The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-01-16
CHAPTER Viii.
Face to Face.

CHAPTER VIII.
Face to Face.
When the two men got into the
house the dim rooms made them STUN
BILE for a moment after the brilliant
sunshine of the outer skies; but in a
second Birdsall's cropping hand had
found an electric push-button and the
room was flooded with light. They
were in a small office off the kitchen,
apparently. Smoke Of peculiarly
pungent odor and eye-smarting char.
acter blurred all the surroundings: but
during the moment the Jap halted to
explore its cause the others perceived
two doors and made for them. Ono
was locked. but the other must have
been free to open, since Haley, with
his watering-can. bounded through 1t
while they were Juggling at the other.
Almost Immediately. however. Haley
was back again shouting and pointing
down the dark passage.
"The fires there" screamed the de-
tective. II can smell smoke! The
smoke comes through the keyhole!"
But while the Jap fitted a key in the
lock and swung back the door, and
Haley, who had paused to replenish
his watering. can at convenient fau-
Get, darted after the other two. the
colonel stood listening with every audi
tory nerve strained to catch some
sound. He yelled Fire! help!" at the
top Of his voice. but not moving a
muscle. "Too far off," he muttered.
then he yelled again and threw a
heavy chair us IL he had stumbled
against It. Another pause: he got
down on his knees to put his ear to
the floor. Directly he rose; he did not
speak, but the words that he said to
himself we're only: "Just possible.
Some one down cellar; but not under
here" Meanwhile he was hurrying in
pursuit Of the others as swiftly as his
stiff knee would allow. He found them
in 4 side hall with tiled or brick floor,
gathered about o. water-soaked heap Of
charred red paper.
"'Tis terrible!" announced Haley:
"a bum for sure! dinnermite bum!"
fishing out something like tin to-
mato can from the soddon mass.
Anyhow, there goes tho real thing"
observed the colonel, co0lly, as a
formidable explosion Jared the air.
'''If you blow us up, kill you fist!"
Kissed the Jap. and his knife flashed.
"Chito, Chito!" soothed the colonel,
lifting his revolver almost carelessly.
Simultaneously two brawny arms
pinionad the Jap's own arms at his
sides.
"Shure, Mister Samurai, it's the on
grateful chap youse is" expostulated
Haley. Il hate to RESTRAIN We. but
II We thry any jehujits on me twill be
sahanara wild youse mighty quick"
"No understan'," murmured the
Jap, plaintively. "Why you hult me?"
Come, put out the fire first" said
the colonel; you know the house, you
go ahead"
The Jap darted on ahead so swiftly
that they had some ado to follow;
which seemed necessary, since he
might have clashed bolt on them at
any turn. The colonel's stiff leg kept
in the rear, but Haley was never
hands breadth behind the runner.
They found smoke in two places, but
they easily extinguished the tiny
flames. In both cases the bombs
turned out to be no more dangerous
than common kind of fireworks
yielding suffocating smoke in an in
closure, but doing no special damage
on safe and fire-proof ground, like
hearth. They were quickly extin.
guished. In their search they passed
from one luxurious room to another,
tho Jap leading, until he finally halted
in spacious library hung in Spanish
leather, with ancient. richly carved
Spanish tables and enhancing Spanish
chairs Of turned wood and age-mel-
lowed cane, and bookcases sumptuous-
ly tempting book-lover. But the colo
mel cared only for the soul of book,
not its body; the richest and clearest
of black letter or the daintiest of tool
Ing had left him cold; moreover, every
flber in him was strung by his quest;
and Haley, naturally, was immune;
strangely enough, 1t was the cheerful,
vulgar little detective who gave a
glance, rapid but full Of admiration,
at the shelves and pile Of missals on
the table, anonymously jostled by
magazines Of the day.
Winter faced the Jap, who was
sheathed again in his bland and I'M.