The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1889-04-18
CHAPTER XXI.


al The face At the window was not pleas
ant one. Fingal had seen and recognized 1
: as that OF the strange man, Don Benito
I One instant only 1t remained at the window
J then disappeared in the crowd.
! Captain Starbright stood staring like on'
I bereft OF sense.
r HE is gone"
"Gone," answered Fingal "who wa
itr'
"How should knowl"
"If you do not, your actions belle your
words,r declared Fingal, grimly, "To me
he seemed like a mailman"
"He Is madam escaped lunatic, y
breathed the Captain, gladly catching al
a loophole of escape. "He ought to be
secured at once"
"You will offer reward for his capt
ure-n
Captain Starbright, however, now that he
was out from under the magnetism OF
Louis Fingars presence, hastened "a
separate himself from that individual, in
wardly vowing, however, to learn more OF
the hunter in the future, and il need be 70
crush him.
Before Fingal could finish his sentence
the Captain had passed swiftly from the
room, and was around the corner like a
flash.
"You can't escape me that way, you vii
lain," muttered the youth, who seemed
deeply interested in the movements OF
Captain Starbright
, Quickly Fingal passed out to watch the
movements of the Captain. He glanced
keerly up and down the cross street down
which Starbright had turned, but that in
dividual was nowhere TO be seen.
"Confound i'll" muttered the young
hunter, "he seems to have given me the slip.
Clinton Starbright is like an eel, when you
put your finger on him he isn't there. /
imagine had him completely under the in
fluence of the drug, but 1t seems that the
cigar was not as heavily charged as l
\ imagined. / was foolish to permit him TO
escape, / should, in justice to all con-
oerned, have placed him under arrest
| And yet such move might block the
game entirely, and prevent the ends of
justice.
mo, must permit the Captain full swing
for a little longer. The face of Don Benito
has startled the Captain, and that certainly
means something. / might be able TO guess
the truth had the queer old follow COM
| pleted the story he was once telling. He
seemed sane enough then; he is at times,
and but for an interruption / should have
known all. However, danger menaces Don
Benito and must avert it if possible"
In the meantime the Captain turned
down the nearest alley, crossed a block, and
thence passed down a narrow street to the
stable where he had sheltered his horses.
He seemed TO think that it would be time
lost in searching for Don Benito in the city,
since he ordered his animals at once and
was soon riding swiftly out OF the city.
He was not long in crossing the ten mile
- T n, a -.
the house, to his own room, without disturb
ing the inmates, seeming regardless OF the
fact that Mrs Penroy had once ordered him
TO depart from Lone Hollow and never TO
return. As he paced the floor he muttered:
"The elements of danger thicken. The
man / left for dead in California still lives,
although believe him to be insane. What
Of thati He saved Lura Joyce from my
hand last night. There's method in his
madness. He seems TO recognize me, and
while he lives the danger is doubled. He
must not live. have gone too far 70 turn
back now.
~ have entered the race and must con-
tinue to the end. The endi What is II |
destined to bel Success or failurel A bold |
heart and strong hand will make it the |
former possess both, il | do not permit |
my nerves to be unstrung at the outset.
"Mrs. Pcnroy threatens, too Confound |
the sex will never trust a woman again,
never. They are all treacherous That will.
The loss OF that precious paper has doomed |
me TO much trouble.n
He turned to a small cupboard and drew
forth a flask. He placed this to his lips |
twice ere he spoke again. "Ah that is the
pure stuff" he finally calculated. "That
gives me strength, and nerves me to the
work in hand.n
Thrusting the flask in an inner pocket he
passed from the room and the house. He
did not go toward the road, but walked
around the mansion and disappeared in the
woods at the foot of the hollow.
An old man stood on the verge OF Hang
mans Gulch in the twilight, tall and
slender with long beard and hair OF silver
He presented a patriarchal appearance as
he stood leaning lightly on STAFF OF native
wood, and gazed with eagle eye over the
scene.
1.-THE Doge has sent for me- There is to
be some reconciliation" muttered the old
man. 81 am glad OF that l saw him at
the tavern and he seemed gentle as . lamb
It is we'll II the gentle maid was only
here l might send mes sage by herr
He paused. The sound of a step attracted
his notice. He turned, lifted his stat, but
was too late to avoid the blow that fell with
the swiftness of lightning. In silent
heap the old man of the gulch lay ut the
roots of tree. A stout club in the hands
Of one of the twins had done the work.
Strong arms lifted the silent form and
bore it into the thick woods.
A third person followed the twins as they
entered the shadows of the wood. " l can not
rust the rascals," muttered Captain Star
bright, as he glided swiftly after the twin
assassins.
The two men, with their helpless burden,
paused at last beside a small pool some
rods in extent, the waters OF which were
,hadowed by thick growth Of cedars. The
ground was swampy about the little lake,
md solemn stiffness seemed part of the
situation.
AS the twins deposited their burden on
he ground near the edge Of the water, the
bird person passed quickly forward and
stood before them.
" Eli, Cap'n, you herel"
81 am" answered Captain Starbright.
,rimly. ~ want no deception this time"
deception. Maybe you think
at doesn't matter Let the past go" Tin
errupted the Captain.
Then he bent and examined the clothing
" the murdered old man.
An ejaculation of disappointment fell
rom his lips. He thought perhaps to find
yaluable papers, and in this he was sorely
1t might be that he thought
he missing will was on the person Of the
lead It was not, however. and hence the
liscomhture of the wicked schemer.
One of the twins was working at some
hing near while the Captain was making
his examination. He now came toward,
evealing in his hands a heavy stone about
which he had attached stout buckskin
ord.
"This will forever hide the work." NUT
cred the brute, as he proceeded to attach
he weight to the body of his victim.