Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1903-12-24
Copyright. 1899, by Herbert S. Stone Co.
CHAPTER V.-CoNTINUED.

l remember my awakening distinct
a sound or a movement | cannot say,
but suddenly the stilled waters of my
slumbers became troubled. 1t was as
if, from a mirror rejecting a calm
stretch of Sky, a Satyr face had leered.
1 stirred uneasily, and lay for some
moments half asleep and half awake,
but conscious of impending disaster;
and when at last | opened my eyes, it
was to find a mans face pressed close
to mine. He was bending over me as
| lay, and his eyes, as | met them,
seemed to fasten on mine and to hold
me as a hawks talonS hold the scream
ing sparrow out of which he means
to tear the life. So spellbound and fas-
cinated was by the intentness of the
mans gaze that | was at first hardly
conscious of the fact that he was press
ing a revolver barrel to my forehead.
Put up your hands" he said, imper-
atively, and the ring of command in his
voice recalled to my mind the scene in
the yachts cabin when the candidate
for the seventh place on the council
had been bidden to stand forward.
But had | not heard my companion's S
voice | should have known him-if only
by his eyes-for Councillor Number
One, the leading spirit and originator
of the infamous brotherhood. Except
ing for the fact that he wore no beard,
he was dressed exactly as when | had
seen him on that eventful evening.
The dark mustache and the equally
dark and bushy hair, were evidently
natural; and | remember that as lay
there squirming under the cold kiss
that the reVolver'S ugly lips were
pressing to my forehead, | said to my
self, in the dazed, half mechanical way
in which, in moments of supreme peril,
one notes details, 80 no! my friend!
1t was from yourself. was it, that you
took the pattern of the disguise which
the seven councillors have to assume
When you want to disguise yourself
all you have to do is to slip on the
beard which you, no doubt have in the
bag | see in the rack behind you, so
that you can assume or discard your
disguise at a moments notice, instead
VI hdFlhS5 W get yourself up, DIS IuS
rest of the councillors have to-
Councillor Number One" evidently
included thought reading among his
accomplishments, for, as if in reply to
my Self-communings he nodded pleas
antly and said
Quite so. You are remarking, no
doubt, upon the fact that, except for
tho nhCnY,nn Dft ,n1
appearance very nearly resembles the
disguise you are yourself wearing.
You haven't seen me in deshabille be-
fore, have you? But before we dis
cuss that subject | have a question or
two to ask you. I'll trouble you to sit
up, still keeping your hands above
your head. And be careful how you
move, as it would be highly unpleasant
for you were this revolver to go off, as
it certainly will, if you try any hanky-
panky with me-"
| rose to sitting posture, with up
held hands, as bidden. Had my head
been fastened to my body with gummed
paper | could not have moved more
gingerly, for the revolver barrel never
budged an inch but clung leech-like to
my forehead while | shifted
"And now" said Number One, polite
ly, "Tll trouble you, sir, to tell me
w5o you are"
Il am Councillor Number Seven" l
said
That's a lie!" he replied, calmly.
"You ought to be Councillor Number
Seven, but who the devil YOU are. and
how you come to be here and in that
disguise, / don't know and can't think.
If, as seems likely, you are detective
who has found out something, and you
meant attending the meeting tonight,
and plan taking us in our own trap,
it is possible that you know enough
of me to understand that I'm not a
man to be played with. Tell me who
you are, how you came to get that dis
guise, and where the real Number
Seven is, and I'll spare your life, under
certain conditions But you must be
quick about it, and make clean breast
of it with no trickery, or, by God!
man, I'll scatter your brain pan for
you. No, it's no use your trying to look
outside to see where we are, and il
there will be a stoppage soon. | got
in at Stepney, and the station we have
Iust lef: is Upminster. So the train
won't stop any more this side of Ben