Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-03-23
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Scoundrels eco. |
By C0ULSON KERNAHAN
Aathor q Captain Shannon,'' "A Book 81
strange SINS IA Dead Mans Diary" Etc.
copyright, 1899, by Herbert S. Stone & Co.
, CHAPTER X.-Cosr1S,1rn.

aSk
II 1t is not curious that success 80
often attended my little stratagems for
the spelling of the conspirators' plans,
out lscan assure him that it is sur
prlslnsly easy to fool a knave No one
is so capable of being tricked as YOUR
trlckster, Tor he is so accustomed to
suspecting everybody that he has long
ago lost the God-given instinct which
warns an honest man when to be on
his guard. l would rather any day
set my wits against knave's than
against an honest mans. Your knave
is so busy in fooling you that he has
eyes only for his own plans; whereas
the honest mans eyes are upon you
all the time, and you get no chance to
spy out the weak places in his armor.
All the same, l fully realized that it
was more than possible l might find
no opportunity of effecting the change
OF balls-my sand and sawdust-stuffcd
plaything for Number Two's deadly
bomb-in which case l had made up
my mind to inform the police of the
devilry which was Matching, and to
have the villainous thing removed
without an hours delay.
But, being by no means DESTROYS of
making police commissioner my
father confessor, was determined to
do my best to Illustrate unaided tho
proposed assassination; and so long
as one can keep ones nerve and ones
presence of mind, it is surprisingly
easy, as have said, to induce rogue
to tumble into the trap which one
has laid for him.
The sound of my three raps had
scarcely died away before the door
was opened by Number Two, who
looked at my expanse of shirt-front
and carefully tied white bow with an
unconcealed sheer.
That's nice costume to come
through these crowded streets in," he
said. Been dining with your relative.
the king of Ireland? You Irishmen
are all related to kings, aren't you?"
No" I replied, wondering how he
mad discovered my nationality, for,
having been educated in England,
haven't the least suspicion of brogue;
1T was one OF your royal relatives
the king of Darkness. He sent his re-
membranes, and hopes soon to see
you settled for good in his establish
ment.''
He laughed, and when the door was
closed said: That's not half so press
ing an invitation as you and are go
Ing to send to the royal family Of En-
gland. Come along up on the roof,
and let's get to business"
Up on the roof we went accordingly,
and looked upon the parapet and saw
below me, in the garish glare of the
illuminations, the vast and packed null
ttudes, that, with elbows and Shout
ders at work wedged their way along,
grinning, gaping, singing, and cheering
good-naturedly, in spite of their per-
spring bodies and dust-choked threats.
Then l lifted my head and looked up
to the vaster and voiceless multitude
of stars above, and as did so the
whole scene seemed to me like part of
some strange dream-drama.
Nov, my friend, we must be very
careful" said Number Two, "for if by
any chance you stumbled and kicked
against this thing, or l should let it
drop, there wouldn't be enough of
either of us left for our own mothers
to identify us by at the inquest.
AS he spoke he put down the bag
which he had been carrying, and open
ing it carefully, took out with both
hands the red celluloid ball which he
had exhibited to us in the wagon.
THE end of the wire role support
ing the festoons is fastened to the We
netian masts-not to the house, after
ALL he said. But I watched my time
a couple of nights ago when no one
was passing, and tossed ball of stout
black thread-the end of which l Sc
cured here-Over the middle of that
farther festoon. Then l went out in
to the road and tossed the ball round
and round the festoons several times,
till it was firmly caught in the deco
rations, and then I chucked the ball
up on this roof again. 1t took me a
long time to arrange it, for people
were constantly passing, but by watch
ing my opportunity l managed the
business all right. So now we have
line direct from here TO the center of
the festoon, so that can cut the thread
and let the bomb down when the old
lady passes without disturbing the
rest of the decorations.
1.-THE end of the thread is tied to
that rail. Will you go and unite it, and
hold the thread ready for me to string
on? But don't let go when you have
1t undone, or everything will be spoilt.
There will be people passing in the
street the whole of tonight, and l
should get no chance of fixing up an
other line"
For an instant hesitated. Should I
unite the thread and let the cord slip
from my hand, as if by accident, and
so balk him of his murderous pur-
pose? Another moments thought,
however, convinced me that so clumsy
and transparent an artifice was not adj
visable., 1t would, in the first place,
arouse Number Two's suspicious, and
might not, after all, avert the catas-
trophe feared; for he was man OF
resource, who would not be at loss to
devise some other method for carrying
out his devilry.
So, under the pretense of trying to
undo the fastening, pulled it into an
inextricable knot, at which l fumbled
so long that, as had hoped. Number
Two lost patience.
"Confound it ALL" he growled. 1T
had thought you were so clumsy
fool, I'd have had that other man to
help me, after all. Here. come out OF
the wav and let me do it! The things