The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1898-01-13
XIV.-CoNTINUED.

X1N.-CoNTINUED.
There was n rasping noise, as of a
hastily opened drawer. and the old man
spIdbg to his feet and leveled a revolt
yer at Thcrndyke. His eyes blazed, and
his voice guavered with excitement.
"By the Mighty! if We don't get out
y here"
Philip stood his ground long enough
TO show his contempt for the argu-
nient of force; then he turned his back
on the angry man and ran up the street
to catch an electric car for the new
courthouse. AS 500 as he could find
"A magistrate, he swore out q warrant
for Pragmore's arrest and went him
self with the deputy who was to serve
il. As a matter of course, they found
the office locked and empty; and, leay-
ing the officer to continue the search
for the notary, Philip went back to the
Johannesburg TO prepare the papers in
the suit against the town company.
The constable had promised to report
in the course of the afternoon, and
when evening anne without any word
from him, Philip resolved to go to the
Jail and see if Pragmorc had been
caught. With the hcedlessness which
goes hand i'm hand with triumphant
perseverance, he left the forged deed,
together with the unfinished papers.
On the writing-table in his room at
the hotel; and, picking his way through
the obstructed streets, he was soon in
the neighborhood of the courthouse.
lTp1ar tha I,o, ,lo. - - ,,,.--,,I- -
a point where the light from the cleo
trio lamps at the crossings made a
garish twilight, he stumbled over the
body of a mar lying across the side
walk. Before he could recover him
self he was promptly garroted, thrown
down and held by two footpads while
"A third rifled his pockets. The assault
was well planned and deftly executed.
and when his assailants had left him
Thorndyke was astonished to find tha:
they had taken none of his valunbles.
Then il came to him like a sudden
stroke of illness that their object had
been 10 secure the forged deed, and he
grew cold with dismay when he re-
membered where he had left it. The
next moment he was racing madly
toward the hotel. stumbling and fall
ing over heaps of building material and
paving-stones, and collidIng blindly
with chance pedestrians who happened
to get in his way.
He breathed freely again VIXEN he
reached his room and found that the
papers were undisturbed, but the dis
quieting experience taught him the
lesson of prudence which he might
otherwise have gone wanting. Button
ing the papers into an inside pocket of
his coat, he wen out again, taking are
to keep in the well-lightcd and fire.
quented streets until he reached Il hard
ware store where he could buy a re-
volver. With the Weapon in his pocket
he felt safer; and. leaving Broadway,
he ono more turned his steps toward
the Jail. Pragmore had not been
found; and, after assuring himself that
a description of the missing notary had
been telegraphed to the ~neighboring
towns on the railway, Thorndyke went
back to the hotel. Approaching the
building by a walk through the
grounds which led him beneath the
windows of his own room in one of
the southern gables, he was surprised
10 see them brilliantly lighted; and.
boiling up the stairway at the end OF
the corridor, he was barely in time to
save the ~Johannisberg from destruc-
ton. In his absence the room had
been thoroughly and ruthlessly ran
sacked, and one of the gas jets-wheth-
er by accident OF design he never knew
had been swung around against the
mosquito netting. which was blazing
and dropping a shower of small fire.
brands upon the white counterpart be
meath it.
When he had put out the fire and
gathered up his scattered belongings.
Philip began to have n %juster apprecin-
ton of the desperate character of the
men with whom he had to deal, and
he determined to take no more risks.
After having his room changed, he
tclephoned to the stable for his horse
and rode out to the Duncan farm, sleep
ing that night in the attic bedroom
with the forged deed under his pillow.