St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1895-08-03
CHAPTER v.

| THE TRAGEDY OF PONDICHERRY LODGE.
It was nearly eleven o'clock when we
reached this final stage of our nights
| adventures. We had left the damp fog
of the great city behind us, and the
night was fairly fine. A warm wind
blew from the westward, and heavy
clouds moved slowly across the sky,
| with half a moon peeping occasionally
| through the riffs. Itwas clear enough
| to see for some distance, but Thaddeus
Sholto took down one of the side-lamps
from the carnage to give us better
| light upon our way.
Pondicherry lodge stood in its own
grounds, and was girt round with a
very high stone wall topped with
broken glass. A single narrow IRON
clamped door formed the only means
of entrance. On this our guide knocked
with peculiar postman-like rat-tat.
''Who is there?" cried a gruff voice
from within.
1T is I, McMurdo. You surely know
my knock by this time. !"
There was grumbling sound and a
clanking and iarring Of keys The
leaB -sMnng hsaxilg .Z Raelz and shaaEt
with the yellow light OF the lantern
shining upon his protruded face and
twinkling, distrustful eyes.
'aThat you, Mr.. ThaddeusP But who
are the others? had no orders about
them from my master"
mo, McMurdo2 You surprise me! /
told my brother last night that l
should hr;np some friends"
ssHe hain't been out o his room to-
day. Mr.. Thaddeus. and have no or
ders. You know very well that must
stick to regulations. can let you on,
but your friends they must just stop
where they are. J"
This was an unexpected obstacle.
! Thaddeus Sholto looked about him in
a perplexed and helpless manner.
ssThis is too bad of you, McMurdo!'' he
said '.lf / guarantee them, that is
enough for you. There is the young
lady, too. She cannot wait on the pub
lie road at this hour"
every sorry, Mr.. Thaddeus,' ? said the
porter, inexorably. Folk may be
friends O. yours, and yet no friends o.
the masters. He pays me weal to do
my duty, and my duty I'll do. ] don't
know none O your friends"
| ''Oh, yes, you do, McMurdo," cried
Sherlock Holmes, genial1y. II don't
think you can have forgotten me.
Don't YOU remember the amateur who
fought three rounds with you at Ali
sons rooms on the night of your bene-
/ fit four wears back?"
"Not Mr.. Sherlock Holiness roared
the prize fighter. Goods TRUTH how
could / have mistook you? If instead
O. standin' there so quiet you had JUS
stepped up and given me that cross hi
of yours under the jaw, I'd ha' knowr
| you without question. All, you're
one that has wasted your gifts, yor
have! You might have aimed high, i
you had joined the fancy"
aYou see, Watson, if all else fails me
have still one of the scientific profes
sions open to me, " said Holmes, laugh
ing. .'Our friend won't keep us out II
the cold now, am sure"
I'm you come, sir, in you come-yol
| and your friends, !" he answered. every
sorry, Mr.. Thaddeus. but orders arr
very strict Had to be certain of YOU
friends before let them in"
! Inside, gravel path wound through
/ desolate grounds to a huge clump of {
house, square and prosaic, all plunged
4 in shadow save where moonbean
struck one corner and glimmered in ;
rarret window. The vast size Of th,
building, with its gloom and its deathl.
silence, struck chill to the heart
Even Thaddeus Sholto seemed Ill q
ease, and the lantern qnivered and rat
| tied in his hand.
II cannot understand it, he said
saThere must be some mistake. dis
tinctly told Bartholomew that WI
should be here, and yet there is NJ
light in his window. do not know
/ what to make of it."
'.Does he always guard the premise
in this way?. asked Holmes
Eyes; he has followed my father
custom. He was the favorite son, yol
know, and ISometimes think that N,
father may have told him more thai
|, | he ever told me. That is Barthol
o1new's window up there where tn
/ moonshine strikes. It is quite bright
but there is no light from within,
: think.
None" said Holmes. But Sc
the CLINT of light in that little wiz
: d.o1v beside the door,