The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-03-20

TAME enough.
heard the boat strike the platform
sharply as the second man jumped
into it; then for an instant silence
again held the valley.
Ny captor seemed te- dismiss the
retreating boat, and poking a pistol
into my ribs gave me his attention.
Climb up these steps, and do as
tell you. If you run, win shoot
you like dog"
There's a mistake" began,
choldngly, for the. Italian had almost
strangled me and my lungs were as
empty as spent bellows.
That will do. Climb" He stuck
the revolver into my back and up l
went and through the garden toward
the cottage. A door opening on the
veranda was slightly ajar, and 1 was
thrust forward none too gently into q
lighted room.
Ny captor and l studied each other
ttentiyely for half q minute. He was
beyond question the man whom Helen
Holbrook had sought at the house
boat in the summer dusk Who Hart
ridge was did not matter; 1t was evil
dent that Holbrook was quite at home
In the canoe-maker's house, and that
he had no intention Of calling any one
else into our affairs. He had undoubt-
edly heard the revolver shots below
and rushed from the cottage to inYes-
tigate; and, meeting me in full fight,
he had naturally taken 1t for granted
that was involved In some designs on
himself. AS he leaned against
table by the door his grave blue eyes
scrutinized me with mingled indigna-
ton and interest.
I seemed to puzzle him, and his gaze
swept me from head to foot several
times before he spoke. Then his eyes
flashed angrily and he took step to-
ward me.
who in the devil are you and what
do you want?"
my name is Donovan, and 1 don't
want anything except to get home"
Where do you come from at this
hour Of the night?"
Il am spending the summer at Mr..
Glenarm's place, near Annandale"
That's rather unlikely: Mr.. Glen
arm is abroad. What were you doing
down there on the creek?"
Il wasn't doing anything until two
men came along to kill you and /
mixed up with them and got badly
mussed for my trouble
He eyed me with a new interest.
They came to kill me, did they?
You tell good story, Mr.. Donovan"
Quite so. 1 was standing on the
deck of the houseboat, or whatever 1t
is"
Where you had no business to
be-"
Granted. had no business to be
there; but I was there and came near
getting killed for my impertinence, as
have told you. Those fellows rowed
up from the direction Of the lake. One
Of them told the other to call you to
your door on the pretense of summon
ing aid for a broken motor car off
there in the road. Then he was to
stab you. The assassin was an Ital-
ian. His employer spoke to him in
that tongue. I happen to be ac-
quainted with it."
you are very accomplished per-
son." he observed, dryly.
He walked up to me and felt my
pockets.
who fired that pistol?"
1.-THE man in charge Of the expedi-
ton. The Italian was trying to knife
me on the deck, and l broke away
from him and ran. His employer had
gone back to the boat for safety and
he took crack at me as I ran across
the platform. It's not the fault OF
cither that I'm not quite out Of busi-
ness"
An inner door back of me creaked
slightly My captor swung round at
the sound.
20 Rosalind! It's all right. A gem
tleman here lost his way and I'm Civ
ing him his bearings
The door closed gently, and l heard
the sound of steps retreating through
the cottage. noted the anxious look
in Holbrook's face as he waited for
the sounds to cease; then he ad-
dressed me again.
Mr. Donovan, this is a quiet neigh
borhood, and 1 am a peaceable man,
whose worldly goods could tempt no
one. There were undoubtedly others
besides yourself down there at the
creek, for one man couldn't have
made all that row; but as you are the
one 1 caught l must deal with you
But you have protested too much; the
idea of Italian bandits on Tippecanoe 1
creek is credltable to your imagina-
ton, but it doesn't appeal to my COM
mon sense. I don't know about your
being a guest at Glenarm house
even that is fiimsy- A guest in the
absence of the host is just little too
fanciful. I'm strongly disposed to
take you to the calaboose at Tippe-
canoe village"
Having been in jail several times in
different parts of the world 1 was not
anxious to add to my experiences in
that direction. Moreover, hal come