The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-08-20

having obeyed to the letter the injunc-
| ton as to holding my tongue.
AT Reading l had to change not
only my carriage, but my station.
| However, [ was in time for the last
train to Eyford, and | reached the
| little dim-iit station after eleven
| o'clock. / was the only passenger
who got out there, and there was no
one upon the platform save a single
| sleepy porter with a lantern. AS
passed out through the wicket gate,
however, l found my acquaintance OF
| the morning waiting in the shadow
upon the other side. Without word
he grasped my arm and hurried me
into carriage, the door of which was
| standing open. He drew up the WIN
Gows on either side, tapped on the
woodwork, and away We went as fast
/ as the horse could co.
! "One horse . interjected Holmes.
| Eyes, only one
| did you observe the colOr?''
| Yes, | saw it by the side-lights
when l was stepping into the carriage.
1t was a chestnut"
| 'Tfred-looking or fresh?''
| ooh, fresh and glossy
Thank you. l am sorry to haya
interrupted you. Pray continue your
most interesting statement
| Away we went then, and we drove
| for at least an hour. Colonel Lysandel
Stark had said that 1t was only seven
! miles, but 1 should think, from the
| rate that we seemed to go, and from
| the time we took. that it must have
been nearer twelve. He sat at my
| side in silence all the time, and l was
| aware, more than once when glanced
| in his direction that he was looking at
me with great intensity. The country
roads seem to be not very good in that
part of the world, for we lurched ana
| jolted terribly. / tried to look out of
| the windows to see something of
where we were, but they were made
of frosted glass, and l could make
out nothing save the occasional bright
blurr of a passing light. Now and
then l haZarded some reSark to
break the monotony of the journey
but the colonel answered only in
| monosyllables, and the conversation
soon tagged. At last, however, the
humping of the road was exchanged
for the crisp smoothness of a. gravel
drive, and the carriage came to a
stand. Colonel Lysander Stark Sprang
out and, as / followed after him, pull
ed ~1e sCD.ly into a porch (which
gaped in front Of us. We stepped, as
it We're, right out of the carriage and
into the hail. so that l failed to catch
the most fleeing glance of the front
crossed the theshold the door slammed
heavily behind u.s. and | heard family
the rattle of the wheels as the car
riage drove away.
1T was pitch dark inside the house,
and the colonel fumbled about look
ing for matches, and muttering under
his breath. Suddenly a door opened
at the other end of the passage, and
a long, golden bar of light shot out in
eur direction 1t grew broader. and
q woman appeared with lamp i'm her
hand. which she held above her head,
pushing her face forward and DeerinG
at us. / could see that she was pret-
~. and from the gloss with winch
curiosity 1t was obvious at a glance
that the story of the fuller s-earth was
the mereSt fabrication, for it would be
absurd to suppose that SO powerful an
engine could be designed for the floor
consisted Of a large iron trough, and
when l came to examine it | could see
a crust of metallic deposit all over it.
| had stopped and was scraping at it to
see exactly what 1T was, when l heard
a muttered exclamation in German,
and saw the cadaverous face of the
colonel looking down at me.
What are you doing there? he
asked
81 felt angry at having been tricked
by so elaborate story as that which
he had told me- Il was admiring your
fuller's-earth said /; I think that l
should be better able to advise you as
to your machine ii / knew the exact
purpose for which it was used.
THE instant that uttered the words
] regretted the rashness of my speech.
His face set hard, and a baleful light
sprang up in his gray eyes.
Every WE'LL said he, you shall
know all about the machine He took
a step backward. slammed the little
door. and turned the key i'm the lock. /
rushed towards it and pulled at the
handle. but it was quite secure, and
did not give in the least to my kicks
and shoves. Then 1 yelled, Hello!
Colonel! Let me out!'
"And suddenly in the silence I
heard a sound which sent my heart
into my mouth. 1t was the clank Of
levers and the swish of the leaking
cylinder. He had set the engine at
work. The lamp still stood upon the
floor where I had placed it when ex-
aiming the trough BY it's light I
saw that the black ceiling was coming
down upon me. slowly, jerkily. but,
as no one knew better than myself,
with a force which must within
minute grind me to shape
less pulp. 1 threw myself scream
ing against the door, and drag
geo WITH my nails DIT Ine lock. j
implored the colonel to let me out, but
the remorseless clanking of the levers
drowned my cries. The ceiling was
only foot or two above my head, and
with my hand appraised I could feel its
hard, rough surface. Then it flashed
through my mind that the pain of
my death would depend very much
upon the position in which 1 met it. If
lay on my face the weight would
come upon my spine. and / shuddered
to think of that dreadful snap. Easier
the other way. perhaps; and yet, had
the nerve to lie and look up at that
deadly black shadow wavering down
upon me? Already was unable to
stand erect when my eyes caught
something which brought a gush Of
hope back to my heart.
Il have said that though the floor
and ceiling were of iron, the walls
were of wood. AS / gave a last hur-
red glance around. saw thin line Of
yellow light between two of the
boards, which broadened and broad
ened as a small panel was pushed
backward. For an instant I could
1,or n lxy Iof i'm n