The Sauk Centre herald., 1908-10-22

The man apds not John ATmttdge, but
Captain Claiborne.
the strap, drew off the bag and STEP
ped back toward the table on which
he had laid his revolver for easier ac-
cess.
"Mr. John Armitage"- -
Chauvenet, his revolver half raised,
had begun an ironical speech, but the
words died Ion 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 paste of the dirt from the
potato sack, which gave him a weird ap-
pearance. He grinned broadly, adding
a 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 hall at 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 black
cloak, so long that it trailed at length
from his arms, it's red lining glowing
brightly where it lay against the outer
black. From the folds Of the cloak
| sword, plucked from a trunk, dropped
| upon the floor with a gleam of its
| bright scabbard. In his right hand he
| held a silver box of orders, and as his
| arm fell at the sight of Claiborne the
gay ribbons and cleaning pendants
| flashed to the floor.
''It is not Armitage; we have made
| mistaken muttered Chauvenet 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 man? he demanded.
at is my friend Captain Claiborne.
We owe the gentleman an apology
Chauvenet 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
ut is mistake! 1t is unpardonable!
l can only offer you reparation-any-
thing you ask!" stammered Chauvenet.
! "You are looking for John Armitage,
are you" demanded Claiborne hotly
without needing Chauvenet's words.
"Mr. Armitage is not here. He was in
| Storm Springs tonight at my house.
He is brave gentleman, and l warn
! you that you will injure him at your
peril You may kill me here or stran-
gle me, or stick a 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! The highest
powers of my government know that l
am here. Baron Won Marhof knows
that l am here. l have an engage
ment to breakfast with Baron Won
Marhof at his house at 8 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.
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.
81 am not as violent as / shall be If
get a troop of cavalry from Fort
| Myer down here and hunt you like rab-
bits through the hills. And l advise
| you to cable Winkelried at Vienna that
! the game is all off,