Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-03-15
and all, into the abyss.

and all, into the abyss.
I'VE must take him tonight" said !
to Montgomery. 1T won't do to let
him get out Of range"
Montgomery nodded and, cautiously
approaching, pulled open the door in
the wall. Drawing himself up, he
clambered through the space and slid
down into the farther room, making
wonderfully small noise for SO huge a
body. followed. But Hood was not
in the lower room at least there was
no light to pierce the utter darkness
and, moreover. think we both knew
that he was in the loft above US. To-
gether we crawled up the steps and
once more looked in through the friend
" aperture Of door upon the chief OF
our bitter enemies. Hood, kneeling up
on the floor, was bent over the chests
which contained the treasure.
Suddenly he started and lifted his
head. It may have been that the door
creaked, or perhaps he caught the
sound Of our breathing. All know is
that the next moment, and just as
Montgomery leaped forward at stride
upon him, he put out his arm and with
a swift movement overturned the Ian
tern. The room was at once plunged
in darkness, darkness SO thick and
gravelike that it was incredible. Eter
nal night dwelt and brooded in those
rayless dungeons, and she resumed her
empire greedily from that meek, usurp-
ing candle. Montgomery's rush carried
him to the corner where the boxes lay,
but he encountered no one. Hood by
some slippery movement had glided
away, and where he was in the solid
darkness neither of US could say.
gathered this from the silence that en-
sued upon Montgomery's spring. 7
heard him pick himself up, and then
| there was a hush. / stood with my
| back against the door In a state of in
| tense suspense There came a slight
soft sound, and dagger whizzed past
| me and struck in the oak with loud
tang. / sprang forward, but my fist
| took the air.
| Montgomery, from his corner, made
/ rush toward me, and heard another
| Of those horrid ''tangs" and an excla
nation of pain. Then there fell silence
again, and presently an invisible per-
| son seemed to pass before me. / thrust
| out my arms, and again soft and
| slender form touched me gently, and
| there came the clang and clatter of a
knife upon the wall, pinning my coat
| sleeve to the woodwork; but upon that
| there bore down upon US the sprawling
/ form of Montgomery, and two people
were fighting upon the floor before me.
Tap, tap, tap went the horrid knife up
on the floor, and then silence again,
broken only by heavy noises in the
| throat With formidable fears in my
| breast, l struck a match, casting a
thread of light upon the scene of the
struggle Hood lay in Montgomery's
arms, crumpled like snake whose
back is broken one hand (Which held
a knife stretched inert along the floors
his head thrown back, his face white
| through it's sallow disc0lorati0n, and
his eyelids lowered over his strange
eyes.
sGood heavens, you have killed hiln1'
said L
Montgomery looked doubtful. Il don't
think so,' he painted; but he was the
very devil to tackle with that knife of
his. l may have squeezed too hard.
| Something did crack, but
I pulled him aside. Light the Ian
tern, old chap said.
Hood fell loosely to the floor as Mont
gomery moved his arms and opened