Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-04-05

Cnat Qme my supper nau neen cleared,
and the Greeks had been gone for an
hour. The barn was in solid darkness,
which was all the better for my pur-
pose. and, getting upon my chair. l
set to work at once among the straw
OF the thatch. If any IL should come
Ill from this point onward my auvcn-
turc would be hopeless. ! should stand
confessed in my task and doubtless be
doomed forthwith to Il more secure and
less comfortable prison. Therefore the
need Of haste Was the greater, and
with fingers and knife l Sheared
through and tore asuader the thntch
with the utmost celebrity. The job was
none too easy, and | SWeated ut the
work, with my head buried under the
debris of the straw and my throat
choking With the dry and rotten stub
bic. Yet | had worked hard and fast
enough 10 have opened Il hole two feet
through the lhatch in Il couple OF
hours. Through this the night lower
Ell dark and sombcr upon me.
There was now no necessity for de-
lay. Indeed, the necessity was all for
instant action. ! listened at the door
and window for sounds of the sentry.
but could hear nothing. He might be
asleep. At any rate, he lay upon the
farther side of the barn, and l might
hope to escape his notice by breaking
over the stables into the wood. Has
tening back, l got upon the chair and,
pulling myself up by the ~rafters, grad
ually drew to the level of the hole.
My head nee outside, l breathed deep
ly Of the purer air. Then, dragging up
the rest Of my body. l dropped gently
to the ground beyond. 1t was a deeper
fall than l had anticipated, and l came
down with a certain clatter, but, rest
ing a moment in the shadows, l heard
nothing. No alarm was raised. So,
creeping to the stable, l climbed softly
upon the roof and clambered across
The caves in the direction of the for
est.
Suddenly Il small noise arrested me,
but ere l could collect my senses to
determine it q dark body crept round
a corner of the roof and grappled with
me. l seized it fiercely, resolved to do
battle for my liberty with all the
strength at my command, and together
We rolled and struggled OF the house
top. Then my opponent gave a shrill
whistle, and the next thing I was con
scious of wa the grasp of a fresh pair
Of arms from behind. After that 1
gave it up, more especially as we had
rolled to the edge of the roof, and a re-
newal Of the struggle would send US
over into the yard with broken limbs
and bloody pates.
eff some one will take his foot out
Of my stomach" l said, II will descend
into the yard"
At that the tension upon me was re-
laxed, and l was pushed forward
roughly to what appeared to be a trap
door in the roof, down which I climbed,
thrust brusquely from above. Here I
found myself in a small loft above the
| stalls of the stable. My captors fol-
lowed, and II of them struck a
match, when the light fell upon Hoods
face. From that familiar and sinister
countenance my eyes glanced about me
to several figures in the half light. l
saw at once what had been my undo
ing. for this loft was used as a dor
mitOry for the Greeks, and the noise
Of my passage along the roof had evil
IDENTIFY alarmed them. At a gesture
from Hood two Of these brutes seized
my arms, and I was forced to descend
the ladder to the ground. I protested
against this treatment, saying that l
had given my word not to attempt to
escape, and l suppose some sign pass
ed from Hood, for the men suffered
me to proceed unmolcsted, keeping,
however, upon either side Of me. We
entered the inn by the back way, and
I expected nothing no." but to be
thrust into some dismal cellar, there to
rot and tester until such time as my
jailers were pleased to deliver INC. TO
my surprise, however, l was taken
into an inner parlor Of the i'm, whore
I was left to myself, the Greeks turn
ing the key il the deor as they retired.
No word had been uttered upon their
side throughout the scene. They moved
like automata at the beck Of the inn
keeper. A lamp was burning on the
table, which was covered with Il green
baize tablecloth, and the little window
looked upon the road, where the sign
Of the Wocdman, with his uplifted ak,
was swinging gently.
Immediately afterward Sercombe ell
tered, with Hood upon his heels.
II regret, Mr.. Greatorcx," said the
%adventurcr, that you should have SO
small a notion Of us as to try this
game"
at very nearly came Off" l answer-
cd.
Il grant you it was very ingenious.
MI. Hood and I have just Iccn making
some Investigations, and | congratulate
you on your fertility Of idea. But your
cleycrncss is only partial. You have
never throughout the whole affair been
thorough, Mr.. GreatoreX, for which
naturally you pay the penalty" He
spoke very jauutily and pluckcd his
mustache quite gayly, While it sickcned
me to see the blackguard there in this
new role, who but forty-eisnt hours be-
fore had pledged me his word to carry