Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-08-04
''Tne shadow has movefl!' cried.
It was indeed no longer the profile,
but the back, which was turned toward

AAAS SAAaNeoN huo lilON L
It was indeed no longer the profile,
but the back, which was turned toward
us.
Three years had certainly not smooth
ed the asperities Of his temper or his
impatience with a less active intelli-
gence than his own.
OF course 1t has moved" said he.
Am | such farcical bungler, Wat
son, that should erect an obvious
dummy and expect that some Of the
sharpest men in Europe would be de-
ceived by it? We have been In this
room two hours, and Mrs. Hudson has
made some change in that figure eight
times. or once in every quarter Of an
hour. She works it from the front,
SO that her shadow may never be seen.
Ali" He drew in his breath with a
shrill, excited intake. In the dim
light I saw his head thrown forward,
his whole attitude rigid with attention.
Outside, the street was absolutely de-
serted. Those two men might still be
crouching in the doorway, hut could
no longer see them. All was still and
dark save only that brilliant yellow
screen in front Of us with the black
figure outlined upon its center. Again
in the utter silence heard that thin,
sibilant note which spoke of intense
suppressed excitement. An instant
later he pulled me back into the black
est corner of the room, and I felt his
warning hand upon my lips. The I'm
gers which clltched me were CULVER
ing. Never had known my friend
more moved, and yet the dark street
still stretched lonely and motionless
before us.
But suddenly was aware Of that
which his keener senses had already
distinguished. A low, stealthy sound
came to my ears not from the direc-
ton of Baker street. but from the
back Of the very house in which we
I lay concealed. a door opened and
shut. An instant later steps crept
down the passage steps which were
meant to be silent, but which reverber-
ated harshly through the empty house.
Holmes crouched back against the!
wall, and / did the same, my hand
closing upon the handle of my revolver.
Peering through the gloom, saw the
vague outline Of man, a shade black
er than the blackness Of the open
door. He stood for an instant, and
then he crept forward, crouching, men-
acing, into the room. He was within
three yards Of us, this sinister figure,
and had braced myself to meet his
spring before I realized that he had
no idea of our presence. He passed
close beside us, stole over to the win
dow and very softly and noiselessly
raised it for half foot As he sank
to the level Of this opening the light of
the street, no longer dimmed by the
dusty glass, fell full upon his face.
The man seemed to be beside himself
with excitement. His two eyes shone
like stars, and his features were work
ing conyulsively. He was an elderly
man, with thin, projecting nose. a
high, bald forehead and huge griz-
zled mustache An opera hat was push
ed to the back Of his head, and an
evening dress shirt front cleaned out
through his open overcoat His face
was gaunt and swarthy, scored with
deep, savage lines. In his hand he car
ried what appeared to be stick, but
as he laid it down upon the door 1t gave
q metallic clang. Then from the pocket
OF his overcoat he drew bulky object,
and he busted himself in some task
which ended with a loud, sharp click,
as II spring or tolt had fallen into
Its place. Still kneeling upon the floor,
he bent forward and threw all his
weight and strength upon some lever.
with the result that there came long,
.whtrling, grinding noise, ending once
more In a powerful click. He straight
ened himself then, and saw that what
he held in his hand was sort Of a
gun with a curiously misshapen butt.
He opened it at the breech, put some
thing in and snapped the breechblock.
Then, crouching down, he rested the
end Of the barrel upon the ledge Of the
open window, and saw his long mus
tache droop over the stock and his
eyes CLEAN as it peered along the
sights. heard a little sigh Of salts
lUGklOn us uG CuuolS0 lAS OulI lAlO Liz
shoulder and saw that amazing target,
the black man on the yellow ground,
standing clear at the end Of his fore
sight For an instant he was rigid
and motionless. Then his finger tight
ened on the trigger. There was a
strange, loud whlz and long. silvery
tinkle of broken glass. At that instant
Holmes sprang like tiger on to the
marksman's back and hurled him fiat
upon his face. He was up again in 9
moment, and with eonvulsive strength
he seized Holmes by the throat, but I
struck him on the head with the butt
Of my revolver, and he dropped again
upon the floor. fell upon him. and as
I held him my comrade blew shrill
call upon q whistle. There was the
clatter Of running feet upon the pave
ment, and two policemen in uniform.
with one plain clothes detective, rushed
through the front entrance and into the
room.
TO be continued.
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