Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-09-19

| his iron bed empty. Then he walked
| quickly to the veranda and summoned
| the others.
Bring him in!' he said without tax
| ing his eyes from the room.
moment later Zmai had lifted the
silent rider to the veranda and flung
him across the threshold Durand, now
aroused fastened the horses to the We
| randa rail.
Chauvenet caught up some candles
from the mantel and lighted them.
open the trunks in those rooms and
be quick. l will join you in mo-
ment." And as Durand turned into
Armitages room Chauvenet peered
again into the other chambers, called
once or twice in low tone, then turn
ed to Z1nai and the prisoner.
Take OFF the bag" he commanded.
Chauvenet studied the lines of the
erect. silent figure as Znaai loosened
the strap, drew of the bag and step
ped back toward the table on which
| he had laid his revolver for easier &C.
| cess.
'Mr. John Armitage"-
Chauvenet, his revolver half raised,
had begun an ironical speech. but the
words died on his lips. The man who
stood blinking from the sudden burst
Of light was not John Armitage, but
Captain Claiborne.
The perspiration on Claiborne's face
had made q paste of the dirt from the
potato sack. which gave him weird ap-
pearance. He grinned broadly. adding
q fantastic horror to his visage which
caused Zmai to leap back toward the
door. Then Chauvenet cried aloud, a
cry Of anger. which brought Durand
into the hail at Jump. Claiborne
shrugged his shoulders, shook the blood
into his numbed arms, then turned his
besmeared face towaEl Durand and
laughed. He laughed long and loud
| as the stupefaction deepened on the
| faces Of the two men.
| The objects which Durand held
| caused Claiborne to stare, and then he
laughed again. Durand had caught up
from hook In Amitage's room black
| cloak, SO long that 1t trailed at length
from his arms, its red lining glowing
brightly where 1t lay against the outer
black. From the folds Of the cloak a
4 sword, plucked from trunk, dropped
upon the floor with q CLEAN OF its
bright scabbard. In his right hand he
| held silver box of orders, and as bis
arm fell at the sight Of Claiborne the
| vlk>1 nd eylo UNiyo
flashed to the floor.
.'It Is not Armitage; we have made a
| h-staker' muttered Chauvenet tamely,
his eyes falling from Claiborne's face
| to the cloak, tie sword. the tangled
heap of ribbons on the floor.
Durand stepped forward, with an
oath.
''Who is the MANI" he demanded.
ut is my friend Captain Claiborne.
We owe the gentleman an apology
| Ctlauvenet began.
,"You put it mildly, cried Claiborne in
English, his back to the fireplace, his
| arms folded and the smile gone from
his face. II don't know your compan-
ions, M. Chauvenet, but you seem In
cllned to the gentle arts of kidnapping
and murder. Really, Monsieur
ut is q mistake! 1t is unpardonablel
can only offer you reparation-any-
thing you ask!" stammered Chauvenet.
"You are looking for John Armitage.
are your" demanded Claiborne hotly
without needing Chauvenet's words.
"Mr. Armitage is not here. He was In
Storm Springs tonight at my house.
He is a brave gentleman, and warn
you that you will injure him at. your
r,eril. You may kill me here or stran-
sic me, or stick knife into me II you
will be better satisfied that way. or
you may kill him and hide his body
in these hills; but, by God, there Will
he no escape for you! The highest
/ powers OF my government know that
am here. Baron Won Marhof knows
that am here. have an engage
ment to breakfast with Baron Won
Narhof at his house at o'clock In
the morning, and if / am not there
every agency Of the government Will
be put to work to find you, Mr.. Jules
Chauvenet. and these other scoundrels
who travel with you"
.'You are violent, my dear SIR" be-
gan Durand, whose wits were coming
back to him much quicker than
Chauvenet's.
II am not as violent as shall be If
I get troop Of cavalry from Fort
Myer down here and hunt you like rab-
bits through the hills. And advise
you to cable Winkelried at Vienna that
the game is all off,"
j Chauvenet suddenly jumped toward
the table, the revolver still swinging
at arms length.
4 You know too much"
IL don't know any more than Armi-
tage and Baron Won Marhof and my
father and the honorable secretary OF
state, to say nothing of the equally
honorable secretary Of war"
i Claiborne stretched out his arms and
rested them along the shelf of the
i mantel and smil-
- ed with smile
Il EN which the dirt