The Red Cloud chief., 1896-12-04
CHAPTER VIII.

night.
CHAPTER VIII.
Ignorant of what had occurred in
Edith room before her cry for helm,
i paced my DOM, thinking how ter.
rIbc the fright must have been that
made her faint "a sccund timc. and
despite her belle in the %unrcality If
these mysterious appearances.
Your turn will come Van IIocck
had SAID e. me. aud these words com
ing back to my mind | asked myself
u the repeated attacks upon Edith
might not bc part o u complicated
scheme to obtain the diam nd.
such a plot was the more possible
because 1t >ccmed impos ibla. An
act OF legcrdcmain succeeds or not.
according To the skill with which the
& nJufcr i%"s u attention on a
raise train of operations while he
works out the actual feat As | made
these reflections. | took the Grcat
licspcr from the pouch on nv wais.
strap. and bucklcd it in its ease unon
my eft wrist; then ] doubly locked
the door. saw that there was oil in
the lamp, put Il box of wax matches
beside 1t on the table. and finally
openei the long bladed knife Van
iiocck had given me. ald stuck il
between the mattress and the side of
the bcdstead.
h room was thickly carpcted and
oak panelcd. The furniture-witb
the exception of the to let arrange.
ments and "a low. saddle backed chair
was antique and # oak. The bed
stead was part cularly vile. with
or carved . HAIRS carrying a balda-
quin and heavy curtains of some
thick brocade stun, loopcd at the
loot, bat hanging loose at the head:
1t faced tho oriei.
Between the right side of the bed
and the wall wa- n quarc table-on
which stood the lamp with the sad
dlo'back chair beside it. On the left.
hand side OF the bed was II tall carved
b acN pres. a large chimney, with
a scnlptur"d mantel and an open
heart !. faced the doc. \ screen
smut OF the washstand. which stood
10 the left of the oriel. A broaI
settle with Il valance. and Coyer,d
with a stuf SINH ar to the happinos
OF the bed. ran around the ,breo.
sided recess formed by the window
curta ms of the same kind shut off
this recess. A co ner cabinet. with
fold ng doors in the lower part, fitted
the.angIe OF the walls to the right:
between This AMI the door was a deem.
W de- an | long chest, and above il a
large m rrOr. An escritoire, some
nigh backed chairs. an a see nd
table. compile cd the furniture. There
no door but the one opanjno
upon the corridor. and no window
the oricl.
In the early part Of the night had
described these particular, Tn Van
'ioeck' at his request, "a ID he had
made me examine the press, the old
nest tho hangings Of the bed and
'ett!es; everything. in fact, which
night afford q hiding-placc to Lola
" another.
mad even gone down upon nv
and looked under the bed ia
his anxiety. And yet now a
'aEue uneasiness possessed me as
aised tho lamp shade, and looked
onhd the room The dark oak VAIN
cot, the sombcr hangings. the painted
eillng overhead. absorbed the light
here was a black void on the oppo.
ITO slde OF the bed. where the LIGHT
ON tho lamp was Intercepted by the
urtains; | could not SEQ even the ]
utline OF the great pross. 1
] read u"tcd tho shade. turned tho {
lex higher. and, half undressed.
lrcw myself upon tho bed / was
on afraid--in strength was a match
~ any natural foe. and ! did not be.
eve In the existence OF any other 8
iolt myself Infected with Van v
.oeck's presentiment OF impending
s
II was we'll suited for n murder C
'at oed' with its pail like hangings :,
conceal the lurking murderer. n
Tic tao, tic'tac, t~ic-tac. tic-tac. 81
C.tac.
My'car had become o familiar to
g Disk movement OF my watch :,
AT tho slightest sound was audible -
V IT, And a sound slight in O /,
n
To my mind, dwelling thon upon
1t sounded like the draw
g OF a dagger from its sheath.
turning my head toward the side
ON winch the sound seemed 10 pro.
! fancied ! saw the heavy cur v,
in r1Ove; II a between mo and
q ANN. Vhu mo .pmont 49,.