Daily Arizona silver belt., 1909-01-17

(CHAPTER AVll-Contlnueu') , "Did you see him distinctly he asked. "'whoy
 "'The man. ".Saw him! Why. he had big red beard and red hair
 "'That's how he appeared to me- said
 1 "'And to me- said Larsan. | .'The great Fred and l were alone fin his cha mber now to talk over this thing. We talked for an hour, turn ing the matter over and viewing It from every side. From the questions put by him, from the explanation which he gives me, 1t is clear to me that in spite of all our senses he is persuaded the man disappeared by some secret passage in the chateau known to him alone. He knows the chateau, he said to me; he knows it we'll He is rather tall man, well built suggested. He is as tall as he wants to be- murmured Fred.
 ...I understand, said. But how do , you account for his red hair and beard?
 "'Too much beard. too much hair false. says Fred. ".That's easily said. You are al ways thinking of Robert Darzac. You can't get rid of that Idea! l am cer- tain that he is innocent "'So much the better. l hope SO. but everything condemns him. Did you notice the marks on the carpet Come and look at them. "'I have seen them. They are the marks of the neat boots the same as those we saw on the border of the lake.
 "'Can you deny that they belong to Robert DarzacT
 "'Of course one may be mistaken
 Have you noticed that those foot prints only go in one direction, that there are no return marksI When the man came from the chamber. pursued by all of us. his footsteps left no traces behind them
 "'He had perhaps been in the cham Der for hours. The mud from his boots had dried, and he moved with sucl rapidity on the points of his toes. W' saw him ruWing. but we did not heal his steps
 "I suddenly put an end to this idi' chatter. void of any logic, and made sign to Larsan to listen.
 ".There, below, some one IS snurrrnl door
 Il rise. Larsan follows me. WI descend to the ground floor of tn chateau. lead him to the little semi circular room under the terrace be = meath the window of. the 'off turning gallery. point to the door. nov closed. open short time before. unde which shaft of light Is visible.
 "The forest keeperr says Fred.
 "'Come on. l whisper
 Prepared. l know not why. to be lIeve that the keeper is the guilty ma go to the door and rap smartly on 1t.
 "Some might think that we wer rather late in thinking of the keeper since our first business, after hayin found that the murderer had escape ns in the gallery. ought to have bee to search everywhere else-around tn chateau. in the park
 Had this criticism been made at tn time we could only have answered ths the assassin had disappeared from th gallery In such way that we thougi he was no longer anywhere. He ha eluded us when we all had our hand stretched out ready to seize him when we were almost touching hin We had no longer any ground for hol inc that we could clear up the my tery of that night "As soon as I rapped at the door was opened. and the keeper asked quietly what we wanted. He was ul dressed and preparing to go to be- The bed had not yet been disturbed.
 "we entered and affected surprise
 "'Not gone to bed yetT
 "'No.' he replied roughly. I ha' been making round of the park ar in the woods. am only just back and sleepy. Good nightv
 Listen l said. An hour ago the was ladder close by your window.
 "'what ladder? did not see al ladder Good night.
 And he simply put us out of Il room. When we were outside look at I.arsan. His face was impenetr ble"