Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-01

Ihe threads In the hall at the head OF the second
stairs were carried away, but those the dining
room doorway porteres remained undsturbed.
put my arm through got double handful of frun.
and stood in the hallway munchng 1t like thevng
schoolboy hiding in a closet
Against the light could see a film of smoke float
ing out of the library doorway. When had quite
satisfied my famished inner clamor moved silently
and slowly along the hall and startled to that
the silk films on the portieres had been disturbed
/ would examine the hall and stairway first. Ey-
erythng had been carried away and the thread across
the front door of the doctors apartments gone.
So was the thread at the head of the basement.
moved rapidly upstairs again. for knew that some
from the lower part of the house had passed up
the stairway and smoking, had been smoking
few minutes before, in the Persian's library.
stepped inside suddenly, fully expecting to face
to face with either DR.. Huntey or Coughlan. The
room was empty and, seemingly. just as we had left
it the night before only there another Theopopu-
lous butt in the tray and touched my finger tip to
it found 1t was still warm.
stood perfectly motioness for fully ten minutes,
trying to think what my next move should be- when,
suddenly, saw one of the threads lying at my feet
where the light struck it strongly. Looking
closely, saw they were laid Systematically about the
floor.
A great feeling of relief rushed over me. Rand,
thinking had followed his bent the night before,
had merely said "read the story in the threads"
had thought only of those the portieres and in
the halls and, like the stupid ass have always be-
lieved myself to be. thrust into harness with the
ceverest man alive, had very nearly bunged the
entire scheme
Now | made another discovery. There were threads
on the walls and the furniture, but the desk
where the white background of the papers would show
them up The astute Rand!
I began my survey, moving around the room to
the left, Where the threads were straight they had
been undisturbed, and where disturbed or carried
away, the mysterious visitor had passed Rand had
thus tracked Nadjian's movements in the room dur
ing our absence the night before, and the sroking
he had done had been merely to once more sraighten
the threads.
found nothing disturbed until to certain
tree. II had evidently been opened to examine the
books within. From in front of it pathway of dis
ttrbed strands extended directly to the Arab camp
before showed
dragged them toward the tree in approach and then
looped parts of them the other way the return
The poteres to the front had not been disturbed No
one had entered Nadjian's bedroom, from it,
and in fact there nothing that had been visited
in the room except the desk and the tree mentioned
save the couch No one had lain on it. however
thrill ran through me as saw that the disturbed
thread track leading to it was dragged in one way
only
The was hunting had left the desk hurriedly
dropping the cigarette in the tray had moved to the
couch and had not gone away He must still be there
He was not on top of it. He must be under it,
Yet the side appeared to be solid tree with aper
ture, save one large knot hole. had cornered my
game, and did not know how to close in might
easily drag him out, but what then? Suppose it
should be DR.. Huntley instead of Coughlan? The
Khan had been mystihed merely because he did not
wish to humiliate the doctor. By going little slow
ly might find out which it was without letting my
man know that he had even been suspected let alone
neatly caught, by Rand's cunning devices was con-
sumed with anxiety 10 go below and consult Rand,
but that would give my game opportunity to leave
his hiding and appear in some explainabe place,
would be just well to wait until Rand UP to
how matters stood, and then by of our little
signals prevent his making any remark that would
inform victim he was trapped
However, it might be hours before Rand put in his
appearance and it was possible that he had left the
house and would not return for two or three days,
leaving me to shift best might. / knew from
experience that he had hesitation in doing this if
it better served his end than to show some con-
sideration. II remained in the for hours then
my man would certainly know he caught and
might disclose himself dramatically.
roo1fz tlnntT Tvac in fafr Tn QEo
fine mess Of things Perhaps after all, was mistaken
in my observations and the couch contained nothing
The rock at the end and the tree along the side cef-
tainly appeared to be entirely solid. There was one
sure way of ascertaning would lie down on the
couch, pretending TO sleep or read and by listening
carefully would be sure to detect signs OF LIE be-
meath, if life there
Carefully making careless noise with newspaper
taken from the file hung on a tree, l strode over to
the couch, re-examining the silk threads confirming
my first observations, and stretched myself at full
length on the bed roll. took the tray with me to
more minutely examine the cigarette stub.
For perhaps half-hour l could not lie so still
that the stir in the stung of the bed roll the move
ments of my own body, and the sound OF my own
heart and breathing did not preclude any chance OF
my hearing similar sounds below. Perhaps smoke
would quiet me- | bit a cigarette. and by fixing my
attention it l grew very still and distinctly heard
slight stir below and the rapid breathing OF some
undergoing suppressed excitement was right
My man was there
the doctor Coughlan without leaving the room and
giving him chance to escape. II only Rand had
appeared at that moment | could have signaled to
him to see which Of them was downstairs, and thus
have made certain that it was the other who was
under the couch.
Suddenly had to make myself rigid to keep from
starting to my feet. | had while thinking deeply,
dropped my lighted cigarette on the grass mat beside
the couch It had begun to shoulder and out of the
corner of my eye caught glimpse of hand thrust
out hastily extinguish the incipent connagration
Another cigarette another fire another appearance OF
the hand in self-preservation and would get look
at the hand That would be enough
Acting my part carelessly, ratified my paper,
tossed about and missed fire two matches as
lighted my cigarette enjoyed it for about FIVE min
utes and then dropped it, with red coal on the end
fairly In front of the knothoe. AS soon as the
grass nap began smoke hand shot out and smoth-
cred the fre-a little hand bearing many jewels-the
white slender hand of woman
had no trouble in lying still for some minutes,
paralyzed by sheer amazement. Then my brain