The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-12-13

LhTS6n.
 l stood staring at them. my feet as helpless as though they had taken root in the soil. 1 could not utter a sound nor make gesture. 1 had been the only one to guess that the companion ship of this devil of a BrignoIles had been of the gravest danger to Darzac. If they would have listened to me he would have got rid of the creature's presence long ago. Brignolles. the tool of Larsan, the accomplice of Lar san-what a discovery Why. l had known all along that those accidents in the laboratory had not happened by chance, They would believe me now. I had seen with my own eyes Larssh and Brignolles talking and consulting together at the entrance of the Cas- tillon tunnel. 1 had seen them. But where were they gone now? For saw them no longer. They must be in the tunnel. l hastened my steps, leaving my coachman behind me. and reached the tunnel in a few moments. drawing my revolver from my pocket My state of mind was beyond descrip- ton.
 But where were they? I walked through the dark tunnel. No Larsan. no Brignoiles, Not a living creature. But upon my left. toward ancient Gas tillon, it seemed to me that could perceive two forms that hastened. They disappeared. I ran after them. I arrived at the ruins l stopped Who could say that those two figures were not lying In wait fof me behind a wall?
 The old Castillon was no longer in habited. and for good reason. It had been entirely ruined-destroyed by the earthquake of 1887. What a silence there was all around mel With a thousand precautions searched the ruins, contemplating with horror the depth of the crevices which the earthquake had opened In the rocks
 Had been the victim Of an illusion? I could no longer see my two shadows. Was I also the plaything of my imagi- nation when I stopped and picked up from the road a bit of letter paper which looked to me singularly like that which Darzac used at La Sar- bonne?
 Upon this bit of paper I deciphered two syilables which I believed Bri- gnolles had written. These syllables seemed to be the end of a word the beginning of which was missing. All that it was possible to make out was bonnet"
 Two hours later I re-entered the Fort of Hercules and told my story to Rouletabille. who placed the bit of paper in his portfolio and entreated me to be as silent as the grave in re- gard to my expedition.
 Astonished nt having produced so different an effect from the one which had anticipated at the discovery which I believed SO important. I stared at RouIetabilie. He turned his head away. Hts eyes were filled with tears.
 "Rouletabilier' exclaimed.
 But again he motioned me not to speak.
 They had waited dinner for me. 1t was late. We scarcely attempted to hide thesdeep anxiety which froze our hearts. One would have said that each one of us was resigned to the hlow which was threatening At 10 o'clock I went to take up my station hh kuG loWtE OA ~lc SaLueueE. WuuG I was in the little room where we had consulted together the night before the Lady in Black and RoulatabIlle passed beneath the arch The glimmer of the lantern fell on their faces. Mme. Oar zac was greatly excited She was urg- ing Rouletabille to something which 1 could not hear. The conversation be- tween them looked like an argument. and caught only one word of Roule- Thief"
 The two entered the Court of the Bold The Lady in Black stretched her arm toward the young man. but he did not see it. for he left her imme diately and went toward his own room She remained standing alone for a moment In the court leaning against the trunk of the eucalyptus tree in an attitude of unutterable sad ness; then. with slow steps. she enter ed the square tower.
 1t was now the 10th of April. The attack of the square tower occurred on the night between the 11th and 12th.