Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1904-02-11
Copyright 1899, by Herbert S. Stone & Co.
CHAPTER XII.-CONTINUED.

1t was true that they had been
fooled, but who was so great a fool as
The man who had hugged himself for
his own cleyerncss and had laughed al
the cOnSpiratOrs as his dupes, and yet
had been so blind as not to know that
in coming there that night he was de-
liberately putting his head into a
moose of his own making? But if
was to die | would at least sell my life
dearly. Even while Number Two had
been speaking, ! had sought the pocket
where lay my revolver. The next in
stant would have seen me whip the
weapon out, and indeed my finger was
already on the trigger, when a deris-
i've laugh from one of the party stayed
my hand.
The laugh came from Number Five
the man who either from jealousy
or because he was himself ambitious Of
being elected to fill the post of the dead
leader, had all along endeavOred to
throw cold water upon Number Two's
projects.
The old story" he said contemptu-
ously. Every clumsy bungler, who
makes a mess of what he has under
taken, tries to excuse himself by put
ting the blame on somebody else. You
remind me of a schoolboy, who when
he is fairly beaten in a game calls out
Cheat! Cheat Why don't you admit
that you've failed, and have done with
it."
was thankful for any diversion
which tn
attention which | had anticipated was
soon to be Centered upon myself and
took the opportunity which the re-
spite afforded of edging cautiously
towards the door. While | was doing
so Number Two's reply came c6d and
clear
Fellow councillors, the traitor
among us stands self-revealed. When
the bomb which ought to have de-
stroyed the royal family fell harmless
ly in the roadway, and while was
standing there gnashing my teeth with
rage, | felt instinctively that some one
person was watching me when every
other eye in the assembly was fixed
upon the show. | know instinctively
IT am watched, even when the watch
er is behind me, and my eyes went
straight to the watching person on this
occasion. He was sitting on a stand
had chosen the place, no doubt, that
he might crafty his jealous hate by
being witness of my discontinue
exactly opposite. When he saw that |
had discovered him he drew back out
OF sight among the crowd, but not be-
fore | had seen that he was long-faced
and nigh-sh ouldered Look at the man
who has just spoken, the man who is
trying 10 belittle me in your eyes be-
cause he fears that you will elect me
to the post that he bankers for himself
Look at him, l say, and see whether he
is the man I have described or not
He thinks, TO doubt, that he is safe be-
cause he is wearing the beard which
we all wear, and had none when
caught sight of him on Jubilee day
But he has shown his hand too plainly
on this occasion. | told you that there
was traitor in our midst and he
stands there!"
Here was a curious throw of Fates
dice indeed! Little did | think on Ju-
bilee day, when some instinct of self
preservation caused me to seek to
disguise my identity from Number
Two by humping my shoulders and
dropping my jaw, that l was uncon-
sciously mimicking one Of the syndi-
cate of scoundrels and so probably
saving my own life.
Before | could ask whether it would
not be a cowardiy thing to shelter n.y.
self under so curious an accident and
to let another man be made answer
able for my action, Number Five had
leapt forward and confronted his ac
Cuser,
"Liar!" he screamed, almost hys-
terically. Coward and liar! take
that"
AS he spoke his nand darted to-
wards the knife in the wall, which was
doing duty as candlestick | saw
him clutch the handle and wrench the
weapon from its place, and then as the