The Red Cloud chief., 1896-12-11
The Great Hesper.
BY FRANK BARRETT.
CHAPTER VIli-CoNriNyup.

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yet might not have r~ciinquishcd the
hope of getting H.
He might not have left the room.
He might be hidden there at that
very moment,
What was more casy. being in the
room, than to conceal himself in 1t?
The curtain that masked the oricl. |
tho great chest, the settle. the press,
were all suggestive Of that course.
The fellow might be under the very
bed | was lying upon!
The movement | had seen in the
curtain. the sound similar to the
drawing of II blade from its sheath
(Which might well have been caused
by the movement Of the heavy valance
of the bcd), strengthened the sus-
picion. Was he lying there waiting
for the sound Of my heavy breathing
to assure him that | slept?
There was scarcely the necessity
to wait for that, for what resistance
could !, lying upon my back there.
make against Il foe springing out OF
the dark upon me?
/ thought of the clasp.knifc Van
Hoeck had given nc. and. stretching
out my hand, | felt for it where | had
stuck lt-bctwccn the mattress and
the bcdstead. ! could not find it.
Pushing back the curtains so that
the light from the lamp fell upon the
edge of the bcdstcad. | assured my
self that it was uoC where | had left
it. 1t must have slipped through
or been drawn out.
Tho latter supposition explained
the sound and movement ] had heard
and seen. Yet it might have made
that sound in slipping through-its
fall upon the floor dcadcncd by the
carpet. or its point sticking in the
boards; but | fancied the horn. handle
was too wide to allow OF its slipping
through.
TO satisfy myself at one upon this
point. | lcapcd out of bed, resolved
to strike n match and look under the
valance. | stood for IL moment stu
pcficd: the box Of vcstas was gone
from the table where | vas certain
had laid them.
They must have been taken while
! lay screened by the bed curtains.
] glanced ovc my shoulder.
The folds of the curtain against
the bed were not tho same a. when
| pushed them back to the wall
ono fold stood out at an
angle; and us, slowly turn
ing around. | looked more closely,
saw against the dark oak panel of
the wall, about the mid-height of Il
man, and protruding but al inch or
-. --. IL hoo 80 ,I. .,,,ni, ,lA
bright point OF Il knite-blade.
Now, indeed, there was no longer
any doubt. The man who had come
to rob was there TO murder me. Had
I stopped but another moment ON the
bed he might have knitted me.
What was | to do? | had hin
standing there behind the curtain "a
q certain advantage.
Should | spring upon him anC
stranglc him against the wall in The
folds Of the curtain?
1t was not a sure victory for me
and a partial one might in the end b'
fatal. The thick stuff would pre-
veat my getting a firm grip OF him
and his right hand, the N that hell
the knife, was free. My chance W
too small, the danger too great E
Justify that attack, though the mus
clos Of my arms and fingers wcr
strung up to make the tcmptin,
effort
Keeping my eye upon the curtail
] drew back to the foot Of the bed
70 get to the door | must cross tn
room, and inevitably be seen by tn
murdcrous rascal as he stood ther
on the inner side of tho bed-curtain
and arrived at the door | must tur
the key twice, and the handle as wei
before he overlook me. On tn
other hand he had to discngage him
self from the folds of the curtai
and recover the start had of him
The chances were pretty oquaI
and | determined TO W myself b
flight rather than risk the fatal rC
suit of the unequal encounter.
! made my way noisolessly in
straight line down the oom until
got opposite the door, then ] made
rush for it across the open space.
rot to the door, and with furiou
haste CROPPED about for the key
vas gone
pfaspcu Jh' Hatulc' III elo hoI
that might be able to teal the loo
off; the screw had been taken on
and the knob slid off the spindle i
my hand. was lost.
it ~astonishcs me now to think wit
what celebrity and adroitness thes
precautions against my escape ha
been made,
The nan had not rushed after m
there was no desperate pursuit
that kind; he knew | was trapped
Only as ! turned my eyes back to tn
place where he stood, | perceive
that the light was dying out.
There was but IA narrow row
blue flame above the wick; it fade
awas, ana all was dark.
There are degrees OF darkness
this seemed to me the last degree.