Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-06-06

his arms over his head and grasped
me about the neck, meanwhile turn
ing himself lltholy until his fingers
claspcd my throat The lantern fell
from my hand and one or the other
Of us smashed IL with our feet.
wrestling match In that dark hole
was not to my liking. ! still held onto
the revolver. waiting for chance to
use It. and meanwhile he tried to
throw me, forcing me bask agains st
one side and then another Of the cor.
ridor.
With quick rush he flung me
away, and in the same second fred.
The roar of the shot in the narrow
corridor was deafening. flung my
self on the floor, expecting return
shot, and quickly enough flash broke
upon the darkness dead ahead, and |
rose to my feet, fired again and leaped
to the opposite side Of the corridor and
crouched there. We had adopted the
same tactics, firing and lodging to
avoid the target made by the flash of
our pistols, and watching and listen
ing after the roar of the explosions.
1t was very pretty game, but not
destined to last long. He was slowly
retreating toward the end Of the pass.
age where there was, remembered, a
dead wall. His only chance was to
crawl through an area window I knew
to be there. and this would, felt
sure, give him into my hands.
After five shots apiece there was a
truce. The pungent smoke of the DOW
der caused me to cough, and he
laughed.
Have you swallowed q bullet. Mr..
Glenarm?" he called.
could hear his feet scraping on the
cement floor; he was moving away
from me, doubtless intending to fire
when he reached the area window and
escape before I could reach him. 7
crept warily after him, ready to fire
on the instant, but not wishing to
throw away my last cartridge.
He was now very near the end of
the corridor I heard his feet strike
some boards that | remembered Law
on the floor there, and was nerved
for shot and hand-to-hand strug-
gle, If it came to that.
| was sure that he sought the win
dow; ] heard his hands on the wall as
he felt for it. Then q breath of cold
air swept the passage. and knew
that he must he drawing himself up
TO the opening. ! fired and .dropped
to the hoor. With the roar of the ex-
plosion I heard him yell, but the ex.
pected return shot did not follow.
The pounding o. ny heart seemed
to mark the passing of hours.
feared my zoo was rlaying some trick.
creeping toward me, perhaps. 10 fire
at close range, or to grapple with Inc
in the dark The cold air whistled
into the corridor. and ! began to feel
the chill of it, Being fired upon Is
disagreeable enough. but waiting in
the dark for the shot is intoierable I
rose and walked toward the end of
the passage.
Then his revolver flashed and reared
directly ahead, the fame of it so near
that 1t blinded me and the wad of the
cartride burned and stung my cheek.
fel! forward daZed ana blinded, hut
shook myself together In moment
and got upon my feet The draft OF
air no longer blew into tho passage.
Morgan had taken himself off through
tho window and closed it after him.
made sure OF this by go!as to the
window and feeling 1t with ny hands.
went back and CROPPED about for
my candle, which found Without diff
Guilty and lighted. ! then returned to
the window to examine the catch. To
my utter astonishment It was fas.
tened with staples, driven deep into
the sash In such way that it could
not possibly have been opened with
out an expenditure Of time and labor.
My eyes smarted from the smoke Of
the last shot, and my cheek stung
where the wadding had struck my
race. ! was alive. but in my vexation
and perpleX,ty nor. ! fear, wholly
grateful for my safety. It was, how
ever, some consolation tc feel sure |
had winged the enemy
gathered up the fragments Of Nor
gan's lantern and went back to the Il.
brary. The lights in half the candle
sticks had sputtered out. extin-
guishcd the remainder and started TO
my room
Then, IN TIE great dark hall heard
a mulfled tread as of some ons follow.
ing me-not on the broad staircase.
nor in any place I could identify-yet
Enthusiastically on steps of some sort
beneath or above me. Ny nerves
were already keyed to a breaking
pitch, and the ghostliko tread In the
wall angcred me. Morgan, or his ally,
Bates, undoubtedly. o reflected. at
some new trick. | ran into my room.
found heavy walking stick and set
off for Bates room on the third floor.
II was always easy to attribute anv
sort of mischief 10 the fellow, and
he was crawling through
the house somewhere on an errand
that BODIED no good 10 me
1t was now past two o'clock and he
should have been asleep and out of
the way long ago, / crept to his room
and threw open the door without |
must say, the slightest idea Of find
inc him thpra Rut Pctao tbo oai-