Daily Arizona silver belt., 1909-01-22
The Mystery of the Yellow Room D. "A CTnNr TrnnrTv
By GASTON LEROUX
(cHApTER xxI-continued)


 | retired into the dark closet ! found myself perfectly situated ! could see along the whole length of the gallery. Nothing, absolutely noth- ing, could pass there without my see. ing 1t.
 waited about an hour, and during all that time l saw nothing unusual. The rain, which had begun to come down strongly toward 9 o'clock. had now ceased.
 My friend had told me that prob ably nothing would occur before mid night or 1 o'clock in the morning. It was not more than half past II, how ever, when heard the door of Arthur Rance's room open very slowly. The door remained open for a minute. which seemed to me long time. As 1t opened into the gallery-that is to say, outward--I could not see what was passing in the room behind the door.
 At that moment I noticed strange sound, three times repeated, coming from the park. Ordinarily should not have attached any more impor- tance to 1t than I would to the noise of cats on the roof. But the third time the new was so sharp and pene- | trating that remembered what l had heard about the cry of the Bete du Bon Dieu. As the cry had accompanied all the events at the Chandler could not refrain from shuddering at the thought. Directly afterward I saw man ap- pear on the outside of the door and close it after him. At first could not
 recognize him, for his back was to- | ward me. and he was bending over a
 rather bulky package. When he had | closed the door and picked up the package. he turned toward the dark | closet, and then 1 saw who he was. ! He was the forest keeper, the Green | Man. He was wearing the same cos Il tune that he had worn when I first
 saw him on the road in front of the | Donjon inn. There was no doubt
 about his being the keeper. As the
 cry of the Bete du Bon Dieu came fol
 the third time he put down the pack age and went to the second window
 counting from the dark closet. dared
 not risk making any movement. fear.
 ing l might betray my presence.
 Arrived at the window. he peered osit
 on to the park. The night was now
 light, the moon showing at intervals
 The Green Man raised his arms twice making signs which did not under
 stand: then. leaving the window, he
 again took up his package and moved
 along the gallery toward the landing
 place.
 Rouietabille had instructed me ts
 undo the curtain cord when saw any
 thing. Was Rouletabille expecting
 thisY It was not my business to ques
 tion. All had to do was obey instruc tioas. unfastened the window cord
 my heart beating the while as if Il
 would burst. The man reached thu
 landing place. but to my utter sur prise--I had expected to see him con
 tinue to pass along the gallery-I saw
 him descend the stairs leading to thu vestibule.
 What was to do? I looked stupidl. at the heavy curtain which had shu the light from the window. The sigma had been given. and did not see Roule tabille appear at the corner of the "of
 turning" gallery. Nobody appeared. was exceedingly perplexed. Half Al hour passed. an age to me. What wal to do now. even if I saw something
 The signal once given. l could not giv' it second time. To venture into th gallery might upset all Rouletabille' plans After all, had nothing to re proach myself with. and if somethini had happened that my friend had no expected he could only blame himself Unable to be of any further assistanc to him by means of signal. left tn dark closet and still in my socks picked my steps and made my way t the "off turning" gallery.
 There was no one there. I went t the door of Rouletabille's room and lis tened. could hear nothing. I knock ed gently. There was no answer turned the door handle and the doc opened. entered Rouletabille la
 extended at full length on the floor. CHAPTER XXI.