Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1906-10-19

a
hunted wolf The thought of it drove
away the aches and cramps of exhaus-
tion, and l sat bolt upright in my seat,
staring into the gloom ahead, half ex-
pecting to see him move across the snow
before us like a sinking beast of prey.
We had decided to drive straight to our
own inn, the "Goldner Adler" where,
as we had discovered, Marnac, under the
name of Wakefield, an English traveller,
had also passed the previous evening.
Little had we thought that the being we
pursued, fresh from the murder of the
man we had come to save, was sharing
the same roof-tree. Perhaps there might
be news of him at the "Goldner Adler"
Reski, the tall, handsome Pole, who had
about him more of the feudal knight than
a country inn-keeper, met US in the
porch, bowling a stately welcome.
"You have had a bad drive, gentle
men," said he. 1.-The wind has been
fierce. and the snow, l fear, was heavy.
Supper will be ready in half an hour"
II believe a Mr.. George Wakefield
slept here last night" said Graden, dust
ing the clinging flakes from his outer
wraps. at is always pleasant to meet
a compatriot. If he is still in the house,
perhaps he will join US at our meal"
Herr Wakefield! No, mein Herr, he
has not yet returned"
80, he has gone outT
The innkeeper hesitated, glancing un-
easily at his questioner. He was evi;
IDENTIFY in some uncertainty of mind.
"He is strange man. the Herr Wake
field; though, perhaps, for an English
man"
He is not more mad than usual, eh,
Mr.. LandlordT' laughed Graden.
"Mein Herr, it was not my intention
to speak thus of your great people" apOl-
opized the man. "If he has surprised US,
1t is doubtless because we, being ignorant
countryfolk, do not understand his Gus
toms"
"Why, what has he been aboutT'
"Well. mein Herr, it is this way. After
you had started for your drive to the
house of the Prof. Mechersky, Herr
Wakefield came running down from his
room with many questions concerning
you. He seemed sorry that you had gone
without seeing him. He then paid his
bill with the liberality of the English,
who are indeed great and generous ma
ton, and commanded that his luggage
should be carried to the station for the
midday train. At II he himself set out
for the station upon foot We were
sorry to lose so good guest. What,
then mein Herr, was our surprise when
little after - he reappeared, having
ridden back upon the sleigh that had
taken his baggage to the station! The
| man who drove it told me that Herr
| Wakefield had left his baggage upon the
platform unregistered, and that he had
seen a stranger standing by it as if in
charge"
Graden glanced at Mosse, who grin
ned luminously.
| Proceed, Mr.. Landlord" he said.
"He had only peeped into the station
and left at once, the man said. III
demanded of me a sleigh anu suoC
horses, but the best l had were will
you, and it was necessary to send TO
others from a neighbor. He was yer.
impatient of delay, using angry words
At last he drove away, and he has no
returned"
"Who went with him?"
"Ivan, my eldest son."
"Dd he say where he was going"
| "No, mein Herr; only l heard him or.
to Ivan to follow the eastern road whicl
is towards the Russian frontier"
"And while he waited for the horses
what did he do!
'As l have said, at first he abused m
roundly for the delay. Indeed, mel
Herr, / was surprised at his knowledg
of German. for before he had spokel
it very badly. For the rest, he sat b.
himself, reading, in the best ROOM"
"Please to show us there"
We tramped in single file after tn
landlord through the ill-lit passages t
the "best ROOM" a paror set aside fo
important guests. 1t seemed a peculiarl
inartistic apartment, with green wal
paper and angular chairs covered wit
purple antimacassars. On the centra
table stood a lamp, and beside it lay
number of those dingy books that seen
common to inns of all nations. Grader
made for them at once, and as he sorte,
through the pile of time tables, cata
logues, and trade papers, we stood watch
ing him in surprise. Suddenly he stoppe,
in his search with little grunt of salts
faction, and drawing chair to the table
sat down. l looked over his shoulder
He was actually reading a German
Baedeker!
Doubtless you are planning a picni
party?" l suggested, with as much sar
casm as could put into the question.
Il know you are tired and hungry, m
good Robert" he answered; 'but pleas
keep quiet"
He had reached "Lemsdorf"-I coul
see the name at the top of the page
and now was turning the leaves yer
slowly. Suddenly he held up the Bae
deker to me.
'Do you see that?" he asked sharply.
A jagged line of paper ran along tn
inner crease of the guide book. Tn
map of the district had been torn away
Mossel thrust me gently aside and
bending over, examined the under pag
thus left exposed. He took the boo