The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-02-13


He took down a little dark lantern,
lighted 1t. tested it. n put it in his
| pocket. ~
Now I'm ready. Have we Ear to
go?"
ooh, no.; just across the street"
Simmonds started with astonish-
ment.
"You don't mean the Marathonl" ne
said.
"Just that"
But who Is it we're going after?"
"A fellow named Tremaine."
"Ttemaine!" Simmond's face grew
blanker and banker. why, I know
him; he's been in here to see me. He
doesn't seem at all the kind Of fellow
who would"
$50 hot" cried Godfrey. TT was you
who told him about the clippings!"
Simmonds colored TO the eyes.
who told you that?" he stammered.
mo matter; it didn't do n harm;
played right into our hands, in fact.
But you didn't show your usual per-
~spicacity there, Simmonds. That fell
low is the most remarkable scoundrel
v ever run acroSs-perhaps It's just
as well l v met him or he'd have
hypnotized me, too. Come along"
Simmonds followed meekly. Evil
dently he felt his indiscretion deeply;
khOuHiN 1 uluH L NHlnh uIIlI REedllN u
blame. Who, to look at him, would
have conceived any suspicion OF Ire
maine? Even yet, I found IL difficult
to believe him guilty of any crime: this
chain which Godfrey had so la5orious-
ly forged about him-would 1t really
hold-was 1t really strong in every
link Or was there some fatal weak
ness in Ii, some unsupported flaw.
Higgins was Just shutting the inner
doors, He recognized Simmonds at
once.
Hello" he said; what's UP now?
No more murders, 1 hope?"
DO you know whether or not Mr..
Tremaine is in his rooms?" asked
Godfrey. .I"-
Yes, sir; he went up about an hour
ago"
You have a key to his door,"
Eyes, sir"
I'VE want you to go up with us and
open the door"
"Oh. GOMEZ" protested Higgins.
That's going 1t pretty strong. What's
Mr.. Tremaine done?"
No matter. There's no use holding
off, Higgins. Simmonds here can place
you under arrest and force you to
60" ....~. ~ VII
"well, see here" said Higgins, turn
ing a little pale, 'if you break in on
him like that, there's apt T. be some
bullets fyin' around-he's hot headed,
he Is! I wish you'd excuse me. Here's
the key-why can't you open tn door
yourself?"
"Thatll do" assented Godfrey, and
took the key. Now, o stay down
here"
"No fear" said Higgins promptly.
Though" he added gloomily, "mebbe
I'd better telephone fer some am
balances"
We went softly up the stair and
down the dimly lighted corridor to Ire
names door. We could see by the
transom that the room was dark.
II want to surprise him." whispered
Godfrey. IF he has two or three
minutes warning, he ma be able to
get rid of some evidence. He's prob
ably In bed and we must get to the
bedroom door without his hearing us.
How does the bedroom door lie, Les
ter, with reference to this ?"
Straight ahead" answered
h~oarsely.
That's good: are you ready"
Yes" a Simmonds. and cooked
his revolver. .
As for me. 1 grasped my stick more
firmly. glad that it vas n stout one.
"All right" said Godfrey, and he
threw back the bolt and opened the
door. es
The room was in absolute darkness,
save for the dim stream OF light from
the hall. We entered cautiously, God
frey in the lead.
Have your lantern ready, Sim
monds," he whispered. and l caught
the odor OF heated metal as Simmonds
obeyed the order.
Two, three, four steps we advanced,
feeling our way--then / heard a star
tied cry from Godfrey-an instant's
pause.
Quick, Simmonds, quick!" he cried,
in a stified voice. "The Iantern!"
Instantly a brilliant band OF light
shot across the room, wavered, wagged
to and fro--then settled upon Godfrey
bending above some shapeless object
on the floor.
What is it?" I cried, running to him,
s~hivering with horror.
tits ~Tremaine," and he knelt on, the
floor and stripped back the clothing
from the breast. Hes dead" III added
after a moment.
Dead? But why? How?"
He was in paJamas-I can see them
yet-striped blue and white.
Then I heard Godfrey's voice again.
my God!" he was saying, with an
accent of utter horror. MY God!
Bring the light closer, Simmonds!"
] looked down, too. The face was in
bright relief now-but was 1t Ire
maine? Could it be Tremaine? That
staring, distorted thing, with wide open
mouth? Then my ayes fell on the hand,
clasped acros the breast.
What Is it?" / asked again, inarticu-
lately, frozen with dread. What has
h~appened?"
I saw Godfrey stand erect with e. sud-
den movement of loathing.
IT'S the fer-de-lance!" he said
hoarsely. He's been bitten by ii, And
It's still loose in the room s~omewhere!"
CHAPTER WI