The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-02-24
T. MEADE AND ROBERT
EUSTACE.
Copyright 1906 by W. c. Chapman.

I'm low voices. Now ana then I observed
that LOcbhart glanced behind him. IL
was evident to me that he was in a
state of extreme nervous tension. As
for me ] could not set that startled
and anguiShed Cry out Of my ears.
wished now that l had insisted on max
ing more thorough search when L had
first heard it.
Suddenly, as we walked, I caught
sight of a low shed in a hollow. It was
partly surrounded by broken-down
trees.
Let us make for that old golt
house." said Lockhart. 1T has been
long unOccupied; we shall be safe from
any observation there and can discuss
our plans in quiet"
/ instantly acquiesced. ] had made
up my mind to tell Lockhart all about
Miss Ward. 1 thought that 1 could do
so best there.
We entered the dark shadow OF the
trees and as we did so l detected a light
between the chinks in the walls.
started back.
Look" 1 whispered, the house IS
not unoccupied-they suspect US al
ready. Let US go back"
mo time for that now, he an
swered. hardly breathing the words,
they were uttered so low; ''it is true
there is someone there-sOmeone You
would like to meet.
Before 1 could move step or utter
a single cry he had flung me on the
grass, his great hands clutched at my
throat like vice, and with AL the
weight of his huge body he knelt upon
my chest and pinned me to the ground.
The sudden violence Of the attack. the
awful conviction that Nalentia Ward
had indeed warned me of a terrible
danger. and that ! myself was the
1uped victim of some hideous plot COM
pIetely stunned me and paralyZed re-
sistance The cruel hands crushed my
throat and light swan before my eyes.
felt dimly. without cOmpreheEdins d.,
that my last hour had come. The earth
seemed TO recede away and 1 remem-
bered no more
When / returned to consciousness I
was lying on a rough deal table inside
the shed. tried to move, but quickly
discovered that l was both gagged and
bound. BY the dim light ] could fur
Their see that l was surrounded by four
men. They were all masked. Yes. at
last l was in the clutch of the brother
hood. AS I watched, too stunned to
realize all the awful meaning of the
scene in which I found myself another
figure-also masked-slowly entered the
room. 1t came forward and stood over
me. NV blood frOZe. for a pair of eyes
of terrible power and satanic beauty
looked into mine. 1 had seen them be-
fore, and even through the disguise OF
the mask / knew them. It was the
voice of Nine. Koluchy herself that
spoke. The words which now fell upon
my ears I had heard from those same
lips years ago in Naples.
For a traitor to this Brotherhood
there is but one penalty Deathr'
Then followed clear and concise the
words of the sentence. They were
spoken in Italian. but the last words
were English.
And neither earth nor sea shall hold
his body. but it shall be rent asunder
between them"
A dead silence followed the utterinE
of this sentence. Without a word two
of the men lifted me in their arms and
carried me out. One of them, I felt
certain by his size and bulk, must be
LOckhart himself.
The little procession moved slowly
down the path to Compton bay. just
below. now abandoned all hope. Nine.
Koluchy had won and 1 had lost. / had.
indeed, been the victim of the eruelist
and the most astute foe in the world
But decentralization. whom / had
trusted, His name was well known IN
the scientific world. All men sang hts
praises, for was he not by his recent
discoveries one of the benefactors Of