The Delta independent., 1895-08-28

AT Us.
that face was enough to give a man n
slcepless night. Never have l seen
features SO deeply marked with all bes-
tiality and cruelty. Ills small eyes
glowed and burned with somber light,
and his thick lips were writhcd back
from his teeth, which grinned and chat
tered at us with half animal fury.
Fire if he raises his hand" said
Holmes, quietly. We were within q
boats length by this time, and almost
within touch of our quarry. can see
the two Of them now us they stood, the
white man with his legs far apart,
shrieking out curses, and the unhal-
lowed dwarf, with his hidcous face, and
his strong yellow teeth gnashing nt us
in the light Of our lantern.
1t was well that we had so clear .
view of him. Even as we looked he
pluckcd out from under his covering a
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. caught one glimpse of his
vcnomous. mcnncing eyes amid the
white swirl Of the waters. At the
same moment the wooden-leggcd man
threw himself upon the ruddcr 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 few feet. We were
II,
was already nearly at the bank. 1t
was wild and desolate place, where
the moon glimmered upon wide cx-
panse of marsh land, with pools of
stagnant water and beds of decaying
vegetation. The launch, with 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
frantically into the mud with his other
foot, but his struggles only bored his
wooden pin tre 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 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
mnndcd. The Aurora herself we
L. a.,
A solid iron chest Of Indian workman
ship stood upon the deck. This, there
could be no question, was the same
that had contained the ill-omened
treasure Of the Sholtos. There was no
key, but it was Of considerable weight,
so we transferred it carefully to our
own little cabin. AS we steamed
slowly upstream again, we flashed our
search-light in every direction, but
there was no sign of the islander.
Somewhere in the dark ooze at the
bottom Of the Thames lie the bones of
that strange visitor to our shores.
'.Sec here" said Holmes, pointing to
the wooden hatchway. "We were
hardly quick enough with our pistols"
There, sure enough, just behind
where we had been standing, stuck
one of those murderous darts which we
knew so well. II must have whizzed
between us at the instant that we
fred. Holmes smiled ut it, and
shrugged his shoulders in his easy
fashion, but confess that it 'urned
me sick to think Of the horrible death
which had passed SO close to us that
night. CHAPTER XII
THE GREAT AGRA TREASURE.
Our captive sat in the cabin opposite
TO the iron box which he had done so
much and waited SO long to gain. lie
was n sunburned. recleless-eycd fellow
with network Of lines and wrinkles
all over his mahogany features, which
told of a hard, open-air life. There
was singular prominence about his
bearded chin which marked man
who was not to be easily turned from
his purpose. His age may have been
fifty or thcrcabouts. for his black,
curly hair was thiclsly shot with gray.
His face in reposc was not an un-
pleasing one. though his heavy brows
and aggressive chin gave him. as had
lately seen, a terrible expression when
moved to anger. He sat now With his
handcuffcd hands upon his lap and his
head sunk upon his breast. while he.