The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-07-26


and a few moments afterwards the
clang of the two slabs of metal, told me
how narrow had been my escape.
was recalled to myself by a
frantic plucking at my wrist, and l
found myself lying upon the stone floor
of narrow corridor, while woman
left hand, while she held a candle in
her right. It was the same good friend
whose warning / had so foolishly re-
jected
Come! comet she cried, breath
lessly. They will be here in moment.
They will see that you are not there.
On, DO not waste the so-precious time,
"This time, at least, I did not scorn
her advice. I staggered to my feet and
ran with her along the corridor and
down a winding stair. The latter led
to another broad passage, and, Just as
we reached it, we heard the sound Of
running feet and the shouting of two
voices, one answering the other, from
the floor on which we were and from
looked about her like one who is at
her wits end. Then she threw open a
door which led into a bedroom, thru
the window of which the moon was
shining brightly.
i" It is your only chance said she.
can jump it..
AS she spoke, light sprang into
and saw the lean figure of Colonel
Lysander Stark rushing forward with
lantern in one hand and weapon like
a butchers cleaver in the other. I
rushed across the bedroom, flung open
the window and looked out. How quiet
and sweet and wholesome the garden
looked in the moonlight, and it could
not be more than thirty feet down. T
itated to jump until I should have heard
what passed between my savior and the
r RI who pursued me. If she were
| lll-used, then at any risks T was deter
mined to go back to her assistance.
The thought had hardly flashed thru nv
mind before he was at the door, push
ing his way past her; but she threw
her arms round him and tried to hold
him back.
- Fritz! Fritz!' she cried, in Eng
lish, remember your promise after the
last time. You said it should not be
be silent!'
"'You are mad, Elise!' he shouted,
| Struggling to break. away from her
You will be the ruin of us. He has
seen too much. Let me pass, I say!
He dashed her to one side, and, rushing
to the window, cut at me with his heavy
hanging by the hands to the sill, when
his blow fell. I was conscious of dull
pain, my grip loosened and I fell into
the. garden below.
81 was shaken but not hurt by the
fall; so I picked myself up and rushed
off among the bushes as hard as
could run, for ]. understood that
ran, a deadly dizziness and sickness
came over me. I glanced down at my
hand. which was throbbing painfully
and then, for the first time, saw that
my thumb had been cut off and that
the blood was pouring from my wound
! endeavored to tie my handkerchief
ling IN my ears. and the next moment
| fell in a dead faint among the rose
bushes.
: Chow long remained unconsciou:
I cannot tell. 1t must have been {
very long time, for the moon had sunk
and bright morning was breaking
when ! came to myself. My clothes
were all sodden with dew, and my
from my wounded thumb. The smart
ing of it recalled in an instant all thu
!, particulars Of my nights adventure
and | sprang to my feet with the feel
ing that I might hardly yet be SAT,
from my pursuers. But, to my aston
ishment, when I came to look rour(
me. neither house nor garden were tt
he seen: [ had been lying in an an
Of the hsaEe close BY the hehf Ees
building, which proved, upon my ap
I preaching it to be the very station a
! which / had arrived upon the previou
} night. Were it not for the ugly woun,
upon my hand all that had passe,
! during those dreadful hours nigh
have been an evil dream.
! "Half dazed. went into the station
= and asked about the morning train
thar. an hour. The same porter wa
9 on duty, I found, as had been Their
when I arrived. I inquired of hi1
= whether he had ever heard Of Colone
T Lysander Stark. The name wa
7 strange to him. Had he observed
carriage the night before waiting fo
> me? No, he had not. Was there pc
:, CESSATION anywhere near9 There wa
one about three miles off.
"It was too far for me to 90, wea
= and III as was. [ determined to wal
: until got back to town before tellin
il my story to the police. 1t was a littl
T. T. past six when / arrived, so I went frs
to have my wound dressed, and the
= the doctor was kind enough to brin
me along here. put the case into you
= hands, and shall do exactly what yo
= advise
9 We both sat in silence for som
> time after listening to this extraort
: mary narrative. Then Sherloc
! Holmes pulled down from the shelf on
- of the ponderous commonplace books
:, which he placed his cuttings.
! nHere is an advertisement whic
q will interest you,' said he. cit a.
70 peared in all the papers about we;
- ago. Listen to this: Lost. on the ct
N inst, Mr.. Jeremiah Hayling, aged 9
. a hydraulic engineer. Left his LODI
II ings at ten o'clock at night, and h;
y. in. ETC., etc. Ha! That represents tt
T have his machine overhauled I ia
it Cyl
rs Good heavens!' cried my patien
" "Then that explains what the gi
+ said.o
q. Undoubtedly. It is quite Gle;
~ that the colonel was cool and despe
Ia ate man, who was absolutely dete
IN mined that nothing should stand in tt
,e way Of his little game, like, those GU
q. andout pirates who will leave no su
4. vivor from captured ship. We
r. every moment now is precious, SO
ie you feel equal to it, we shall go dow
d. to Scotland Yard at once as a prelil
" mary to starting for Eyford. !"
~ Some three hours or so afterwar
a we were all in the train togetht
bound from Reading to the little Der
al shire village. There were Sherlo