Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1907-09-26
CHAPTER XII.
rhs Tomb-Bound Man.
Mr.. Guest had visited his victim an

SVVSNbs
The Tonnb-Bound Man.
Mr.. Guest had visited his victim and
had gone. B,
Supper was overbeef tea and phos-
phorus! and ar. Guest had said in
mocking words Of good night. sleep
veil, Mr.. Rathbone! shall not be
compelled to ask you to wear the pref
~ metal cap until tomorrow, SO I
won't turn out the light. You have a
book to read, you've had your supper,
and wish you pleasant time alone.
No doubt you will occupy your leisure
In thinking of Miss Marjorie Poole.
You'll recall that occasion In certain
room hung with pink, when you kissed
her by the side Of the piano in the
white and gold case! I know you
Sften recall that happy incident!"
He had closed the heavy steel door
With a last chuckle of malice and pow
or, leaving the prisoner white and
shaking with fear. How did this sin
lister and hendish jailer know his init
mate thoughts?
He groaned deeply, and then, as he
had done a thousand times before,
gased round the place In which he
was in terror-struck amazement.
Where was he? What was this hor-
rible prison with all its strange con-
trivances, Its inexplicable mysteries?
He was in large stone cell, brill
liantly lit at this moment by two In
candescent electric bulbs in the vault
ed ceiling far above his head. A long
time ago now how long he could not
have said--he was Gerald Rathbone, a
man living in the world, setting the
sunlight and breathing the air OF day.
He had been Gerald Rathhone, moving
honorably among his fellow men, see-
Ing human faces, hearing the music Of
human voices, an accepted lover, and
: happy man.
That was long ago-a dream, Wis
Ion which was fading away. 1t seem
ed years since he had heard any voice
but that of the pink. hairless man who
fed him and whose slave he had be-.
come
Once more the prisoned thing that
had been Gerald Rathbone gazed
round the cell, striving, with terrible.
Intensity OF thought, to understand 1t
and penetrate It's mysteries. Here he
had been put, and here he had re-
manned ever since that sickening
moment when he had been talking to
Sir William Gouldesbroug He had
been standing In front Of the baronet
when his arms had been gripped from
behind and unseen fingers held q
damp cloth, with faint, sickly, and
aromatic smell, over his face. "A noise
like the rushing Of great waters
sounded in his ears, there was sense
Of falling into a gulf Of enveloping
blackness.
He had awakened In the place
which he was now surveying again
with trightful and fascinated curios-
lty. ri
In the brilliant light Of the electric
bulbs every object in the cell was
clearly seen. The place was not
small. It was oblong in shape, soma
16 feet by 10 feet. The walls were
built Of heavy slabs of Portland stone
cemented together with extreme
nicely and care. The door Of the cell
was obviously new. It was a heavy
gteel door with q complicated
system Of locks, very much like the
door Of safe. The whole place, In
deed, suggested that 1t had been used
10 strong room az some time or 9TH
or.
There WAS NO window OF any kind In
the cell. In the center Of the arched
roof there was q barred venti1ator,
and close by an electric fan whirred
md whispered INCREASINGLY. The sound
made by the purring thing az It re-
1 volyed six thousand times a minute
was almost the only sound Gerald
RathboneSheard now. ~
The floor Of the cell was covered
with cork carpet OF an ordinary pat
terns the victim cast his glance on
Ill this without interest. Then, as he
did SO unwillingly, but by the force Of
an attraction he could not resist, he
\ stared, with lively doubt and horror
ripping over his face, at something
which stood against the opposite wall
He saw q long. narrow couch Of some
B black wood, slanting upward toward
the head The couch stood upon foul
i thick pedestals Of red rubber which
{ Ia their turn rested unon four SQUARE,
81 thick porcelain. The whole thin.
\ had the appearance Of q shallow DO,
upon trestles, and sst the head was !,
curious pillow of indiarubber. At til,
side Of this thick pad was q collar
4 shaped circlat U ,vul can.ta clanpe
I between two arms of aluminium. whicl
moved III any direction on ball-pivots
ne stared at this mysterious coucl
trying III understand It. TO realize i
d He rose from the narrow bed .
Z which hs mi and advanced to the Gel
s ter of the ~ "a the center. but j
arther han that
u, - ~ -.