The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-11-15
CHAPTER III.
THE MURDERED MILLIONAIRE.

|
RgMs5SNA cutthrOatS was so sudden and
SsssAGSy of so startling nature that it
might we'll be supposed that he had
| fallen upon one of those relics of the
| dark ages-a house Of mysterious ar
| chitecture, il which the very walls re-
volve on pivOts. trapdoors open where
no cracks can be seen and stone pillars
| inquity to another.
But, however plausible that theory
may be. it was not the case. The ex-
| planation of the accident to Buckford
| is astonishingly simple.
1t happened that very rich and
| equally eccentric person named M. dc
Bullion had purchased large piece of
| ground in that quarter on which he in.
tended to build large modern apart.
ment houses. This piece of ground
| fronted on three streets and adjoined
on the Rue de MontRouge the building
! in which the brotherhood of crime held
| its meetings. In making new and
| complete survey it was discovered that
| portion of that building really stood
on land owned by the person from
whom NJ de Bullion was making his
purchase. 1t therefore must be includ.
ed in the sale. The proper steps were
taken and NJ. de Bullion became the
owner of about 13 feet of the eastern
end of the building.
| When all the old buildings on the
newly purchased site We're torn down
| to make way for the splendid modern
edifices. the Is feet were torn down
also.
| This cut off two rooms of that build.
ing, and the door that had formerly
opened into one of these rooms now
opened out through a naked wall Of
| dirty plaster over the cellar.
This was the door through which
Buckford had fallen. 1t was built to
open outward. When Buckford leaned
against it. it had given way and pre-
cipitated him into the old cellar
Most unfortunately, as will be seen,
he struck upon some window sashes
which had been placed there for safe
| keeping. These were smashed utterly
by his weight, and pieces of the broken
| glass cut his hands and face.
| For moment the young man was
| so bewildered that he did not know
really what had happened to him. He
fancied that he was in a place much
| like that pictured in the opening lines
of this chapter. He was in total dark
ness. There was damp earthly smell
in the air. A rat ran across him.
Either the sashes broke his fall or he
was possessed of very hard skull,
for he did not lose consciousness. He
sat up in the darkness and tried to
look around, He could not do this,
so he felt.
His fingers came in contact with the
sharp edges of broken glass.
AT that moment he heard a voice
above his head.
| Curses on the houndH the voice
was saying. "Where could he have
gone? He has wounded Vandal and
killed Blouet Get Il lantern some
body. Don't let him get away"
This remark stirred the blood in
Buckford. 1t brought to his mind the
fact that that was just what he want
ed to do-to get away before they dis
covered him.
He rose to his feet and stretched his
arms above his head. After walking
a short distance he felt beams and
girders.
"Hello!" he said to himself. II must
have fallen somehow into a cellar"
Then he saw the CLEAN of lantern
shining from a door in a wall some dis
tance above.
"Ah. hal They have explained the
thing to me now," he said. with a
chuckle. Mighty lucky accident for
me-"
Come now. Pierre" came the voice
from the door, you take the lantern
and lead a party through the cellars.
l will lead another to the right, around
the square. Reber, here, will lead an
other TO the left. We will meet on the
street in the rear. He cannot get
away"
Buckford did not wait to hear any
more. He gathered from what had
been said that the cellar he was in
communicated with the street in the
rear. Taking his direction from the
uOOt, NueIe Tue llSHI COulu SIllI De
seen, he started as briskly as possible
toward the rear.
He clambered over debris of all
kinds. Cellar walls had been partially
destroyed, and loose stones lay all
about. Old foundations and party walls
were wiped out, yet enough old or new
walls were standing to enable him to
constantly keep a screen between him
self and the lantern. This had now
been lowered into the cell. He heard
voices behind him.
The searching party, however, made
slower progress than he did, notwith-
standing they had a lantern. They
were spreading out and searching ev-
cry nook and Granny of the cellars as
they went. He, on the other hand, was
making all speed straight ahead.
He soon found himself in a part
where there was less debris and ruin
and more of the newly built walls. 1t
was the cellar under the building on
the rear street.
He saw a red lantern hanging on a
pole outside to warn drivers of the