Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-02-15

desperate. felt the pocH etbook under
my hand. / certainly could not think
of leaving it, as had intended, in my
rooms, for If knew anything Of these
gentry / should return to find the place
rified There was little they would
stick at, as had had proof. made
up my mind to try for Sheppard. 1t
was possible that he was in to MI, and
in any case ! would not leave the docu-
ment off my person. In the meantime
/ was feeling extremely hungry and
was resolved to make meal. It was
certain the scoundrels would not assail
me in the open.
/ serutinized the court as came out,
but naturally the spies were not likely
to show themselves Then ! drove to
the Cafe Royal and enjoyed an excel
lent dinner. From where sat in the
dining room / had a view through an
open door Of the great hall beyond, in
which the representatives Of dozen
nationalities drank and chartered and
played their dominos. Halfway
through my meal I looked up, and
there was my friend unobtrusively sip
ping a. glass of vermuth right oppo-
site the doorway. 1t was plain that
was followed still, as I had suspected
would be the case. To lose sight of me
on the chance that 1 had bestowed
what they wanted in my rooms was
not a piece of their policy. suppose
the room would keep. had good
view of the fellow, and as leisurely
drank my wine watched him. Clear
" was to have an adventure for my
pains, and the first thing was to run
Sheppard to earth.
When / got out into the street was
conscious that the man was behind me,
and, turning quickly, confronted him.
Ny action was so abrupt that it took
him by surprise, but he took off his hat
politely and with Pardon, sirP' in a
slightly foreign accent, avoided the col
Iision that had been imminent. /
jumped into. cab and drove straight
to Sheppard's rooms in Down street.
AS luck would have it, he was out, but
It was a relief to find that he was In
town. According to the maid, he was
to be back in the morning. In consid-
cradle disappointment ran down the
stairs and banged the front door, and
there was my man across the roadway.
/ confess that began for the first
time to have the feeling OF being hunt
ed. l strobe over to him.
"What the devil do you wantT' I
asked angrily.
'Sirv' said he and looked up at me
as if in surprise.
what the devil do you want?" I re-
peated.
There was a slight pause, and with
my hand in my pocket ostentatiously
cooked the revolver. The faint click
caught his ear.
81 am DESTROYS to walk about the
street, SIR he said softly. II have
made up my mind to see London by
night. 1t is var beautiful"
every well,' thought I, for it was
plainly of no use to deal with the ras-
cal. ssYou may walk as much as you
like. / am for cab.'
And into a cab again jumped.
"Drive-west anywhere, said at
last to the questioning cabman. I'm
direct you.v
/ had this dilemma now before me
that / dared not go back to my rooms.
The risk was too extrayagant. And
the question as to where was to pass
the night became important, as it was
now past II. OF course could go
to hotel, where should be compara-
lively safe, but / had no fancy to spend
the long hours of darkness awake
and on my guard on the chance that
this scoundrel would make an attempt
on my room No, must be rid of him
first. AS the cab drove off peeped
through the little window at the back
and saw my squirting friend in con-
versation with another man, no doubt
the second of the gang.
The cab passed through Knights
bridge and toward Kensington, and
then I turned the driver through the
park for Bayswater. Presently was
aware of rafting behind and looking
out through my spy hole again perceiv-
ed second cab close upon us.
every well,'' said / to myself. "You
shall have your wish. A stern chase is
long chase
l fancy my cabman must have
thought me near upon lunatic. !
chopped and changed his directions a
dozen times, and during the next two
hours we visited quite half of the me-
tropolis.
You will doubtless dub me fool in
that didn't forthwith take the shelter
| of the law and put myself under safe
custody. But | had two reasons
against that-the one, that had sort
of informal bargain with Sercombe not
to bring the authorities into this feud,
but to fight out a private war; the 9th
er, that I would see these scoundrels
in the internal regions before / sur
rendered to them. And when you come
~ 41,:,s1- 81 ~ 10 na1l in flan n0Iipn fO1,