Omaha daily bee., 1898-05-29

to keep his position In front Of Buckhurst
lie looked into the pale. merciless eyes, he
saw the outlines Of fst and leveled pistol in
the black side pocket Of Buckhursts coat.
He saw. too. suspicious faces peering at
him from the passing crowd-dark, sullen
eyes, burning with the smouldering FIRE OF
frenzy. Speyer sueered at him. Stauffer's
weak blond face relaxed into an insulting
smile.
Come" muttered Bourke. there Is moth
ing to do" and he laid his hand on Hare
woods arm.
mo-" said Hardwood aloud. there is
nothing to do-now."
Buckhurst heard. His thin lips reccded
again, showing an edge Of snow-white teeth.
Neither now nor later he said softly.
Leave this hall'"
Speyer cut in: III you give us any trouble
the governor OF Paris shall know how the
empress escaped And you can take your
self out OF the Rue d'Ypres, too-bag and
baggage-and women"
Bourke had dragged Hardwood back to the
door. repeating in a whisper: For Gods
sake. jim, let them alonei Let them alone!"
Buckhurst followed slowly. Speyer at his
elbow, stauffer in the rear. Behind them
the lights were being turned out in the
empty hall; in the dark street outside the
foul sidewalks, wet with IN autumn shower,
reflected the Hickering flame Of q single
lamp post.
Bourke, urging Hardwood, backed out into
the street. The night was appalling in it's
fathomless blackness. The leaves on an
unseen tree stirred somewhere above them.
They've followed u.s." whispered Bourke.
straining his eyes back to the black gaping
door of the hall. Listen, JIM"
The silence was absolute. Down the street
| Tho s;pula if b,,rp,j ,pcnrtnIp1y NV
fiaring up into a yellow patch of light, now
! sinking TO a blue spark.
Suddenly Hardwood felt the haunting pres
ence of something that he neither saw nor
heard. 1t was close to him., there in the
shadow, moving nearer. Then the darkness
seemed to part before his eyes, a shaft OF
flame singed his brow, and the narrow street
resounded with the racket of q pistol shot.
Instantly he struck out, and struck again.
solidly, knowing that it was Buckhurst who
had received the blow full in the face.
! Somebody slid the shutter from a lantern.
He caught a glimpse Of Bourke knocking
Stauffer into the gutter. of Buckhurst, his
white face soiled with blood. cropping on
the sidewalk for his revolver. of Speyer
swinging his arm for a blow. The blow was
for Hardwood himself. 1t caught him fairly
on the neck, and sent him fiat. Dazed, he
struggled to rise. a knee pressed him
back, a knife glimmered in the lantern
light, falling swiftly toward him, only TO be
caught by another knife and sent whirling.
And now he was on his feet again, and again
the binding flash of a pistol dazzled him.
half revealing a swarm of dark. h%urrying
figures closing in around them. 1t revealed
something else. too-the hard face of the
Mouse starting from the shadows at his
elbow.
This way. monsieur" muttered the
Mouse. Hold to my arm"
A lantern fell violently to the sidewalk,
rolled around and went out, leaving "a
stencil of petroleum in the air. There was
a sudden rush, a collision, angry, painting
voices, the dull sound of blows, a shrill
cry: The police" HARDWOOD, running
through the darkness, one hand on the
Mouse's arm, turned sharply with his guide
into a broader street, lighted by a dozen
lamps. At the same instant Bourke rounded
the opposite corner and met them face to
face. For a minute they stood there breath
less, listening to the distant shouting and
trampling that gradually grew duller, as
though the ARRAY had almost subsidized.
"Mince!" said the Mouse, thrusting his
tongue into the corner of his cheek and
holding up a broad -bladed knife. Il was
just in time, Ell, monsieur?' He shu1led
his feet reflectively, glanced obliquely st
Bourke, shrugged his shoulders and laughed.
nodding half patronizingly when Hardwood
began to thank him.
"Bah-that is nothing my friend. There
are miracles in Belleville when the Mouse
patters through the dark. Besides the four
winds blow for nothing, but it costs money
to live"
Come to the Rue d'Ypres tomorrow"
said Hardwood, soberly, land the four |
winds Will blow you something besides
air."
AT your service" said the Mouse with
lmpudent condescens.on, land, messieurs,
have the honor
lie bowed with exaggerat I'd politeness, |
turned on his ragged heel, ard slouched off
into the night.
ITO be Continued)