The Beaufort tribune and Port Royal commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1877-1879, 1877-08-23


Vainly seeking safe refuge, he ran
round the apartment like rat in trap.
He already heard the brothers in the
dining-room picking up the silver and
wondering to find it all there, when,
obeying a sudden inspiration, he clam
bered upon lofty bookcase that ran
across one end of the room, arching
above the dining-room door, and reaching
within few feet of the ceiling. In cold
blood he never could have scaled it.
Lying at full length upon the top of the
bookcase with his back to the wal, the
bulge of him was still visible from the
further part of the room, in case it
should occur to his pursuers to look so
high.
The latter now entered the library;
and, peering over the edge of the book
case, Bob recognized with singular SEN
sations the two gentlemen with whom he
had been quietly conversing little
earlier in the evening. Then they were
arrayed in faultless evening dress, and
their manner, although superciious
enough, was calm and polished. Now ne
saw them half dressed, with disheveled
hair-John carrying student's-lamp IN
his left hand, and in his right an ugly
looking cane-sword with blade pain
fully naked, while George held revolver
at full cock. a 80
Talking in low tone, as they called
one another's attention to various spots
where possibly the burglar might be
concealed, they went slowly from corner
to corner, probing every recess with the
sword, and in an attitude of strained at
tention to every sound. Their faces, gro
tesquely Lit by the mingled fire and lamp
light, showed a fierce hunters look, that
made Bob fairly sick. -
He did not dare to look at them long lest
the magnetism of his gaze should attract
their Involuntary attention. Nay, he
even made frantic effort not to think OF
them, from the fear that some physical
current might have the same effect-for
he believed strongly, though. vaguely,
in the mysteries of animal magnetism,
and had notion that person sensitive
to such influences might detect the pres
ence of his victim by the very terror the
latter had of him. aE4z !: 20
He could scarcely believe his fortune,
when, moment later, the two brothers
passed again beneath him back into the
dining-room.
From there they went on through the
rooms beyond, and the sound OF their
footsteps died away entirely. gs-4.
Perhaps five minutes after, they re-
turned-that is, as far as the dining room
and Bob gathered from their conver-
sation that they had found one of the
fastenings in the basement in condition
indicating that the burglar might have
escaped there.
Mrs. McLane and Angie, having salts
fed themselves that the coast was clear,
descended to the dining-room. and a
lively discussion of all aspects of the
problem ensued, which was highly edi-
flying to Bob.
Then the conversation became still
more interesting, as it turned on himself.
He heard Mrs. McLane saying:
"He must be hard sleeper, for /
knocked several times OH his door.
Then one of the brothers grunted
something contemptnously, and he
heard Angles voice excusing him on the
ground that he must be tired after his
lopgiourney.
HAra yen sure you looked everywhere
in the library PaS vas, Mrs. McLane's next
question, at which:a cold sweat started
out on Bob's face. He had just begun
to feel quite comfortable.
John and George, however, declared
that they had looked everywhere.
"Did you look under the sofa %
"Behind the windoy-curtains ?"
SIN that dark corner by the book
case?" asked the ladies in succession r
Ingenious cruelty Of fate /! Even Angie
was racking her brain to guess his hiding
place. What if it should be she who hit
upon it aar a..
Bob drew breath of relief as John
replied, with some asperity, to all these
questions, that he had told them once
that they looked everywhere. III
This silenced them, but Angie said, a
after:
"Just let me ask one more question:
Did you look on top of the bookcase ?"
It seemed to Bob that he died then,
and came to life again to hear John reply,
contemptuously:
"Over the bookcase? There's no
room there; and, if there were, nobody
but monkey could get up"
"There's room enough" persisted
Angie, "and I have often noticed, when
sitting in the library, what a nice hiding.
place it would be. What if he should
be up there now, and hear what I'm
saying!" she added, in an agitated
whisper. n.f -s a 80. "a s
Nonsense !" said John.
"Well, there is no harm in looking,
an, way" said Mrs. McLane.
"Come along, then," grumbled John.
" You shall see for yourselves"
At this Bob shut his eyes, and turned
his face to the wall. The ostrich instinct is
the human instinct of despair. He tried to
fly away from himself, and leave his
body there as dereict. The effort was
desperate, and seemed almost successful.
But he could not quite sever the con-
nection, though his soul appeared to be
lowering over his body, only attached by
a single thread-but thread which,
alas would not break.
A moment after they all passed
through the door directly beneath him,
and, going clear to the other end of the
library, stood on tiptoe, and peered at
his hiding-place. There seemed to be
eyes in his back, which felt their scrutiny.
But the lamp they carried did not suffice
to bring out his figure clearly. o r.
"I'm sure I see something" said
Angie, getting up on chair. =,
"It's only the shadow of the freight" !"
replied John.