The Irish standard., 1895-05-25

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! 10 ,.fs.:. AT US.
that face was enough to give q man a
sleepless night. Never have I seen
features so deeply marked with oil bes--
tiality and cruelty. His small eyes
glpwed and burned with a somber light,
and his thick lips were writhe back
from his teeth, which grinned and chat
tered at us with half animal fury.
ssFire If he raises his hand" said
Holmes, quietly. We were within a
boats length by this time, and almost
within touch Of our quarry. can see
the two Of them now as they stood, the
white man with his legs far apart,
shrieking out curses, and the unhal-
lowed dwarf, with his hideous face, and
his strong yellow teeth gnashing at us
Id the light Of our lantern.
twas we'll that we had so clear
view OF him. Even as we looked he
plucked out from under his covering
short, round piece Of wood, like q
school ruler, and clapped it to his
lips. Our pistols rang out together.
He whirled round, threw up his
arms, and with kind Of chok-
ing cough fell sideways into the
stream. Il j caught one glimpse of his
venbmous, menacing eyes amid the
white swirl of the waters AT the
same moment the wooden-legged man
threw himself upon the rudder and put
It hard down, SO that his boat made
straight in for the southern bank,
while we shot past her stern, only
clearing her by 3 few feet. We were
round after her in an instant, but she
was already nearly at the bank. II
was wild and desolate place, where
the moon glimmered upon wide ex-
panse;t OF marsh land, with pools Of
staRnant water and beds OF decaying
vegetation. The launch, with q dull !
thud, ran up on the mud bank, with
her bow In the air and her stern flush
with the water. The fugitive sprang
out, but his stump instantly sank its
whole length into the sodden soil. In
vain he struggled and writhed. Not
one step could he possibly take
either forwards or backwards He
yelled in impotent rage, and kicked
frautica1ly into the mud with his other
foot, but his struggles only bored his
wooden pin TIE deeper into the sticky
bank. When we brought our launch
alongside he was so firmly anchored
that it was only by throwing the end
of q rope over his shoulders that we
were were able to haul him out, and to drag
him, like some evil fish, over our side.
The two Smiths, father and son, sat
sullenly In their launch, but came
aboard' meekly enough when com
manded. The Aurora herself we
hauled OF and made fast to our stern. 2
q solid iron chest Of Indian workman
ship stood upon the deck. This; there
could be no question, was the same
that had contained the iH-omened
treasure Of the Sholtos. There was no
KEY, but twas OF considerable weight,
so We 1transferTeds-it carefully to our
own Little cabin. As we steamed
slowly d upstream agaiu, we flashed our I
search light ID every irettion, but
there. was a no sign of the Islander
Somewhere 81 the dark ooze ct the I
tom 1T the Thames lie the bones Of I
that strange visitor to our shores
ss .ssSee here, /" aaid Holmes, pointing 70 4
the sweoden hatehwa;y. 81 g we're
shardly quick enough With olr pistnls ''
There, sure enough just behiud {
where we had been standing, stuck
one one 81. those rnurd usdaTts which
ku q Is &, wen. must have aizzed
biisitwsen us ~ the inst aIt 5tt,at NO
I lIollnes .,Iail mud
s s. 3 q , ,i.s 81