The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-28

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is certain to be caught Meanwhile shall
| go and sleep If nothing had happened.
| taking the precaution of locking my door.
| Amt you glad Rupert Gaunt and Mary
have gomez"
But Dorothy was too anxious TO waste
| any time over her recreant lover. She
knew vandeleur to be brave to the verge
of rashness.
Captain vandeleur is not even in the
| house." she said.
'I know" Nora responded sleepily.
Hes gone down to the village to see one
| of the fishermen who has been taken i'll.
/ Morgan sent for him. But Charles win
| not be long, you may he sure of that"
Then Nora literally bundled her friend
out of the room and locked the door. Dor
| othy retired like Macbeth. and like him,
but not to Sleep" With her door just
open she listened. An hour passed. two
| hours, and there came no sound. Then
from the park arose a soft whistle. fol-
| lowed by steps in the corridor. Unable to
| bear it any longer. Dorothy peeped out.
| Along the dimly lighted corridor William,
fully dressed. was creeping. He stopped
just for an instant before the black OBJ
ject and grinned. Instantly Dorothy was
alive to what had happened. Actually
whilst she was waiting there, the plate
chest had been rified. and the whistle was
a sign TO William that his ally had got
| clear away.
Then came a more disturbing thought
STILL Where was Captain Vandeleur? Moth
| ing in the ordinary way would have de-
] tanned him. Had the thieves discovered
I anything, and had there been any foul
play?
The mere idea was quite enough for
Dorothy. II came TO her like a flash of
light that if anything happened to vande-
| leur, life would be worthless to her. The
discovery seemed to anneal her courage.
Without delay she followed William. She
was fully dressed save for. her hat, which
| mattered little so mild a night.
| The hall door stood open. On the table
there lay case which Dorothy recog-
nized- She pressed the spring. and a pair
of revolvers stood disclosed on a velvet
bed. Dorothy was no stranger to the
| weapon. She saw they were both loaded,
and she carried one in her hand Then
she started out to stalk her quarry Will
lam loomed on hundred yards ahead until
the road was reached. Here he paused till
another figure joined him. AS Dorothy
| crept closer she made out not only Baxter
but horse and trap pulled up by the side
of the road.
Got the swag?" William asked, hoarsely
"Ay. and got the Captain, too," Baxter
chuckled.
Il don't think as 'e's likely to give any
further trouble So come along with me
and see a spree
Don't be an ass" William retorted.
Lets get away"
And miss my vengeance? Not me.
amt going for a good hour yet And the
moons getting up proper. You come along
| with me down to the Blackjack bay, and
| you'll see a sight, promise YOU You've
got to come"
William departed gloomily and full of
fear. What was Dorothy to do? The lodge
was kept by solitary old woman, the
village was two miles away in the other
direction. and help might be urgently
needed.
Dorothy's mind was made up. She knew
quite well how to unharness horse, and
she proceeded to put her knowledge into
| practice as soon as the rascals were out
of earshot. And this was done. The animal
was turned into the park and a vigorous
slash with briar sent it madly across
the yielding turf
I've cut off their retreat, anyway"
Dorothy said between her teeth
Then she turned and followed quickly the
direction of Blackjack bay, little sandy
ave with far-stretching sands and shut
in by high cliffs. BY this time the laggard
moon was creeping up out of the deep.
The pallid light served to throw up two
figures in high relief. They were those of
| William and Baxter standing on the lip
OF the sea. The tide was creeping in slowly
up to the white post on the sands which
served to mark the spot beyond which
the drift nets might not be shot.
Suddenly Dorothy gave little gasping
cry. Surely there was another figute at the
| base of the white post. something that
looked horribly human, and at the same
time still If death had overtaken it,
A coarse word or two and sounds Of mock
ing laughter Dorothy could understand
| Needless of danger she began to scramble
down the cliffs. BY miracle she reached
the sands without accident. Then she eau
tiously made her way towards the white
| post. covered and screened by the rocks
here and there. She paused at length under
| shelter. some thirty feet away from the
two. And now the incoming tide rose to
the watchers ankles
| What she had dreaded to find she saw
Captain Vandeleur an ugly wound on his
| forehead but otherwise calm and con-
temptuous-looking, was bound to the post
He evidently intended to meet his fate with
| resignation.
This is murder" he said ''And you are
certain to be found OUT
'I'l risk that" Baxter chuckled ''You
little thought what was going to happen to
you when you got that bogus message. And
1t was a pretty little smack of mine that
laid you out. And when you came to your
self. why, here you was. All, my gallant
captain, it's my turn now"
So" said the captain. ''you are that
| scoundrel Baxter?"
1.-The same noble gamecock. 1 want to
hear you scream and cry for mercy. 1 want
| TO see you kick and struggle till the water
fills your throat and you drown. I'd have
given ten years of my life for this"
You are going to murder me. them
| That's about the size of il. One good