Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-02-17
were, so to speak, putting its tongue

feat like a gentleman and surrender
quietly. Do you intend to hand me
over to the authorities here or at
Southend?" Il
Il didn't SLY I was going to hand
you over to the authorities" an
swered; I'm not detective. But the
authorities at this hole of place and
at this time of the night consist in all
probability of a boy who takes the
tickets. I don't think We'll trouble
him."
LAS you like he said, indifferently,
sitting down with outstretched legs
and looking at his boots critically.
LAS you like, my friend. It's all the
same to me-
made no answer, but when the train
was moving again after leaving Ben
fleet station he walked to the window
near which l was sitting and leant
out, as he said, to get a breath of air.
AS he leant, resting on his arms, he
kept up constant chatter of conversa-
ton, turning his head every now and
then to look at me.
pretended to be Indifferent to what
he was saying and to his movements,
but l promise you. that l kept keen
eye upon him all the same. And as
the event proved, l had reason to sus-
pect him, for when he turned round to
look back at me with some banter by
which he hoped to distract my atten-
ton, he slyly slipped out a fist and
turned the dOor-handle. This done he
withdrew his head and walked to the
other end of the carriage.
III wish you goodnight, my FRIEND"
he said. I'm going to open this door
and hang on to the footboard till the
train is slowing off outside Leigh, and
then shall drop off and slip away"
very naturally sprang to my feet
to prevent him, when having got me,
as had, no doubt, been his plan, be-
tween himself and the unfastened door,
he suddenly leapt upon me, to push me
against it, and so out upon the line.
But 1 was not the fool for which he
took me, for, divining his purpose, l
dropped suddenly down, so that miss
ing me he fell heavily against the
door, and the handle being turned,
pitched out head foremost upon the
line
Very quickly l shut the door again,
and when we got to Leigh I took his
bag from the rack and giving up my
ticket passed out. The village was now
almost in darkness, so, turning in the
direction whence we had come, skirt
ed the line till came to a gate, which
climbed and walked back between
the rails till came to the body.
Number One was lying on his back
with his brains dashed out.
I've been instrumental in sending
two of these seven rufians to their ac-
count" said. Nov I'll pay visit to
the gypsy wagon, according to instruc-
tons, and interview the other FIVE
CHAPTER vi.
ATTEND THE COUNCIL OF SCOUN.
DRELS.
who's there?" said voice from
within, in response to the stealthy
summons which I raped upon the
door of the gypsy wagon where the
council was assembled.
Number Seven" l made answer, in
accordance with instructions.
1 heard a bolt slip in it's socket, but
the door was opened so cautiously that
there was scarcely space for me to
squeeze in. Nor should I have been
sorry to have squeezed /out again the
next instant, for, though the light was
of the dimmest, the air was too sooty
COLA that it stuck in my throat like
mouthful of oily soup, and felt my
stomach twisting in protest under my
belt.
The next instant the light, which ap-
parently had been turned down at my
cannot say that the interior of the
wagon was much p1easanter to the
sense of sight than to the sense Of
smell, for the smoky lamplight so
jaundiced the faces of the six of us,
that we resembled nothing so much as
a batch Of sea-sick passengers who
look askance at each other, wondering
who will be the first to give the signal
to succumb.
1--WE are waiting for our chief, Coun-
cillor Number One," said the man who
had opened the door. Did you pass
any one like him on the road, Council
lor Number Seven? He would, Of
course, be wearing his councillors dis
guise, but whether he had his bag with
him, as usual, can't say"
did not consider>it advisable to in
form this honored colleague of mine
that the bag to which he alluded was
tucked away in hayrick, where I had
bestowed it only few minutes before,
and that the owner of the article was
lying on the railway line with his
brains on the wrong side of his head, so
1 contented myself by replying that
had seen no one after had left Leigh.
The man at the door inclined his
head gravely in acknowledgment, but
said no further word, and for some
quarter of an hour we stood there with
out speaking. Except for our breath
ing and the ticking of our watches,
there was a silence which every mo-
ment became more oppressive and
more aggressive. TO my overweight
nerves it seemed singing with disas-
ter. 1t was like brooding presence,
ominous of evil, and soon-what with
the fetid air and the heat of the place
! began to feel light-headed, and could
have sworn that this same silence had
slowly begun to gyrate around me, like
a gigantic wheel that increased in mo-