The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-09-03
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w ueu MOltllt HUI uulSlleu SpedhluS
he sat and stared gloomily into the
fire. 1t was evident that he was
weary-more 80 than l should have
expected in a man who was usually
pretty we'll Indifferent to danger.
But for real nerve-straining work
which makes your courage ooze out of
your finger tips, there is nothing like
living for week or two i'll constant
expectation of-you don't know ex-
actly what; when any minute some
thing may spring out of somewhere
and take you where you least expect
it. You can't give it name, ard you
can't quite explain, but the result in
the end is loss of nerves.
| felt quite shivery myself as I sat
there watching Mount. Everything
was so deathly still, and over every
thing and around everything and
through everything there lay that hor
rible, dark, unclean fog. 1t lurked in
the corners of the place, making the
shadows deeper. 1t got into ones
throat and into ones eyes, and de-
pressed one like an evil dream. And
as sat there, listening vaguely, [
shuddercd; and, remembering Dor
theim's face as l had last seen it, l
shuddered again.
How long the intense silence had
lasted I don't know. It might have
been five minutes, it might have been
m hour. Anyhow, after certain
lur8e of time, l became dimly con-
scious of faint, regular noise, like the
gentle scraping of a boats gunwale
against the side Of the barge as it
swayed gently on - tide.
I could not say how long the noise
might have been going on, or when it
had began. l simply remember that
gradually, quite gradually, 1 became
aware of it, and then all of sudden,
with start, I realized the meaning Of
it.
Mounts two boats were, [ knew, laid
ND for the winter under canvas on the
upper deck, but the noise was unmis-
takably made by boat scraping
against the barge. And-well, and
there was Dortheim!
I leant forward in my chair and
! touched Mount on the arm. l saw
him start convulslvely at the pressure;
and his farther hand slid into his coat
pocket. The mans nerves were posi-
lively on the rack.
"Listeu!' I whispered, holding up
my finger to enioin silence.
We both sat with strained ears, and
there it came again-scrape, scrape!
bump, bump!-at regular intervals.
Mount sprang from his chair and
crept noiselessly to the hatchway ]
followed close behind, having armed
myself with thick stick. Together
we crouched in the shadow OF the
door, while Mount gently slid back
the bolts. The door was one that
opened outwards, thus aftording any
one coming from within partial pro
tection-a fact that Mount has to be
thankful for for the rest of his days.
He thrust the door open sharply, and
stepped out into the darkness with his
arm we'll to the front, and at that in
slant there was a crash, a tinkle O
broken glass, and something liqulo
and burning splashed on my hand.
heard a yell of rage from Mount, ant
saw him spring forward.
"Vitriol!" he said. And with tina
I, too, sprang out, with my head low
and covered by my arm.
Two figures were struggling an'
twisting in the blackness on the edg
of the upper deck. l could hear thu
hard breathing, and see confused
mass whirling about perllously nea
the edge, but which was friend ant
which foe Icould not make out at first
As nv eyes got accustomed to TIN
darkness, saw that Mount had 60
one hand twisted in his assallant
collar, while with the other he hell
the mans left wrist high in the all.