Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-05-02

tlallty ana cruelty. Ills small eyes
glowed and burned with somber light,
and his thick lips were writhed back
from his teeth, which grinned and chat
tered at us with a half animal fury.
Fire II he raises his hand,' said
Holmes, quietly. We were within q
boats length by this time, and almost
within touch Of our quarry. I can see
the two Of them now as they stood, the
white man with his legs far apart,
shrieking ont curses, and the unhal-
lowed dwarf, with his hideous face, and
his strong yellow teeth gnashing at us
In the light Of our lantern.
1t was well that we had SO clear q
view of him. Even as we looked he
plucked out from under his covering
short, round piece of wood, like a
school ruler, and clapped 1t to his
lips. Our pistols rang out together.
lie whirled round, threw up his
arms, and with kind of chok-
ing cough fell sideways into the
stream. caught one glimpse Of his
venomous, menacing eyes amid the
white swirl Of the waters. At the
same moment the woodcn-lcgged man
threw himself upon the rudder and put
1t hard down, SO that his boat made
straight In for the southern bank,
while we shot past her stern, only
clearing her by a few feet. We were
round after her in an instant, but she
was already nearly ut the bank. II
was wild and dcsolate place, where
the moon glimmered upon wide ex.
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 It's
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 TIE deeper into the sticky
bank When we brought our launch
alongside he was SO firmly anchored
that 1t was only by throwing tho end
of n 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
aboard meekly enough when com.
The Aurora herself we
hauled off and made fast to our stern.
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.
"Sce here, said Holmes, pointing to
the wooden hatchway. I'VE 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 1t must have whizzed
us at the instant that we
ired. Ilolmes smiled at it, and
ihruggcd his shoulders in his easy
ashton, but confess that 1t turned
&c siel, tothild, Of the horrible death
e.ieh had passed SO Close to us that
d ht
ITO nc CONTINUED