Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1904-02-04

loud; nt any rate the detective turne,
ana looked toward the window, and wonli
nave discovered the spy but that he hai
dropped behind limb and was hidden.
lie knew not at first whether IL wa
the detective In the flesh, Or his spirit
and In either case Il was bad enough /,
make him shiver.
Fancy his feclings-so close 10 this Rus
sian bloodhound who was on bis track
doubtless armed with all the papers nee
essary TO take him across the water Il
the most terrible doom that could befal
man, and beside which death at III,
gibbet or guillotine lost It's terrors--a lifo
IN the salt mines OF Siberia for tremen
dous political offenses against the Gar
Satisfied, apparently, that he had been
mistaken In thinking that he heard O
noise, the man resumed his work OF writ
ing, and Captain Grant gradually raised
his head again.
For ten minutes those tiger eyes were
glued upon the detective. Then the sol.
dler began 70 descend the tree with the
agtlity and the noiselessness Of a cat.
Once upon the ground he stood and shook
MS list upward, muttering low words
which contained terrible threats. Turn
ing, he vanished from view among the
trees beyond the mill, aud IN about the
same place as where the two women had
seen him disappear on that other evening.
when they could not tell whether Il was
Roger Darrell or some one else, the two
men being OF the same build and the at
mosphere deceptive.
A couple OF hours later Captain Grant
once more appeared upon the scene. In
his hand he carried large can of coal
oil, stolen from some neighboring farm
house, His object was apparent-he in.
tended TO destroy the mill by FIRE after
all, and II the thing were possible get rid
OF the detective at the same time.
For some time he glided about In the
lower part OF the mill. Not light was 10
be seen, for Carol had retired to her room
IN the dwelling and her mother had closed
the blinds In the lower story so that she
might be undisturbed In her occupation OF
reading old letters from her husband.
The Captain used dark lantern, and
in short time had everything arranged.
A slow match was ignited that would
take a certain length OF time to burn, and
during this time he meant to secure the
detective In his room. Escape by means
OF the window was out of the question
for II was only a small bulls-eye opening
and even much more slender man than
the Russian detective would have had
trouble In passing through II.
Up the stairs crept the would-be MUIR
derer with the stealth Of burglar. His
ears were on the alert for any sound, but
nothing was to be heard save the heavy
breathing OF the sleeper in the little room.
All this while the slow match he had
lghited down below was slowly creeping
toward the oil saturated rags and chips,
which once blazing nothing could extin-
guish. Captain Grant little knew what
danger he was incurring, and the terrible
trap he was about to enter.
Reaching the room In which the Rus.
sian detective lay sleeping, having thrown
himself upon the cot without undressing.
he looked In. The candle still burned
but dimiy from want OF snuffing, and as
the door was open he saw that the key
was on the inside.
To remove this to the outside was his
first care. This he accomplished without
awaking the sleeper and then all was In
readiness for the elimination of his plan.
but he could not resist the temptation TO
creep across the little room and gloat
over his enemy once more before the |
fire cremated him.
How his eyes cleaned as he glared
down upon the man who had hunted him
so long, and whom his knife had failed to |
kill. His breath came hard, as though |
excitement reigned within, and his hand |
unconsciously sought the weapon in his |
pocket
AT this instant, however, the right hand
OF the detective suddenly shot upward |
and clutched the throat OF the soldier.
and at the same time threw himself un.
ward.
The two of them went over with |
crash, locked in a deadly embrace. and
upon the floor there ensued a terrible
struggle. Each man put forth his best
Efforts, and had the detective been fully
well, he would have had but little diff.
,ulty in mastering the other, for he was
/ man of wonderful physique, but the re-
,ent cowardly blow received from this
'elf-same man had weakened his frame
so that he had all he could
10 to equal the fierce endeavors made by
Captain Grant to overcome him.
NThey managed in some unaccountable
manner to gain their feet and, like A
'ouple of giants, swayed to and fro, as
{ they were two reeds bending in the
lreeze.
All at once they went to the floor with
great crash, and such was the force of
heir fall that they were separated, each
icing hurled in an opposite direction.
When Captain Grant managed to gain
lis knees, it was only to hear sharp
nap. The door had, moved by the vio-
ence of their actions, slammed shut.
Remembering that it was a spring lock,
he man uttered cry full Of horror, and.
bringing forward, attempted to open it,
ut the door remained fast. The spring
ock had caught, and he himself had re-
loved the key to the outside, thus seal
1g his own doom, as it appeared.
When the full consciousness OF their To-
ition broke upon him. Captain Grant ut
cred a low cry OF horror, for his soul
'as overwhelmed by the magnitude of
nc doom he had thus cunningly brought
pOu ulHlSelI,
Hearing an exclamation Of triumph
rom his enemy and recent adversary, he
lrned. The candle still burned feebly
lose at his hand, and he could see the de-
ective half crouching on the floor, while
pistol was in his hand.
Captain Grant was equal to the occa-
ION, however, for with one blow Of his
and he hurled the candle to the further
nd of the little compartment, causing
arkness to ensue of such denseness that
either could see the other.
Hold, mang' cried the Captain, hoarse.
:; "of what use are hostllities now? We
re bound to die together here like rats
/ a hole"
"What mean You, serpent p came from