The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-10-11


"You see 1 convinced the fool he had
mado big mistake, as told you I would,
and he has gone on to Richmond. Some
one misled him, but it is all right now"
said the Captain.
Lawrence Richmond noticed several
things that excited his curiosity.
In the first place the Captain was
winter than he had ever seen him before,
and seemed to be trembling somewhat.
Then again he had handkerchief
bound around his left hand, and it seemed
to have been bleeding too much for him
to have scratched it on a thorn in pass
ing.
He made no comment, though his sus-
picions were aroused.
The Captain did not seem disposed to
renew his assault upon the old man. In
deed, what had passed since then seemed
to have quieted his spirits in wonderful
manner, and he was even ready to believe
the story Of Lawrence Richmond in re-
gard to his suspicion that Roger Darrell
had been tho one who had committed
this daring abduction, though, of course,
as they had not the slightest proof, they
could not do anything in legal way.
The news seemed to affect the Captain,
for apparently he hated Roger with an
intensity such as is given by the tiger for
it's prey or its foe, but he did not remain
at tho house more than couple of
hours.
"There is no use Of our lingering here,
crying over split milk. When we are
ready for the ceremony again, we will
meet once more" and with this the va
liant Captain left the house.
1t was about midnight, and the moon
in the east showed quite slice off one
side, yet her light, though reduced sew
eral degrees, was strong enough to show
all the paths through the forest.
1t was at this time that the strange and
wonderful scene was occurring in front
of the old mill, and during which Nora
Warner fell into the power of her old
time foe, the man most hateful to her
on earth-the mad-house doctor.
AS he left the house the Captain cast
several glances over his shoulder in
order to make sure that he was not fol-
lowed.
The very fact of his doing this would
seem to indicate that he was bound upon
some errand that would not bear inspec-
ton.
Once among the trees he madc his way
rapidly to point where the shadows lay
densest, and there upon the ground lay
the from of a man silent and motionless.
1t was the mysterious foreigner.
The Captain had proven too much for
even the keen detective, and his manner
of convincing the man-hunter of the mis-
take he had made had been forcible one.
In the struggle, and before Capt. Grant
had struck favorable spot with his
r1lfe, the detective, whom he held under
his knee, having knocked him fat with o
sudden and terrible blow, caught two Of
the fingers of his gloved left hand between
his teeth, and almost bit them off at
point below the end joint.
The murdered man lay just where he
had fallen, and realizing this, the Captain
vanished among the trees, returning in
less than ten minutes leading horse al
ready equipped which he had secreted in
the forest to have ready in case Of an
emergency, for he was one of those men
who always make sure of q way to retreat
before proceeding any depth into their
schemes.
Presently he was mounted upon the
horse, with the body Of the foreign detec-
tive in front of him, and held in such
manner that it looked like comrade
asleep while he rode, with his head hang
ing upon his breast.
He kept in the densest portion Of the
Forest for he did not care to be seen by
any one, though the chances of such an
event at this hour would have been poor
enough even upon the public highway,
for the negroes were Of too superstitious
nature to think of wandering about the
country when ghosts and goblins were
supposed to be abroad.
Because Of his taking such q round
about way instead of going direct, he was
much longer time in reaching the old
mill than Roger had been when carrying
Carol there, earlier in the night.
Strange how his mind should have been
turned to this quarter as a place Of
hiding. Surely there must have been
something more than chance in 1t all.
The future will disclose that.
When he found himself in tho immedi-
1tp VI LtlC uduuIGu Hill,
Capt. Grant brought his horse to sud
den halt, and placed his dead charge
upon the ground. Then, securing his
horse, no raised the limp form of the
murdered detective in his arms, and, by
the eXortion of tremendous strength,
bore it on.
He disappeared inside the old mill.
The moon, finding ingress through the
open windows and great gaping holes in
the roof lighted up the interior in a
crude manner, but the illumination was
quite enough for his purpose.
There was large chimney at one sidc
of the mill, and, for some purpose or
other, a hole had been made in this, the
bricks lying upon the floor close by.
1t required a herculean strength to
raise the dead detective to this opening,
but, as he was not a man of over hun
dred and thirty pounds in weight the
Captain succeeded in accomplishing it.
AS he let go his hold he heard the body
fall with thump to tho floor. Then all
was quiet.
He made no change, not even touching
one of the bricks upon the floor, for though
1t had at first been his intention to brick
up the orifice In the chimney, upon second
thought he realized it was wiser to leave
things just as they were, for fear of ex-
citing suspicion.
AS he turned to leave he either saw,
or fancied he did, the head of man out
lined in one of the windows against the
light background.
The idea gave him such n start that no