The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-11-11
CHAPTER Y,
Continued.

The impenetrable darkness, the silence
rendered only more intense by contrast
with the perpetual tic-tac, tic-tac, tic
tao, tic-tac of the watch behind me,
were made terrific by the awful uncer-
talnty OF my position.
stood there waiting for the attack,
until, the suspense growing intolera-
BILE, felt that must end IL by shout
ing aloud TO Brace, and precipitating
the struggle.
Il will wait five minutes longer and
no more" l said to myself, resolving
10 calculate the space fairly, and with
due allowance for false impressions. /
calculated that two minutes had
passed, when fancied that heard the
bed creak behind me. Was this one
Of the false impressions had promised
myself to guard against, or was the
sound caused by the man mounting
upon the bed behind me?
The hair brlstled upon my head as
thought, and drew my head down into
my shoulders, for, as surely as if my
eyes had been turned that way, and
the full light of the sun shising in the
room. l knew that the man was be-
hind me upon the bed.
drew deep inspiration, resolved
to shout my loudest TO Erace, but be-
fore the sound had Iassed my lips
towel was drawn tight upon my face,
and my head jerked back against the
post behind me. A fold OF the towel
gagged me completely; it was with diff
fculty i breatbed. i struggled, but in
vain, 10 wrench myself away; q quick
and sure hand had knotted the towel.
threw up my hands TO tear the thing
OFF, In an instant they were enyelOpcd
I'm the thick curtains, and though the
fellow had not sufficient strength to
tie them down 10 my side, he at least
baffied my attempts 10 free my head.
j drew my feet from the ground, hop
ing that my weight would drag my
head from the towel; ] only succeeded
in drawing the knots tighter, and half
strangling myself.
As could not release my head | got
my arms down and tried 10 seize the
rascaPs feet, but he kept them beyond
my reach; yet got something 10y the
attempt, for. in cropping about. l laid
my hand upon the knife which he had
thrust in the bed, TO have free use of
his hands, the better TO overcome the
resistance OF my arms l should have
had no hesitation in bam-stringing the
rascal il / could have got at his legs,
but as could not do that determined,
il possible, TO keep the knife out of his
way.
] felt by the horn handle that it was
the one Van Hoeck had given me. and
knowing the trick OF the blade ! shut
il up and slipped il into my pocket.
~ Now" thought ], III only thews and
sinews are concerned we will see who
can get the best Of it,
Aft with redoubled efforts strug.
sled TO tear down the bed curtains that ,
pampered my movements, and mad
1ened by the difficulty of respiration /
Threw such force into my efforts that
khe pole upon which they hung
crunched under the rings and finally
came rattlng down about us. Would |
that the lamp had been near 10 be
smashed by the fan! The noise was
too slight TO be heard at distance.
My left hand being free / felt again |
FOR the knot OF the towel that bound |
me TO the post. A bony hand grasped !
my wrist, and dragged it over my |
shoulder, and the next moment | felt |
something pressed under my nose. and !
liquid trickling through my mustache |
onto my lips. II had a sweet taste |
and strong smell OF apples. that |
mounted at once TO my brain. / |
seemed to be no longer touching the |
ground. but whirling round and round !
through space; my arms dropped by
my side.
! knew that | was powerless. yet |
retained certain kind of conscious.
ness ! was sensible that the difficulty |
of breathing no longer troubled me. / /
knew that the man was binding my |
arms 10 the post, and i remember
thinking, in the bemused manner of a
half intoxicated person. what fool he
must be 10 bind me when | could no
longer make resistance. was perfect. |
ly conscious when he began TO tie my |
feet 10 the post below. for had then
sufficiently overcome the effect OF the
opiate 10 think OF resistance. ! tried |
10 struggle and TO scream, but to no
purpose; my will had lost all power
over my muscles. And this terrible |
Pmpotency reminded me Of Van Hoeck's
balf.uttered smile: "Cramped in a
coffin, and the clods falling -fallngw
What astOnishcd me was the surpris-
ing facility with which the man exc.
cuted his work in the darkness that |
then prevailed. lie seemed 10 have no |
difficulty at all in finding the ends OF |
the sheets with which he bound me. |
and knotting them securely. And when |
j was safely pinioned he unbuck!ed the /
strap that bound the Great uesper TO |
my wrist. without having TO seek for |
the tongue of the strap. as myself |
might have had 20 do.
well, that's gone" said TO myself. |
"and, now be has the diamond. he will |
go too"
But lie had not yet finished. And az. |
Ter brief interval during which he !
might have been buckling the Great |
Hesper upon his own wrist. | heard a |
sound that ] knew only too well.
Click.
1t was the spring that locked the long
blade Of my clasp-fnife when II was
opened.