Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-01-31

They paused by the back steps. The
landlord took the lantern and held it up
as high as his head. They saw that the
parlor door at the top Of the steps vas
ajar.
4HiIIoal" said Ryder.
There was no answer.
An underlined sense Of dread was at his
heart; sickening sense of what the
opening OF that door might reveal.
L don't believe there is anyone in
there, he said.
4 bent afeared to go in and see, said
sturdy Tobias.
A thought occurred to the landlord. He
was suddenly prompted to do something
which sfterWard became of the greatest
importance among the strange events Of
this night.
Don't the tide change soon, Toby?" he
asked.
within the hour, measter."
@Then I must lose no time in looking
at the beach. I'll be gone but ten min
utes. VIII you stay right here by these
steps till come back, and allow no one
to come out2"
All night, if you WuII "
Leaving the hOstler thus on guard, and
preceded by the boy with the lantern,
RYDER went down to the water 1t had
occurred to him that he ought to look
for footprints on the beach before the re-
turning tide would make the quest use
less.
He found them-many of them. With
in three yards of the steps he came upon
plain marks of mans shoes, regularly
impressed upon the sand and perfectly
retaining their shape as they led down in
twOs toward the water. just as a person
would make them in walking.
Within about the same distance up
from the water these footmarks were min
gled with many others, pointing to the
inn. A little lower down the prints of
shoes were so confused and blended to-
gether that no one could be accurately
made out. 1t was as if there had been a
rushing and trampling about by more than
one person; by several persons, it might
be.
Where the beach was lost in the water,
the sands were furrOwed and ridged about
IN places. Closely examining all these
signs OF something dreadful, yet to be
disclosed, often kneeling down and study
ing and counting the footprints by the
lantern light, Dick Ryder consumed twice
ten minutes.
Another thought occurred to him and
he acted on it. Going a little way down
the beach, he dragged one of his feet
slowly and heavily along on the sand
The result was just such another ridged
fUrrOw as he had observed by the water.
He gave one look out upon the bay
and up and down the beach. He could
see but a little distance; but there was
no light nor sound of oars on the water;
no signs of life on the shOre-save those
footprints.
He fastened back to the steps, and
hesitated not an instant to enter the par
Tor.
It was in darkness, except for the light
of the lantern. It was deserted. 1t was
a place of utter confusion, Marks of a
grappIe, of an encounter, were plain to
be seen.
The heavy comfortable was tipped
over. The velvet cover was rent almost
in twain. The large branch of wax can
dies was on the floor, the candles stamped
and crushed into the carpet.
Two small stains of a reddish color
were seen on a white figure of the carpet.
The boy picked up something, looked at
it, and cried out.
Ryder took it and examined it. It was
a clasp knife, which might be shut and
carried in the pocket, but was six inches
in the blade. Red stains were on the
blade.
Blood" he whispered.