Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1903-12-26
CHATTER v.

belonged 10 the ne elected Coun-
cillor Number Seven 1 found q paper
which contained Instructions regard
ing the next meeting of the Syndicate
of Scoundrels- Here is copy of the
document in question:
| Last day of NORTH. Midnight.
Gypsy wagon drawn up on waste space
near first finger-post on high-road to
Southend after leaving Leigh. Knock
at door, and in reply to question
! Who's there? state your number.
Make yourself acquainted with local.
lily beforehand, that you need not have
to ask directions. Leave Fenchurch
street by ten O'Clock p. m. train and
alight at Leigh. Obey instructions i'm
plcitly, especially about leaving Lon
don by ten O'Clock from Fenchurch,
and destroy this when read with out
fail"
These were my sailing ORDERS" and
plain and straightforW ard enough they
/ seemed. / wondered at first why the
very train by which 1 was TO journey
down was expressly stipulated, but a
moments consideration showed me
( that some such arrangement was very
necessary. Otherwise it was possible
that the whole seven of us might elect
to travel by one and the same train.
In which case the ticket inspectors
could hardly fail TO notice that seven
men all exactly alike had passed the
bSrier.
1t was not probable that Councillor
| Number One would overlook the COM
| plicadons that might arise from the
| fact OF even two members of the coun-
! Gil choosing the same train, and, as
| afterwards learned, he had taken every
precaution to prevent any such dilem-
ma. Councillor Number Two had re-
ceived instructions to stay at Leigh,
whittier he was to journey by the Lon
don, Tilbury & Southend railway on
the evening before the meeting. Coun-
cillor Number Three was also to start
the evening before the meeting. but
was to put up at Southend, whittier he
Travelled by the Great Eastern rail-
way. Councillor Number Four was to
go to Southend by steamer on the
morning of the council meeting. Coun-
cillor Number Five was also to start
on the morning of the meeting, but
was to use the Great Eastern line.
/ Councillor Number Six was to wait un-
| I'll the afternoon and was to travel
via I1lbury; and Councillor Number
. Seven represented by MYSELF was 10
! wait till the ten o'clock down from
. Fenchurch street.
/ These instructions l rigidly obeyed.
4 and on the last day of the month was
at Fenchurch Street station in time to
catch the train in question, and was
! so fortunate as to secure a compart-
ment to myself.
: tully realized the risk l was run
ming in thus electing to personate the
, dead man at the meeting of the Council
\ OF Seven, and had not come unarmed
had put my unloaded revolver in one
! pocket and some cartridges in another.
[ and did not intend to set foot inside
( the gypsy wagon, where the council
was to meet until l had made sure
I that the weapon was charged in every
chamber. When we-were approaching
( Leigh it would be quite soon enough.
| decided, to slip in the cartridges, and
. in the meantime would do my best
to shorten the long journey by means
OF nap.
Like friend of mine, who complains
that no sooner has he put his head
upon the pillow than some one knocks
, at the door and says il is time to get
, up, can go to sleep at a moments no.
, uce; so lay down at full lenghth upon
/ one side of the carriage, and, putting
my head upon the arm-rest at the
, end, was soon fast asleep, and, fear.
snoring
remember my awakening distinct
, ~ whether bad been disturbed by
a sound or a movement cannot say.
but suddenly the stilled waters of nv
slumbers became troubled. 1t was as
II, from n mirror rejecting a calm
stretch of Sky, satyr face had leered.
L stirred uneasily, and lay for some
moments half asleep and half awake.
put conscious of impending disaster:
and when at last | opened my ewes. IL
was to find a mans face pressed close
TO mine. lie 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 revolver barrel to my forehead.
Put up your hands," he said. imper-
a'Vely an The ring of command in his
voice recalled 10 my mind the scene in
the yachts cabin when the candidate
for the seventh place on the council
had been hidden to stand forward. !
But had l not heard my companions
voice should have known him-if only |
by his eyes-for Councillor Number /
One, the leading spirit and originator
or 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 Law
there squirming under the cole kiss
that the revolver's ugly lips were