Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1908-12-04
be bad IaId hls reveIver tor easier &C.

I A~ uAN tNAA HAo ACFotHgt tNt C"'ACt a.
cess
Mr.. John Armitdge"-
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 persplration on ClaibOrne'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 Chauvenet cried aloud. a
cry OF anger, which brought Durand
into the 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 trailed at length
from his arms. its 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 CLEAN 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 door.
at 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 MANI" 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. Il 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 a mistakel 1t is unpardOnablel
l can only offer you reparation-any-
thing you ask" stammered Chauvenet
You are looking for John Armitage.
are your" demanded Claiborne holly
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
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 / am here. / have an engage
ment to breakfast with Baron Won
Marhof at his house at 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-
;an Durand. whose wits were coming
)ack to him much quicker than
Jhauvenet's.
II am not as violent as / shall be If
get troop of cavalry from Fort
flyer down here and hunt you like rab-
tits through the hills. And l advise
-Ou to cable Winkelried at Vienna that
he game is all Off"
Chauvenet suddenly jumped toward
he table. the revolver still swinging
t arms length.
You know too much"
Il don't know any more than Armi-
age and Baron Won Marhof and my
ather and the honorable secretary Of
tate. to say nothing Of the equally
honorable secretary Of war"
Claiborne stretched out his arms and
ested them along the shelf Of the
N..fs. = ns.naN !