Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1893-12-02
1be lott was empty and JhicK with Tn

The loft was empty and thick with the
unstirred dust of years. | descended the
ladder and went down stairs, too bewild-
cred by this mystery to reason upon it. The
two men were still playing in the den be-
hind the bar; they had not troubled them
selves to follow me
well. ha' you found bimP" Putty called
out, hearing my step.
"He amt there" | answered stupidity.
"Preaps he's made O glass, as you didn't
see him alons of his friends and can't see
him nowheres about the house"
Il wouldn't give him up" sneered Dri
20. Come and sit down with us till he
comes back.
"Oh, if you're a-goln to stay, you ken
give the bar bit of clean up There's
all them pots Putty broke off short as
IL he had received some silent admonition
from Drigo,
Invent behind the counter and began to
put it in order mechanically, for my
thoughts were now occupied in solving the
mystery of this disappearance. ] asked
myself if at any time during my watch
had given away to fatigue and dozed. No;
had sat down only for a few minutes, and
certainly had not lost consciousness then.
| felt that il was an impossibility for Taras
TO have passed me without my perceiving
him Had they thrown his body in the
rveri No In the silence Of the night
should have heard the door in Ferryboat
alley open "a second time rs ] had heard il
the first, nor could heavy body have been
carried down the alley without the scuf
fling of feet being audible. Besides, the risk
was one which Putty, knew, had not the
courage TO run. And their composure now
was not consistent with their having done
a dangerous deed, though Drigo might very
well have counseled Putty to assume indif
ference in order 10 avert suspicion which
might have led me to communicate with
the police.
The most reasonable conjecture | could
form was that Tar,ls had actually left the
Joy with his lrie..d and had turned down
To the water Instead of accompanying them
into Sweet Apple lane. He might have or
dered the waterman to return, and so got
away If this were really the case, he
might return as Drigo had intended-not
that his word was to be taken in earnest;
his whole tone was ironical and indicative
of double meaning But the hope that
Taras still lived and might return put new
life into me. and went about my work be
hILd the bar with such alacrty that think
the men inside conceived | was trying to
make amends for my misbehavior. At any
rate, after u long silence. In which they cas-,
, furtive glancPs at me every now and then
their suspicion relaxed, and they enterel
heartily into dispute over some trick
which one bad i,layed with the cards while
the other was not watching, and this lei To
their devoting more attention To their game
/ had row of washed glasses on the bar
and was standing in front of the parlor
uoor Mip,us 'nelh '':i W. u,i ~ @
InS = ,i', .''. - - ,I,' - :,
wno" % mn nv, "ov 'I Nols I'm 'n ,; n ~
,, ,' -, "a '.., a,l,;,'',,' -
49, n, NJ '''S ,>,,', ~. ~,
ns ,'uS -. H"n1 m"' n a,tsn,i as ,i,n' n'a az,
la,'.s "..,''ou ' '.Y."S'o" ~ ~,
uoV no.iJe 49,. -; s.,
VI. on. p'uS - :. = - ~
tiT,' en, '.ns" " n i,''., - ~ -
@, nS ,,'h;aS 80 o a 60 .,,h;Ia -
s ,''.,aS ~ ,h;a 49, III ra,,lar i,,,an,at.
Sa,'n'an. ''
@Tan tan ,an-tan tan--,ap tan-tap
,o,--tan ,an-,an Wand sn on over and ova,
again
j looked ropnd the bar for an exn,a,a
,ion saw no vihratiny bottIe on the
shaIvas sncb no tho sound seemed 20 ;rdi
cote Tbar. was no wind 10 sb,ke tho val
low curtain a,,ainst the front windov f.
seemed to come from the old disused heer
. engine before me and touched one of the
I handles 10 see II II was loose The rattle II
made nnder nv hand was answered. almost
1 immediataIv nv a similar rattls and then
the enoine itself seemed 70 he wbisneriny
with n human voice
/ The glass nearly slinned from nv hand
hut recovered nv nresence of mind In AN
4 instant and went on nolishiny the GLASSES
till "A new dispute arose within over n false
rut Then | toucbpd the handle again and
again the rattle was echoed nv another
and as | strained NV ears I heard the vh;s.
neriny sound once more TIE engine was