Argosy, Vol. 111, No. 1 — page 158: what you’re looking at

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

148 had transmitted it, by secret channels of his own, to:the enemy government. I charged him with this, and he put up a fight. I tried to overcome him and take him peaceably, but he was desperate, and evaded my grasp. He ran toward that map in the other room, and I stood just here, where I am now sitting. : ‘“T had overturned the chair in our struggle, and as I suddenly saw him push aside the map and enter what was beyond all doubt a secret mode of exit, I fired at him. Of course I meant merely to wing him—merely to prevent his escape—but as I fired, he turned, and received the bullet in his heart. Of course I didn’t know this at the time, nor did I know where he had gone. But I heard the car descend, and knew that it must be a private elevator. ‘‘T ran into that room, and finding the elevator entrance, behind the map, fast- ened, I flew out to the hall and down-stairs. In my haste, there being no car waiting, I thought I could get down faster by the stairs. But after running down two flights, I saw a waiting elevator and got in. I had dropped my pistol somewhere when trying to stuff it into my overcoat pocket as I ran down-stairs. But I gave no thought to anything save preventing the escape of my prisoner. Of course I didn’t then know how seriously he was hurt. “T tailed to find the exit from the pri- vate elevator, and never dreaming it was in the building next door, I hunted this building for quite a time. I investigated the ground floor, the basement, and sub- basement, but couldn’t find it. Greatly puzzled, I began the search all over again, and then Olive—Miss Raynor, came, and —later I found that others had discovered the dead body of the man I had shot. ‘“‘T waited only to be sure of this, and then started at once to report to the Fed- eral bureau. ‘‘T know it,” I interrupted, unable to keep quiet, as the recollection surged over me, ‘“‘and you went down Third Avenue on the street-car.”’ ‘TI did.” Manning’s face showed only an intense effort at reconstructing the scene. “I was going to stop at my rooms on the way for something I needed, and—” THE ARGOSY. ‘Wait a minute,” Wise said. “I’m in- terested in the Case Rivers phase of your existence. Don’t forget you’re the man who fell through the earth.” A strange smile passed over Manning’s face. “I’m just coming to that,” he said. “I am that man, and I tell you right now, just how, where, and why I made the trip!” All eyes were upon him. This was strange talk—and he had been so sensible up to now. Was the hallucination of fall- ing through the earth destined to mar his newly returned sanity? ‘“Go on,’ repeated Zizi, and the calm- ness of her voice restored Manning’s poise, and also raised my hopes of a plausible explanation. ‘“You were with me, Brice,’ Manning | looked at me, as if for corroboration. ‘Yes; I was in the car with you, but we were not near enough to speak. There was a big crowd, and I was standing at the rear end, while you were well forward. But I say, Rivers, it’s hard to believe that man in the car was you! Why, youw’re not the same type.” ‘“* Wait a minute—” The speaker waved his hand as if to check interruption. “I am Manning—I’ll explain later—but now I want to get that occasion well in hand. I got off the front end of the car—I don’t know what you did—and as I stepped off, a sudden fierce blast of wind nearly took me off my feet. I was right in the middle of the street, but it seemed the middle of a howling blizzard, and as I took a step— I went down an open manhole into the sewer. “This I distinctly remember—the street cleaners were working there, shoveling the snow into the sewer. They had no busi- ness to leave the manhole open and un- guarded, but that black squall was so sud- den and terrific, no one could see or know anything for the time being. ‘““ However, I knew perfectly well, as I fell in, what had happened, but then—and I remember this, too—I fell and fell— down, down—it seemed for miles; I was whirled dizzily about—but still I fell—on and on—interminably. I felt my con- GOMIIG OOO S (CO