The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-11-15

" era .. ne cFleu anu st"SsNiNN ~
the table.
The dagger was thrust through
sheet Of coarse paper, upon Which
diagram was rudely drawn III mis-.
There was square marked with
star in corner of the paper, and from
it line ran among other squares, stop
hin" with flourish at one OF them,
which was also starred. 1t then turn
ed and ran across the paper toward me
left. encoHntering a square marked
"Botka" and ending in a large circle
bearing the name Paris
Darrell pulled out the knife ana eyed
II with wonder, slowly augmenting as
his senses cleared. OF course 1t was
possible that this weapon had peeh
taken from Vera and had come INTO
GetchikolT's possession, but WHY was
il thereY What was he expected to do
with il? Murder his guards?
AT the thought be walked TO the door
and shook it. calling Hello Which
is good in all languages.
There was no answer. Darrell cross
ed TO the window It was not fasten-
! ed. No guards were 10 be seem lie
raised the sash and thrust out his
head. The town was still except for
the songs Of birds, glad of the bright
/ morning.
Darrell returned to the table and sat
| down upon the edge Of it. MS right
hand pressed against his aching fore
/ head.
"They dragged me-" he muttered'
chats clear And | had some rath-
or remarkable visions in the course
Of the night. as they now come back
| 10 ne: but this beats them all.
He removed Vera's dagger from the
table and thrust it through the belt OF
his blouse. putting the diagram into
his breast. Then he went to the win
! dow and climbed ont. \ shot from q
concealed guard would not have sur
nrised him, but it did not come.
1t began to dawn upon him that he
was really free, but his mind was not
| vet clear enough 10 comprehend the
manner of It. Dimly he now rcmem-
bercd that ut some point of the night
. ! No lslu ttt'tii Aluil lONNNt ~ ~ '''
of rifle shots They had been quite
near. but the drug had held his senses
prisoner However, he recalled the
direction from which most of the NOISE
had seemed 10 come, and, turning to
look that way along the rambling VII
lage street. he saw the form OF man
living on the turf by the Waysidc. II
proved to be a Circassian soldier, ana
The man was dead. He had been shot
through the body.
Ii was impossible that an attack had
been made and Getchikoif and his es-
rort driven out. No force Of tlrcas-
slams capable of SUCH a feat co'lld have
) been In those paris, and had the dped
been done there would be more cVi-
dence Of the struggle. He could see
only this dead man and the battered
door and windows Of building across
} the way to justify conclusion that
, rescue had been attempted.
Looking at the building more closely
he discovered that ii WAS the one II
which Ice had been a prisoner for ms
first few hours IN the town. Coul'
/ Vera have led party to free hiGlt VI SO
2 and she had 80 far succeeded as to ID
, able TO leave her dagger in the room
= where he hay asleep. why had she gon
r out again and locked the door behn'
j. hcrg lie laughed AT the absurdity
i Returning TO the dead tircassian an
= or viewing tine wrecked house he 100.
cd more closely at the body and reach
) ed the extraordinary conclusion tina
), The man had been shot after death. J
Y the owe OF one instructed i'm such maj
il tars il was quite plain that the soldie
e had died from the effects Of blow o
y the ton of the head. received seyefa
,, DAYS ago. Indeed there was iudicatlo
l. thai the wound bad received medici
r attention. hut this was thc more dili
r chit To decide because. like many OIL
r ers of his race. the poor fellow Ia
hecn accustomed to shave his crown.
a In a field bordering the road was al
Al other Circa ssian, shot through ;hc hea'
@ hut there was every reason 10 belieN
that he had died Of fever
N "Clcarlv." said Darrell. this -
m fake rescue. Cetchikoff did not dal
In 10 take me to Stavropol. He has o
n ranized this farce with the aid Of 81
N casSlan stragglers from Gredskov an
Il two cofpses from the ambulance tlai
p. But yera's dagger No; ! can't see
II to fit that into the scheme"
10 The thought Of the weapon remindf
s. him Of the diagram. and be looked
4 i; again. What did the squares meal
pr Townsg There seemed to be an Ii
v necessary number Of them Boisa WI
i'm town. and 1t was represented by
TX square. but it was drawn different
ne from those that were huddled togetht
as "Tbey are houses in this viilag
IN was Darrelrs conclusion
ut The lire upon the diagram indicate
that he must visit certain nous
IL. What should he ind thereE Some for
ot Of death-a part Of this strange plo
Is. II might be so. yet De did not hesitaE'
or There was little difficulty in folio
ct ing the Chew. The house marked o
ND TO be- visited was easily recognize
al the other squares. indicating OH
NJ house,. serving a. a guide It was
or better house than that in which he b
he been confined. There were two siofl