Yellowstone monitor. [volume] (Glendive, Mont.) 1905-1928, 1909-05-13

head above 1t. Through an
opening in the curtains, the arrange
ment Of which has not been changed,
I am ready to look, anxious to note the
position in which am going TO find
the murderer, whether his back will
still be turned toward me, whether he
is still seated at the desk writing.
But perhaps perhaps-he is no longer
there. Yet how could he have fed?
Was not in possession Of his ladder?
force myself to be cool. ] raise my
head yet higher. / look-he is still
there. / see his monstrous back, de-
formed by the shadow thrown by the
candle. He is no longer writing now,
and the candle is ON the parquet, over
which he is bending a position which
serves my purpose.
Il hold my breath. mount the lad
der. am on the uppermost rung Of 1t
and with my left hand seize hold of
the window sill. In this moment OF
approaching success I feel my heart
beating wildly. put my revolver be
tween my teeth. 4 quick spring and
shall be on the window ledge. But
the ladder! had been obliged to press
on it heavily, and my foot had scarcely
left it when felt 1t sWaying beneath
me. 1t grated on the wall and fell.
But already my knees were touching
the window sill, and by a movement
quick as lightning got on to it.
But the murderer had been even
quicker than I had been. He had
heard the grating OF the ladder on the
wall, and I saw the monstrous back Of
the man raise itself. 7 saw his head.
Did really see it? The candle on the
parquet lit up his legs only. Above
the height Of the table the cham
Der was in darkness I saw q man
with long hair, . full beard, wild look
ing eyes, a pale face framed in large
whiskers as well as I could distin-
guish and as 7 think red in color.
did not know the face. That was, IN
brief. the chief sensation I received
from that face in the dim half light In
which | saw it. did not know it, or
at least did not recognize It.
Now for quick action. 1t was in
deed time for that, for as I was about
to place my legs through the window
the man had seen me, had bounded to
bis feet, had sprung, as foresaw he
would, TO the door Of the antechamber.
had time to open it and fed. But I
was already behind him. revolver in
hand, shouting, 'He1p!'
Like an arrow I crossed the room.
but noticed letter on the table as
rushed. I almost came up with the
man in the anteroom, for he had lost
time III opening the door to the gal
lery I few On wings and in the gal
lery was but few feet behind him.
He had taken, as | supposed he would.
the gallery on his right-that is to saw.
the road he had prepared fer his flight.
Help, Jacques; help, Larsanp Z cried.
He could not escape us. I raised q
shout Of joy, Of savage victory. The
man reached the intersection of the
two galleries hardly two seconds be-
fore me for the meeting which had
prepared, the fatal shock which must
inevitably take place at that spot. we
alI rushed 10 the crossing place-M.
stangerson and coming from one end
OF the right gallery, Daddy jacques
coming from the other end ST the ga1-
lery and Frederic Larsan coming from
the of turning, gallery.
THE man was not there!
I'VE looked at each other stunidlv
and with eyes terrified. The man had
vanished Ike q ghost. Where il he.
where Is hep we all asked.
1t is impossible he can have es-
caped! cried, my terror mastered by
my anger.
81 touched himr exclaimed Frederic
Larsan.
II felt bis breath on my faceI cried
Daddy Jacques.