Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1908-11-05

/ The man acds not John 4rmf.Ngc. or
Captain Claiborne.
the strap. drew off the bag and step
ped back toward the table on which
he had laid his revolver for easier al.
cess.
Mr.. John Armitage1
Chauvenet. his revolver half raised.
had begun an ironical speech. bnf tlIa
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 CIaiborne's face
had made a paste of the dirt from the
| potato sack, which gave him weird ap
pearance. He grinned broadly adding
a fantastic horror to his visage which
caused Zmai TO leap back toward the
door. Then Chauyenet cried aloud Il
cry of anger. which brought Durand
INTO Ine hall at a jump. Claiborne
shrugged his shoulders, shook the blood
into his numbed arms, then turned his
besmeared face toward 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 a hook in Amitage's room a black
cloak. so long that it traiIed at length
from his arms. its red lining glowing
brightly where it lay against the outer
/ black From the folds of the cloak a
sword, plucked from a trunk, dropped
upon the floor with CLEAN of its
bright scabbard. In his right hand he
held silver box of orders, aud as his
arm fell at the sight of Claiborne the
gay ribbons and cleaning pendants
flashed TO the floor.
at is not Armitage; we have made
mistaken muttered Chanvenet tamely.
his eyes falling from Claiborne's face
to the cloak, the sword. the tangled
heap of ribbons on the floor.
Durand stepped forward. with an
oath.
''Who is the manY' he demanded.
sit is my friend Captain Claiborne.
We owe the gentleman an apology
/ Chanvenet began.
.You put it mildly" cried Claiborne in
English, his back to the fireplace. his
arms folded and the smile gone from
his face. 81 don't know your compan-
/ ions, NJ Chauvenet, but you seem in
clined to the gentle arts Of kidnapping
and murder. Really. Monsieur
1T is mistake 1t is unpardonable!
| can only offer you reparation-any-
thing you ask. stammered Chauyenet-
You are looking for John Armitage
are you?" demanded Claiborne hotly
without needing Chauvenet's words
MIR. 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
peril. You may kill me here or Stran-
gle me, or stick knife into me If you
/ will be better satisfied that way, or
you may kill him and hide his body
in these hills; but, by God, there will
| be no escape for you'll 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
| Marriott at his house at s o'clock in
the morning. and if l am not there
every agency of the government will
| be PUT to work to find you, Mr.. Jules
! Chauyenet. and these other scoundrels
who travel with you.'
You are violent my dear sir" be
gan Durand. whose wits We're coming
/ back to him much quicker than
/ Chauyenet's.
II am not as violent as | shall be If
l get a 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.
Chauyenet suddenly jumped toward
the table. the revolver still swinging
| at arms length.
You know too much"
II don't know any more thsn 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"
Claiborne stretched out his arms and
rested them along the shelf Of the
mantel and smil-
!. !. ! !. ] !. 8 ! !: ! !
- ed with a smile
f which the dirt
MN on his face
81 MI "a weirdly accent
SilkE6zH82 ed. His hat was
WHss# gone, his Short
E&5%#A hair rumpled
Hr<&*%H "A = y -.