The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-03-09
CHAPTER xxx

VIGIL 1 cHutEfu Ilul having MA,
MACS room," he said. 'the fellow came
straight to me and took me by the
shoulders. You've given me away to
the police, you sneaking hound he
muttered, 'and I'm going to kill you
for It'll Now. what have you to say be-
fore ! strangle You? Why have you
broken faith? Did you not promise that
you would keep quiet and not let your
tongue wagT
"'Let me breathe. you fool |
gasped, or how can I speakY
little, and l added that I certainly had
so promised, but that many things had
since happened which had altered the
conditions.
"'Yes, he said. 'you have heard a
FOOLS yarn as to the arrest Of Count
Landrinof. and SO or. l have had a
visit from the pristaf, who has told me
the whole silly tale. Can you believe
this kind Of nonsenseY
"'Not L. I said. wishing to concili-
ate him.
Then why repent it to the police?
You have done no good by it, friend.
The pristaf did the wisest thing he
could have done and came straight to
me. He is now convinced that I am
Landrinof and that my wife and son
have conspired, for reasons Of their
own, to get rid Of me by means Of this
clumsy plot. 1t will not succeed. Mean
while who Is your informant? You in.
vented the tale-is that so2'
"'Yesl' l said, jumping at Il straw,
for the mans eyes looked devilish and
terrible.
"'You liarr he Kissed, tightening
his held again. Who is your infor-
mantY Come; l will knowI'
II could scarcely breathe; l was suffo.
eating. In another moment l must have
died.
"'The STUDENT l gasped. He relaxed
bis hold that instant.
"'Ah, that Is better-the student! he
repeated. How did you get hold Of
the student, and here?'
"'Count Boris caught him and squeez.
ed him., I said; 1T wal not his fault.
"'Oh. I don't blame himl' he said.
We'll. where is this student? / have
missed him these days. Well, he is a
liar-that is, he has lied to you-but he
is useful to me, a kind Of Mercury,
and I must find him. Come; where ia
her Els fingers frightened upon my
neck. Where is her he repeated. !
struggled, but it was useless. He is far
stronger than I. I was on the point of
strangulation when I told him, but tell
him I did. l could not help it. Then he
let me come away. and / locked the
student in his room and brought away
the key-here it isl could think of
nothing better to do. We must spirit
him from the house tonight and hide
him in some hired lodging. can get
him a passport tomorrow. and he can
take train to Reval and sail to London
from there. ONO; Reval is his best
way
IF we can only safely get through
this night" I said, my teeth a-chatter
with the excitement into which Bo.
rofsky's recital had thrown Inc. "If we
can only get through tonight safely and
put the police on to this railway mining
business in the morning. keeping our
eye on Andre meanwhile, we shall have
the department on our side by the even
ing. Andre won't be at large long once
we tell them about the intended at.
tempt on the cars "life--if they believe
us sufficiently to verify the story. that
is
eyes, and IL the student hasn't in.
vented the whole talel' said Percy.
"We should look pretty foolish If the
police went there and found nothingl'
600 out, Percy. like a dear good
chap, and take a room somewhere for
the unfortunate little wretch, | sug-
eested, and Percy, as usual, stood not
upon the order Of his going, but went.
He returned in an hour. having found
a lodging for our informer, This was
half u mile away, behind the Champs
dc Mars, in a slummy street whose
name ! have forgotten. The next. thing
was to get the student out Of the house
in safety.
We waited until past midnight be.
fore we attempted to make the move,
Andre might be on the watch, suspi.
cious of such action as this which we
were taking,
AT length, however, after much eau
tion and listening and watching Of
doors, we successfully spirited our man
down the corridor and into the grand
hall and down to the front entrance.
and here old Gregory, the concierge,
had a surprise for us.
When we warned him, for the love
of heaven. not to mention this fitting
to the count Should he come down
to inquire), Gregory informed us that
the $50 called count was not at home,
The old man, though requested, for
reasons, to call Andre 1.-THE count"
would never consent to do 30 when
speaking to ourselvesi for US there was
always the modifying clause $50 call
cd" Andre had gone out an hour ago
and had not yet returned,
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