Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1891-09-10

He though he was in his own BID until
contact with the iron bedstead recalled
his scattered wits Then he was all
alive to the circumstances aud the situa-
ton
Some one was trying to enter his
window.
A vague. shadowy man was moving in
front of his window.
AS Beauchampe viewed this man with
strained vision. he beheld, first the form
Of a mans head There could not be
any mistake. The contour of a human
head was now clearly defined Next he
beheld shoulder, then an arm was ex-
tended. Finally the upper half of a
man was family defined
Beauchampe shuddered- What did IL
mean? If murder was their object, IL
could be attained easily in other ways
He tried to Danish his fears, but as
the shape at the window shifted, until
at last, as If growing out of a ball, a
mans legs were seen on the broad sill,
and a mans arms were stretched out,
feeling the window carefully Beau
champe shivered with dread. An mex
plicable, horrible fear suddenly possessed
him
His life was menaced.
Beauchampe sat like one in a stupor.
He had no means of defending himself
He was at the mercy of Varek and
Hawkins He fancied he beheld in the
shadow outside of his window a re-
| semblance to the monster Hawkins.
Suddenly the figure disappeared
BeauchamDe inclined his ear, listening
intently. Yes; there was a sound. What
IL meant he could not divine. Now, how
ever. he was reminded of the proximity
Of the large limb of the tree nearest the
! house.
He fancied ne could see the great
limb sway. To convince himself, he
rose and stepped noiselessly to his win
dow and looked out
Beyond a doubt, the limb was sway
ing.
Beauchampe, training his vision in
the darkness, thought he saw huge
vine swaying in the air. The vine was
hanging from the limb. As he cOncen-
trated his gaze, standing there in the
| darkness, he satisfied himself that the
thing he beheld was not a vine but a
rope
Heavens! What if it were his friendsi
Certainly that was the explanation.
Livingston had at last obtained clue
He was resolved to free his friend. He
adopted this method rather than lose the
time the law would consume TO accom-
plish the same purpose
And now an Overpowering desire to
communicate with his rescuers governed
Beauchampe. He struck the window
smartly.
Instantly the sound at the adjoining
window ceased.
Again and again Beauchampe struck
his window, but there was no response.
He waited for hours be thought then
stole back TO his bed and flung himself
upon his face with a low moan.
At the end of an interval that seemed
an age, the sound at the adjoining
window was renewed. Now Beau
champe was rendered desperate. His
friends had made a miscalculation. All
their efforts in his behalf would be lost
He advanced to the window and struck
IL again with all his might
The blow made dull sound. Foot
steps approached his door, and the man
who brought him the wooden dish stood
looking at him angrily over the light he
carried.
@You do that again, I'll put you where
you won't make any more nOise-at least
none to wake me-for month. Try it
see how IL will work"
The door was closed and locked, and
BsauchamPe was alone agaiu.
Hours seemingly elapsed before anoth-
er sound was heard. Then Beauchampe
thought he heard a sound as is made by
raising a window that is moved with diff
iculty.
And now he resolved upon a desperate
course.
Come what would, the next time his
door was opened he would make a dash
for liberty. They could not do more than
recapture him. And he might fall into
the hands of friends.
AS If in answer to his inward prayer
for help, the sound was repeated. 1t
was plain to Beauchampe that there was
,rf IL
to enter the madhouse, and that the in
mates were unaware OF it.
He stood near the entrance TO his room
with the resolve OF a desperate, despair
ing man, bent upon one final effort for
freedom nerving him, when the door was
opened very cautiously, and Hawkins en-
tered, followed by the attendant whose
threat still rung in Beauchampe's ears
Hawkins was saying
at must have been In the next room
-" when Beauchampe suddenly sprang
past the attendant, who turned like a
flash and struck at him wickedly.
The blow grazed Beauchampe's Shout
der.
Beauchampe ran along a wide hall to-
find stairway there, and he was not
disappointed. He bounded down the
stairs at headlong speed.
A man fleeing for his life makes little
OF, takes no thought Of, risks that would
deter the most resolute-
The attendant was close at his heels.
Beauchampe felt a cool draught of air
as he reached the foot of the stairway,
where all was darkness
Suddenly he encountered a man. The
shock was so great that he fell painting
on the floor A door was flung wide
open near him at the same instant, and
a flame OF fire Illuminated the entrance
one brief instant.
In that instant Beauchampe beheld
several figures. Then there was a rush
OF feet
The next sensation Beauchampe ex-
perienced was a blow on the head as
Hawkins and the attendant stood over
him. He heard q confused murmur as
the attendant pushed him, with blows,
up the stairway, and, thrusting him into
his room again, locked the door quickly
and left him. He could hear his foot
steps as he ran back through the hall
and down the stairway.
Later, Beauchampe heard sounds out
side, and at intervals words uttered
loudly reached his ears.
an for itS-@This times-EPlunder
along with us1-~Obey orders, Doctor"
mo ecessity"-@Same as others, Doc
tor
Then there was the sound Of wheels
crunching gravel. and all was silent
again.
What had happened? What did it all
mean? Beauchampe asked himself in
vain. as he felt his head and arms
His hands were wet His head was
bleeding.
the floor.