Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1909-08-26
CHAPTER xlli--continued.

B
VERY good" said Williamson. Il
beg your pardon, sir, but gentleman
on board the boat, just before came
off, sir, said he knew you, and as he
could not find you and was not going
by the train would / give you this
note ?"
Williamson produced an envelope,
addressed Michael Grant, ESQ.," In
the curiously thin, spidery handwrit-
ing In which German manuscript text
is usually written, with it's careful
loops and curves:
Grant looked at the envelope and
showed 1t to Basil Il can guess who
the writer of that was" he said, grim
ly, in an aside. And then, turning to
the valet, he asked him what sort of
a gentleman 1t was that had given
him the note.
Was it, Williamson" he said,s "a
gentleman with spectacles and a grey
beard and moustache, looking like a
foreigner?"
"Oh, no, sir!n Williamson replied.
Quite young gentleman, sir, clean
shaved
All right then. Get aboard now,
Williamson" Grant replied. Captain
Marriott and myself will not be
minute more. We will look into this
in the carriage" he whispered to
Basil; I'VE don't know who on earth
any one of those people drinking cot
fee there may be. Let us hope the
whole affair was nothing. =
He put the note into his pocket
finished his coffee, lit cigar, and
strolled out towards the train-big,
splendid, and apparently without
care in the world.
They found their carriage duly re-
served and Williamson had already
put their dressing bags and rugs into
1T.
We'll, we shall be quite undisturbeds
here, at any rate, . Grant said. THE
layatory is at the end of the corridor.
We shall not have any sudden visitors
without being well prepared for them
4 They can only come one way, after
ALI and that Is by the corridor
He pulled the heavy sliding door,
which opened on to the carpeted cor.
ridbr, into It's place, drew down the
thick blinds on both sides of the car
riage, and then took the letter from
his pocket.
NoW, them he said, let us see
what this is ".
ae tore open the envelope and with
draw sheet Of note-paper, headed
with the English and Belgian flags.
It was a piece Of note-paper from the
writing room of the steamer, and
showed that the note must therefore
4 have been written on board.
These few words confronted him:
You will be very well advised, to-
gether with your friend, to return
home TO England at once. It viii be
much better for you. You will not
find where you are going at all
/ healthy at present. ''8isi
Number one, Grant said, grimly,
holding the letter out 81 to Basil.
That's the warning Well, we'll see
what zones Of 1t. But 10 wish his
face elouded and for the first time
a look Of real anxiety and fear came
into his eyes--.I wish to heaven !
. had dissuaded the Duchess and Miss
( Hobson from coming with us. AS a
matter OF fact, II did try very hard.
1 but 1t was OF no use. She would have
+ gone bys herself IL had not come
also. And yeti only q way could
have been found to stop her! Yes!
Marriott, YOU are quite right! We
I are treading In dangerous paths @
That was quite obvious from the
first.' Marriott answered. All the
better. Far more exciting: YOU fee
joilier when you have circumvented
the beggars. should say that--at
i BIZ conservative estimate. my good
y friend. 1t would take pretty consider
able cleyerness on the part Of one
i person, or 9 whole gang. 70 get the
I better or you and myself. i speal
without pride, nor is my heart tpuffed
IN, like; the gent leman In the Psalms
Biits still He grinned quietly t.
4 himself and lit q cigarette. Then
n placing his hand behind him. he with
81 drew from q hip7p cket q small. shin
Ing w bley revolver, the silver-plat
Il linz glistening In the electric lighl
which poured down from above.
ou never thought Of that, die
YOU he said to Grant.
~ cannot say did. !" the 9th
N et answSyed. r,lefully
course, soa are not SO accus
@ toned To carry about this sort d
Hing as We are IL the Service Mar
riott replied. ssY ou must sometimes
IL some Of the odd places one goe,
ashore, can tell youi If You vii
1lat press the spring of that dressing
ba4 there; yo,I will find the twir
u otherS of this chap. which You hal
betier pNt - your pocket suppose
Il NJ mn know how 10 manage them ~
spfh yes quite well !,'
hood h would slip some cartridge
into the chambers II i were you 8,
ind ne green box Ia my bag