Evening star., 1905-08-27

plucking at my wrist. and 1 found myself
| lying upon the stone floor of narrow
corridor. while woman bent over me and
! tugged at me with her left hand, while
she held a candle in her right. 1t was the
same good friend whose warning l had
so foolshly rejected -
a. 'Comei comet she cried, brea thlessly.
They will be here in a moment. They will
see that you are not there. Oh, do not
waste the so-precious time. but come!
This time, at least, 1 did not scorn her
advice. l staggered TO my feet and ran
with her along the corridor and down a
winding stair. The-Jatter lead 10 another
broad passage, and. just as we reached 1t,
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 the one beneath. Ny guide
stopped and looked about her like one who
is at her wits end Then she threw open
door which led into a bed room. through
the window Of which the moon was shining
brightly.
"'It is your only chance said she. 1T
Is high, but 1t may be that you can jump It,
LAS she spoke a light sprang into view
| at the further end Of the passage. and 1
saw the lean figure OF Col. Lysander Stark
| rushing forward with a lantern in one hand
and a weapon like a butchers cleaver in
the other. | rushed across the bed room.
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.
l clambered out upon the sill. but / hesi-
tated to jump until l should have heard
what passed between my savior and the
ruffian who pursued me. If she were Ill
used, then at any risk l was determined to
go back to her assistance. The thought
had hardly flashed through my mind before
he was at the door, pushing his way past
her; but she threw her arms round him and
tried TO hold him back.
Fritz, Fritz! she cried. in English.
remember your promise after the last time;
You said 1t should not be again. He will
he Silentl Oh he will be SILENT
You are mad. Elise. he shouted. strug
Cling to break away from her You will
Let me pass. l say! He dashed her to one
side, and. rushing to the window, cut at
me with his heavy weapon. had let
myself go. and was hanging by the HANGS
to the sill. when his blow fell. l was con-
scious Of dull pain. my grip loosened and
1 fell into the garden below.
Il was shaken but not hurt by the fall:
so 1 picked myself up and rushed OF
among the bushes as hard as 1 could run.
for l understood that / was far from be-
ing out of danger yet Suddenly. how
ever as l ran. a deadly dizziness and sick
ness came over me- 1 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. l endeavored to
tie my handkerchief round II, but there
came a sudden buzzing In my ears, and the
next moment 1 fell in dead faint among
the rose bushes.
How long remained unconscious can
not tell 1t must have been a very long
time, for the moon had sunk. and bright
morning was breaking when came to my
self My clothes were all sodden with dew.
and my coat sleeve was drenched with
blood from my wounded thumb. The
smarting of 1t recalled in an instant all the
particulars OF my nights adventure. and 1
sprang to my feet with the feeling that
might hardly yet be safe from my. pur-
suers. But. to my astonishment when /
came to look round me. neither house nor
garden were to be seen / had been lying
in an angle of the hedge close by the high
road, and just a little lower down was
roaching it. to be the very station at
which / had arrived upon the previous
night Were it not for the ugly wound
upon my hand. all that had passed during
those dreadful hours might have been an
evil dream.
Half dazed, went into the station and
asked about the morning train. There
would be one to Reading in less than an
hour The same porter was on duty, L
found, as had been there when I arrived.
l inquired of him whether he had ever
heard of Col. Lysander Stark. The name
was strange to him. Had he observed
carriage the night before waiting for mey
No, he had not Was there police station
anywhere near? There was one about
I three miles off.
1T was too far for me to go, weak and
Ill as l was. determined to wait until
got back to town before telling my story
to the police. 1t was little past when
arrived. so / went first to have my wound
enough to bring me along here. 1 put the
case into your hands, and shall do exactly
what you advise.
We both sat in silence for some little time
after listening to this extraordinary nara
tive. Then Sherlock Holmes pulled down