Rocky Ford enterprise., 1905-07-28
CHAPTER ~.
Hypno,I.ed by a Look.


The young man from the States
stands there as IL petrined.
Several times during the short ad'
dress of the elderly and picturesque
gentleman with the long silver locks
and velvet sack coat he has endeay.
ored To break In. eager to disclose the
fact that n mistake has been made.
for Jack In not the man TO feel nt ease
In borrowed piumasc: but. strange to
say. when the other finishes his per.
Grafton with the utternncc OF Jacks
name. all desire to thus disclaim any
coEpcction with the matter passes
away.
I:c In like a man partly under me
influence Of ether. He sees things AZ
through n glass. darkiy. and yet en-.
dcavors to grasp the truth as y drown.
Ing man .rasps q straw.
/ A dozen things Hash through his
mind at once. First comes the
thought that by some accident be has
stumbled on the house TO which his
unknown correspondent with whom
he had the appointment In the Canon.
gate meant TO lead him. but this he
speedily dismisses as less plausible
than others.
Before his bcwiidcrcd mind fash
the remarkable things uttered by
Howard In his confused state follow
inE the xmash.up. That In why he
does no, make any resistance when
the Spanish gentleman draws him
over the threshold. Curiosity is
aroused. and even on the instant there
has arisen a desire to discover why
they play at batticdorc and shuttle
cock with his name.
Given m active mind and Jack
Travcrs may be expected to soon
solve the mystery: but II will take
little time. to gain which. without
arousing curiosity. he must carry out
his part OF the program naturally.
Probably II would be hard to md q
man more willing to meet Fortune
halfway and dance to her merry tune
until the hour for unmasking comes.
He is bold by nature. fearless from
constant association with danger.
since familiarity breeds contempt. and
not avcrsc at any time to engage In
m enterprise the outcome Of which
p!qucs his curiosity.
'Ha! what your" suddenly exclaims
the elderly gentleman. ax he brings
the door to. and nails poor All Sin In
the jam-Ah Sin who, seeing Jack en-
ter. attempts to slip across the thresh-
old. believing II to be his duty to fol.
low where the master leads.
The wretched Celestial is in a way
to feel the power Of the press. since
his captor shows no signs OF relent-
L.. To- hnr IN
and hastily explains that the heather
Chinee is his valet. his shadow. with
out whose watchful presence he would
scarcely dare to breathe: upon hear
ins which the muscular old gentleman
suspends the pressure. and All Sin. re.
lieyed, though considerably Hattened.
slips in.
Jack hears voices somewhere near
by, and his nerves are tingling with
an eagerness to discover the mean.
ing of 1t all, which desire has been
brought into existence by the mere
mention of his own name by this re-.
markable foreign artist.
Follow me. Senior Jack" says the
party in question. as he turns and
walks in the direction Of the stairs
leading aloft.
Jack unconsciously allows a hand
to slip round to the pocket where he
usually carries a small revolver. For
years he has lived among the wild
cowboys of the Texan plains or the
lawless miners in the Cripple Creek
region. where mans existence aften
depends on his possessing a shooting
iron, and his ability to handle the
same in the smallest possible fraction
of a second. Old habits are difficult
to break away from, and Jack has not
vet grown to feel at ease without be.
ing "heeled."
As he strides past the parlor door
he has glimpse of several parties in
the lighted room. and somehow dis
covers himself taking an unwarranted
interest in the graceful figure Of
young lady who chances to have her
back toward him.
The faithful, If wondering, Ah Sin
fellows at his heels, apparently deter
mined to watch over his beloved mas.
ter at all costs.
Having surrendered to the condi-
tons by which he has so suddenly
been surrounded. Jack fancies him
self ready to follow the lead of this
dancing will-o. .the-wisp of fortune at
least to the very danger line.
They enter a room. A light stands
on a table. Jack, giving a hasty
glance around, sees nothing more
dangerous than hairbrush on the
dresser.
allow me to helm YOU off with you-