Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-06

| what was more, strangely silent. The air
| itself was heavy, like the air of a bake
| house. 1 had to gasp for my breath; there
was choking sensation in my throat which
| nearly made me faint. Sinking fumes,
| like the fumes of stale opium. filled all the
| corridors and seemed to exude the rooms.
I staggered under the power of them, and
| had to bite my lips to prevent myself
| coughing.
| So far as furniture went, there was little
| that could see in the passage. A heavy
| carpet was soft to the feet, and thick cur
| tains, made of some soft stuff, were hung
! over the openings to the doors. Yet what
appeared more curious than anything was
| the queer silence in the place. While
| stood there, half choking for my breath,
| and half hidden behind one of the thickest
of the curtains. 1 didn't hear much as
| the creak Of door or the fall of a foot
| The house might have been a dead house.
| with specters for tenants.
| You may ask me, fairly enough, what
| had meant to do when 1 crossed the gap
and forced my way into this queer place
| l can only answer that 1 know no more
| than the dead. What I did was done on
impulse. 1t was only when 4 stood in the
| passage and heard my heart beating like
machine that 1 began to think what a
| fool 1 had made of myself. And 1 must
| have stood there five minutes afraid to
go on, afraid to go back. when all of a sud-
| den some one else decided for me. A door
opened not two yards away, and out walk
ed Sir Nicolas Steele and little French
| man. They were talking together angrily;
and they went straight down the passage
| and turned the corner where the light was
| Though the door of the room from which
they had come had only been opea for n
| moment had seen a sight strange enough
10 nave upset a stronger man than me. In
great eastern-like room. all lit up with
| queer colored lanterns, and having a foun-
| tain of water splashing in the middle of it.
some twenty men were lying on little beds
| Nest of them locked to me to be dead with
| sleep, but one was raVing with his face
| cd
to be crawling his hands and knees to
the water which bubbled under the dome
me door was only open second, as I say,
| but the view behind it gave me a SILVER
| and the SILVER was still on me when, tread
| ing like a cat, followed my master down
the passage and came within yard of
| him at the corner of it.
| l was now near by the light, but curtains
hung crosswise in the passage hid me well
enough. 1 could see from my place that Sir
| Nicolas was arguing with the Frenchman
| at the top of little flight of iron stairs.
| " hen they had talked for about a minute
| the Frenchee pointed to door at the
bottom of the flight. and my master made a
| step downward as though to reach the
| door But his foot was hardly on the stairs
when something happened which sent me as
stiff as a corpse. and drew from me cry
| The stairs which l had seen a minute be-
| fore l saw no longer. They had swung
away under my masters. touch, and with
another cry Joined to mine, he went head
| long down to a black hole below.
What happened in the next few minutes
| can hardly tell. I remember, perfectly,
that the Frenchman stood for a minute
| glaring at me, and kissing words between
| his teeth. Then he pressed a knob the
ratings at his side and the staircase
swung back into its place again.
| So astonished was I to see what he did
| that I never thought of the danger to my
| self, and before l knew where I was he
| had gripped me, and we went rolling over
and over on the floor together Strong man
| as / am, / don't think that I've ever been
SO near to death as l was that night. Now
up, now down. with the cold sweat on my
| forehead. and the devils fingers tearing
| the flesh out of my neck. 1 haioaed to Jim
to help me and fought the Frenchman
| through. When I had done with him at
| last, l was covered with blood-but it was
| Jim who pulled me to my feet Jim and
Michel Grey, who stood. half dressed and
half drunk, with two gendarmes in the pas
| sage.
The noise and din which followed this
| business is not to be described by any man
| like me. While I stood half blinded, and
| with roaring sounds in my ears. gendarmes
| seemed to be filling all the Maison dor.
| But I had wits enough about me 10 think
| of what might be, and the first words !
| spoke were to Jim.
| Get Grey out" said T. land take him in
cab to the Hotel de Lille. Wen lose .he
reward if you don't. Tell him his fathers
| there. I'm after Sir Nicolas"