was a newspaper man, and wanted particulars in connection
with the death of the author.”
Angel smiled.
“The author’s alive all right,” he said grimly. “How did the voice sound
—a little pompous, with a clearing of the throat before each
sentence?”
The other nodded.
“Spedding!” said Angel, rising. “We haven’t any time to lose, Jimmy.”
Mauder accompanied them into the hall.
“One question,” said Jimmy, as he fastened the collar of his motor-
coat. “Can you give us any idea of the contents of the book?”
“I can’t,” was the reply. “I have a dim recollection that much of it was
purely conventional, that there were some rough drawings, and the
earlier forms of the alphabet were illustrated—the sort of thing you
find in encyclopædias or in the back pages of teachers’ Bibles.”
The two men took their seats in the car as it swung round and turned
its bright head-lamps toward London.
“‘I found this puzzle in a book
From which some mighty truths were took,’”
murmured Angel in his companion’s ear, and Jimmy nodded. He was
at that moment utterly oblivious and careless of the fortune that
awaited them in the great safe at Lombard Street. His mind was filled
with anxiety concerning the girl who unconsciously held the book
which might to-morrow make her an heiress. Spedding had moved
promptly, and he would be aided, he did not doubt, by Connor and
the ruffians of the “Borough Lot.” If the book was still in the girl’s
possession they would have it, and they would make their attempt at
once.
His mind was full of dark forebodings, and although the car bounded
through the night at full speed, and the rain which had commenced
to fall again cut his face, and the momentum of the powerful machine
took his breath away, it went all too slowly for his mood.
One incident relieved the monotony of the journey. As the car flew
round a corner in an exceptionally narrow lane it almost crashed into
another car, which, driven at breakneck speed, was coming in the
opposite direction. A fleeting exchange of curses between the
chauffeurs, and the cars passed.
By common consent, they had headed for Kathleen’s home.
Streatham was deserted. As they turned the corner of the quiet road
in which the girl lived, Angel stopped the car and alighted. He lifted
one of the huge lamps from the socket and examined the road.
“There has been a car here less than half an hour ago,” he said,
pointing to the unmistakable track of wheels. They led to the door of
the house.
He rang the bell, and it was almost immediately answered by an
elderly lady, who, wrapped in a loose dressing-gown, bade him
enter.
“Nobody seems to be surprised to see us to-night,” thought Angel
with bitter humor.
“I am Detective Angel from Scotland Yard,” he announced himself,
and the elderly lady seemed unimpressed.
“Kathleen has gone,” she informed him cheerfully.
Jimmy heard her with a sinking at his heart.
“Yes,” said the old lady, “Mr. Spedding, the eminent solicitor, called
for her an hour ago, and”—she grew confidential—“as I know you
gentlemen are very much interested in the case, I may say that there
is every hope that before to-morrow my niece will be in possession
of her fortune.”
Jimmy groaned.
“Please, go on,” said Angel.
“It came about over a book which Kathleen had given her some
years ago, and which most assuredly would have been lost but for
my carefulness.”
Jimmy cursed her “carefulness” under his breath.
“When we moved here after the death of Kathleen’s poor father I had
a great number of things stored. There were amongst these an
immense quantity of books, which Kathleen would have sold, but
which I thought——”
“Where are these stored?” asked Angel quickly.
“At an old property of ours—the only property that my poor brother
had remaining,” she replied sadly, “and that because it was in too
dilapidated a condition to attract buyers.”
“Where, where?” Angel realized the rudeness of his impatience.
“Forgive me, madam,” he said, “but it is absolutely necessary that I
should follow your niece at once.”
“It is on the Tonbridge Road,” she answered stiffly. “So far as I can
remember, it is somewhere between Crawley and Tonbridge, but I
am not sure. Kathleen knows the place well; that is why she has
gone.”
“Somewhere on the Tonbridge Road!” repeated Angel helplessly.
“We could follow the car’s tracks,” said Jimmy.
Angel shook his head.
“If this rain is general, they will be obliterated,” he replied.
They stood a minute, Jimmy biting the sodden finger of his glove,
and Angel staring into vacancy. Then Jimmy demanded
unexpectedly—
“Have you a Bible?”
The old lady allowed the astonishment she felt at the question to be
apparent.
“I have several.”
“A teacher’s Bible, with notes?” he asked.
She thought.
“Yes, there is such an one in the house. Will you wait?”
She left the room.
“We should have told the girl about Spedding—we should have told
her,” said Angel in despair.
“It’s no use crying over spilt milk,” said Jimmy quietly. “The thing to
do now is to frustrate Spedding and rescue the girl.”
“Will he dare——?”
“He’ll dare. Oh, yes, he’ll dare,” said Jimmy. “He’s worse than you
think, Angel.”
“But he is already a ruined man.”
