Adventure, February 20, 1922 — page 103: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The White Dawn had gone a dozen feet. But that stealthy testing of the door-knob had given me my fill of the place. It was suddenly become a house of ill omen. I wished Bucks were back. Then I thought of an explanation which was as simple as it was gratifying. The convivial company at the tavern had expected my speedy return. Captain Saleby could not tilt with Fortuna until he was jn funds. My failure to return had brought him after me. This decision was very. comforting; nor was I disturbed on hearing the back door creak. I had heard no one approach and this was a tribute to Bucks’ woodcraft. I glided in pursuit, for if the good fellow failed to find me on the ground floor he would be much alarmed. He was not in the butler’s room, nor in the den where the fireplace still gave off some light. I passed down the hall and heard a move- ment at the head of the stairs. I swiftly ascended to the second floor, but the hall seemed to be deserted. I depended on my ears and not my eyes to learn this. Believing the rifleman had continued his search for me to the third floor I waited for him to return. A door opened a dozen feet away, the door of Audrey Betworth’s chamber. “‘What the —— are you doing in there?” I softly demanded. There was a bit of silence, and then the cautious query— “Who is it?” ‘ “Morgan, you crazy man. Hurry up!” My answer was a deafening explosion and the swish of a heavy ball which shattered something of glass on the wall above my head. Iwas completely nonplused and in- voluntarily exclaimed— “Bucks!” There came a second shot, and my slug- gish wit at last awoke to the fact it was not the rifleman I was meeting. There came a rush of feet for the stairs, and I crouched low, knowing my assailant must be un- armed now except, possibly, for a knife. _ We came together a few feet from the head af the stairs, and the impetus of his advance carried us rolling down the flight. As we brought up in the hall he struck with his heavy pistol and tore off my wig. We came to our feet, he striving to gain the front door and I endeavoring to prevent his escape. Suddenly he took the aggres- sive, fighting like a madman, the fury of & ao 8 See his attack carrying me to the foot of the stairs, where my heels struck the bottom step. cracking my spine. a leg and kicked at random, catching him in the chest and causing him to grunt most. dolefully. Again we clinched and went to the floor, rolling over and over, and this time toward the back end of the hall. He tried to throttle me, but I drove my fists up es his wrists and swept his hands from my throat. My hand caught in his hair, which to my surprize he was wearing long and tied behind. I.forced his head back with this grip and thrust my right wrist under his chin. He groaned but endured the torment long enough to strike me a tremendous blow on the side of the head. I must have let go his hair for the next I knew he was on all fours and squirming from between my arms, * his heels raising the with my shins. Then we were erect once more and almost within the famt zone of light emanating from the fireplace. He struck at me and I dodged and countered, moving by instinct, the darkness preventing anything more than a vague sense of motion. We fought blindly and one blow sent him against a wall — mirror, which crackled but did not fall from the frame. He was back at me in a second and my blows went wild. Then his head butted me in the midriff, — and I went down with the wind whistling | I was helpless. He located — from my lungs. me with his foot and then ‘dropped on his knees and drove his knife into the floor close to my side. My fingers closed on his wrist as he attempted to free the weapon. My strength was scant but sufficient to delay him, and while we struggled I was regaining my wind. He, too, was badly blown, for now he shifted his tactics and tried to break away. As he rose to his feet he carried me with him. Did he manage to pass through the front door I would have the city at my heels imme- diately. We were now doing little more than clinging to each other and striking feeble blows. We were close by the room where the girl burned the papers. : I was trying to work him into this room and he must have ,concluded to try the back door, for as I pushed against him he abruptly gave ground, so that I almost went to my knees. We reeled to the door 3 _- : IOI I went down on my back, well near As I fell I drew up - it iin Ain bb ied . . - OY, Pus : f ph } rl ' ‘ ps - | ‘ - . ’ a : eo) Sif db Oe PAS eh ee , fa’'g ~ * 2 x Ebooks.com