Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1905-03-23
win shoot you through the door. Come

viii shoot you through the door. Come
out. Zeno Sosia, your game is up"
The door remained closed.
"Oh, then, since you prefer to be
shot. ! will give you brace OF balls
through the door," said Bashfort.
And thrusting the handle of his
torch into hole in the floor, he drew
huge pistol from his belt and cooked
it.
"Come," he said, in his low, growing
tone; come, Zeno Sosia, have no de-
sire to shoot you like rat in hole.
know you are there, man. | am Neil
Bashfort; / served you once--years
fever, too, and I'd rather others should
deal with your fate a!ian myself.
don't want to kill you, but I shall fire
If you do not open that door before
count five! Come, | was in that closet
yesterday and know its size exactly.
1t is thin door, and you can't escape
my bullet ii / fire. Look out, then.
One"
And Bashfort began to count DELHI
erately.
He stood about four PAGES from the
door, holding his pistol extended in
his left hand; the torch, fixed upright
in the floor, faring up its mass Of.
bright fame and volumes of ruinous
smoke; his drawn sword in his right
hand cleaning in the radiance of the
torch, and his harsh, savage features
standing out boldly in that light.
Behind him was the doorless door
way, which opened into the dark cor
ridor he had quilted when he entered
this room; and as he began to count
a CHASTITY and hideous face peered in
at him from this doorway.
1t was the face of the Sorcerer of
ST. Giles!
But Bashfort's face was turned to-
ward the doorway, and therefore he
did not perceive the peering, eager
face.
Some one was certainly within the
closet, but not Zeno Sosia, for there
behind Bashfort, peering cautiously
into the room, and with keen, fiery, in
quisitive eyes fixed upon the closed
closet door, was the face of the sor
cerer, with all that was foxy, tigerish
and vulture-like in it, glazing hideous-
ly from it's repulsive features.
Had Bashfort seen and correctly
read the expression of Sosia face, he
would have detected that the sorcerer
was ignorant of who was in the closet,
and wondering who II might be.
AS Bashfort counted three the closet
door was thrown open, or thrust vio-
lently open by blow of a foot from
within, that carried the door far back
upon it's hinges, until the knob Jared
against the wall.
This opening of the door revealed
that the closet was very small, barely
large enough for more than one man
to stand uprigh in it; and it revealed,
too, the figure of a tall and well-form
ed young man, powerful as well as ele-
CANT in frame; dark eyed, black hair
ed, wearing no beard, save on the up
per lip and the tip of the square, reso-
lutte chin; a nobly handsome and man.
ly face, though now very pale, and
s>OlllSWudI udSSdlu llOil SlCdt anu iS-
cent trouble; the graceful and athletic
form clad in black velvet, much soiled
with dust and rock stains, and wrin-
l1led as if recently wet, and still damp;
the head wearing close-ftting black
cap, much like that of student, but
ornamented with single blue plume,
now much battered and broken, and
spoiled, as if recently saturated with
sea water.
This figure, pale and stern, with
handsome features, CHASTITY and bag
gard, and careworn, with the fire of
desperation in its large black eyes,
confronted amazed Bashfort suddenly
as the door swept far back upon its
hinges.
Ito Be continued.)