“The more reason why he should go a step further. He’s been on the
verge of ruin for months, I’ve found that out. I made inquiries the
other day, and discovered he’s in a hole that the dome of St. Paul’s
wouldn’t fill. He’s a trustee or something of the sort for an association
that has been pressing him for money. Spedding will dare
anything”—he paused then—“but if he dares to harm that girl he’s a
dead man.”
The old lady came in at that moment with the book, and Jimmy
hastily turned over the pages.
Near the end he came upon something that brought a gleam to his
eye.
He thrust his hand into his pocket and drew out a notebook. He did
not wait to pull up a chair, but sank on his knees by the side of the
table and wrote rapidly, comparing the text with the drawings in the
book.
Angel, leaning over, followed the work breathlessly.
“There—and there—and there!” cried Angel exultantly. “What fools
we were, Jimmy, what fools we were.”
Jimmy turned to the lady.
“May I borrow this book?” he asked. “It will be returned. Thank you.
Now, Angel,” he looked at his watch and made a move for the door,
“we have two hours. We will take the Tonbridge Road by daybreak.”
Only one other person did they disturb on that eventful night, and
that was a peppery old Colonel of Marines, who lived at Blackheath.
There, before the hastily-attired old officer, as the dawn broke, Angel
explained his mission, and writing with feverish haste, subscribed to
the written statement by oath. Whereupon the Justice of the Peace
issued a warrant for the arrest of Joseph James Spedding, Solicitor,
on a charge of felony.
 CHAPTER XII
WHAT HAPPENED AT FLAIRBY MILL

Kathleen very naturally regarded the lawyer in the light of a

disinterested friend. There was no reason why she should not do so;
and if there had been any act needed to kindle a kindly feeling for
the distant legal adviser it was this last act of his, for no sooner, as
he told her, had he discovered by the merest accident a clue to the
hidden word, than he had rushed off post-haste to put her in
possession of his information. He had naturally advised immediate
action, and when she demurred at the lateness of the hour at which
to begin a hunt for the book, he had hinted vaguely at difficulties
which would beset her if she delayed. She wanted to let Angel know,
and Jimmy, but this the lawyer would not hear of, and she accounted
for the insistence of his objection by the cautiousness of the legal
mind.
Then the excitement of the midnight adventure appealed to her—the
swift run in the motor-car through the wild night, and the wonderful
possibilities of the search at the end of the ride.
So she went, and her appetite for adventure was all but satisfied by
a narrowly-averted collision with another car speeding in the
opposite direction. She did not see the occupants of the other car,
but she hoped they had had as great a fright as she.
As a matter of fact, neither of the two men had given a second
thought to their danger; one’s mind was entirely and completely filled
with her image, and the other was brooding on telephones.
She had no time to tire of the excitement of the night—the run across
soaking heaths and through dead villages, where little cottages
showed up for a moment in the glare of the headlights, then faded
into the darkness. Too soon she came to a familiar stretch of the
road, and the car slowed down so that they might not pass the tiny
grass lane that led to Flairby Mill. They came to it at last, and the car
bumped cautiously over deep cart ruts, over loose stones, and
through long drenched grasses till there loomed out of the night the
squat outlines of Flairby Mill.
Once upon a time, before the coming of cheap machinery, Flairby
Mill had been famous in the district, and the rumble of its big stones
went on incessantly, night and day; but the wheel had long since
broken, its wreck lay in the bed of the little stream that had so
faithfully served it; its machinery was rust and scrap iron, and only
the tiny dwelling-house that adjoined was of value. With little or no
repair the homestead had remained watertight and weatherproof,
and herein had Kathleen stored the odds and ends of her father’s
household. The saddles, shields, spears, and oddments he had
collected in his travels, and the modest library that had consoled the
embittered years of his passing, were all stored here. Valueless as
the world assesses value, but in the eyes of the girl precious things
associated with her dead father.
The tears rose to her eyes as Spedding, taking the key from her
hand, fitted it into the lock of a seventeenth-century door, but she
wiped them away furtively.
Spedding utilized the acetylene lamp of the car to show him the way
into the house. “You must direct me, Miss Kent,” he said, and
Kathleen pointed the way. Up the oaken stairs, covered with dust,
their footsteps resounding hollowly through the deserted homestead,
the two passed. At the head of the stairs was a heavy door, and
acting under the girl’s instructions, the lawyer opened this.
It was a big room, almost like a barn, with a timbered ceiling sloping
downward. There were three shuttered windows, and another door
at the farther end of the room that led to a smaller room.
“This was the miller’s living room,” she said sadly. She could just
remember when a miller lived in the homestead, and when she had
ridden up to the door of the mill accompanied by her father, and the
miller, white and jovial, had lifted her down and taken her through a
mysterious chamber where great stones turned laboriously and
noisily, and the air was filled with a fine white dust.