Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-11-15

~ y night d Sta1k0s 4o1ole9 from
the kitchen We had just ieh Our
guide unlocked the door of ono OF the
rooms. and set down the candle on the
little table is
DO either of you gentlemen speak
Gernlan?" he asked. 49,
''Not one word of it." answered DIR.
Melfort, much to my surprise. for his
mother had been German, lady. and
he spoke the language like = native.
':AI rightp' said Schultz. with 8
perceptible air of relief ..Only, you
see. the old woman speaks. German
better than she does English-and
thought-so; if you want any thing
Well, I'll say goodnight and a good
sleep to you" Rs E
He took his departure. and as; soon
as his numbering footsteps had died
away in the distance. the doctor un-
fastened the door and stepped out ON
the porch. 81 am going to reconnoiter
a little, he said, in a whisper. ''Come
with me. if you like"
followed at short distance, and
saw him suddenly pause, with stifled.
exclamation. before q window, the
shutter of which had been apparently
forced back by the wind during the
storm. Then. without speaking, he
beckoned to me to come to him, which
did, and pausing before the open
easement, [ looked, as he Had done,
into the room beyond. =,
Never, to my dying day. shall for
get the horror OF what saw.
Upon low bed, at the further side
OF the little chamber, lay the corpse of
an aged man, unwashed. unshorn and
unstraightened for the grave. His
clothes were the rough, soiled gar
ments OF his everyday life and toll.
He lay On his back, his limbs con-
torted. as though the parting soul had
left its tenement amid pain and strug-
Cling. But the most fearful element
OF that dread spectacle lay in the fact
that above the half-open mouth how
cred q cloud OF pale, luminous vapor,
that streamed continuousl. upwards,
and broke and quivered and hoaSed
away with the slight disturbance Of air
caused by our presence at the window.
I was about to utter an exclamatio on o.
horror when DIR. Melfort laid his hand
upon my lips.
''Silence" he whispered in my ear.
''Our very lives depend upon our MAX
ing no sound, on our giving no warn
ing of the discovery we have made.
We are in the house OF Murder!"
''That strange light"
''1s symptom that the dead man
has been poisoned with phosphorus
drug common in crime, because so
easily obtained from ordinary matches.
Back to our room! We must get away
from here as quickly as possible
We. stole back to our allotted cham.
Der. The storm was rising again.
One OF the sudden gusts of wind had
blown out our candle, and we looked
In each others faces by the pale CLEANS
of the lightning. as
After brief pause, 70 make certain
that, all was quiet in the house, we
olambered down one OF the rough
Aewn pillars Of the porch. and, making
our way to the shed, we unfastened the
horse and waited till . long roll Of
thunder came to cover the noise of the
wheels. Then We started, turning our
horses head. not toward Claynor, but
In the direction of New Nineveh,
trusting to the animals instinct to find
his way home through the woods. As
we plunged into the forest, a shout in
the distance, followed by rife-shot,
was audible. f ,,-..,.
They have found out that we are
gOne," muttered the doctor between
his teeth. '..Now, Paul. for a drive for
life!''
He whipped up the horse az he
spoke, and we dashed along at break
neck speed. The road lay down hill.
and if we were pursued, we were soon
out of reach of the pursuers. We saw
and heard nothing further of the broth
ers. In fact, the tempest, which had
broken forth again in redoubled fury,
was enough to check the progress of
any one who had striven to follow US.
Amid the continuous blaze of the light
ming, the violent gusts of wind and tae
binding rain, we made our way, thank
ful when, at last, we emerged from the
forest. AS we did 50, a red light shone
ON our path, reflected from the lurfd
clouds overhead-the light OF dis
tant confagration.
Il was not till we were comfortably
established, in the best room of the ho-
tel at New Ninevah, our wet clothes
exchanged for dry garments, and vino
and cigars On the table before us, that
DR.. Melfort told me one of the causes
of his sudden fight In the brief al
tercation between the brothers. held
outside the kitchen while we were fin
ishing our supper, he had heard Lud-
wig essaying to pacify the other by q
promise that we should never quit the
premises alive.