The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-03-05

And he handed me choice Havana
one M. Darzac had given him, while
he lit his brierwood-his eternal brier
| wood.
We remaina in his room until about
10 o'clock 2 y att a word passing be-
tween us. BurN y@in an armchair, Roule
tabille sat and smoked steadily, his
brow in thought and a faraway look
In his eyes. On the stroke Of 10 he
took of his boots and signed me to dc
the same. Standing In our socks, he
said in so low tone that I guessed
rather than heard the word:
Revolver"
drew my revolver from my jacket
pocket.
"Cock It," he said.
did as he directed.
Then, moving toward the door of his
room, he opened 1t with infinite pre-
caution; 1t made no sound. We were
In the "off turning" gallery. Rouleta-
billie made another sign to me which
understood to mean that l was to
take up my post In the dark closet.
When l was some distance from him
he rejoined me and embraced me, and
then 1 saw him, with the same precau-
ton, return to his room. Astonished
by his embrace and somewhat disquiet-
ed by it. l arrived at the fright" gal
iery without difficulty, crossing the
landing place and reaching the dark
closet
Before entering it l examined the
curtain cSfd Of the window and found
that i had only to release 1t from its
fastening with my fingers for the cur
tain to fall by its own weight and
hide the square of light from Roule-
tabillc, the signal agreed upon. The
sound of fcotstep made me halt be-
fore Arthur RANGES door. He was not
yet in bed, then! How was it that.
being in the chateau, he had not dined
with M. Stangersor and his daughter?
1 had not seen him at table with them
at the moment when we looked In.
I retired into the dark closet. I
found myself perfectly situated. l
could see along the whole length of
the gallery. Nothing, absolutely moth
ing, could pas there without my see-
ing it.
/ waited about al hour. and during
all that Time saw nothing unusual
The raiu, which taG begun to come
down s.rongly toward o O'Clock, had
now c., ed.
My friend had told me that prob
ably nothing would occur before mid
night or 1 o'clock in the morning. 1t
was not more than half past II how
ever, when l heard the door Of Arthur
RANGES room open very slowly. The
door remained open for minute,
which seemed to me long time. AS
it opened into the gallery--that is to
say, outward-I could not see what
was passing in the room behind the
door.
At that moment ] noticed strange
sound, three times repeated, coming
from the park Ordinarily / should
not have attached any more impor-
lance to it than 1 would TO- the noise
of cats on the roof. But Inc third
time the new was so sharp and pene-
trating that remembered what had
heard about the cry Of the Bete du Bon
Dieu. AS the cry had accompanied all
the events at the Chandler I could not
refrain from shuddering at the thought.
Directly afterward / saw a man APP
pear on the outside of the door and
close It after him. At first could not
recognize him, for his back was to-
ward me, and he was bending over a
rather bulky package. When he had
closed the door and picked up the
package, he turned toward the dark
closet, and then l saw who he was.
He was the forest keeper, the Green
Man. He was wearing the same cos
tune that he had worn when I first
saw him on the road In front Of the
Donjon inn. There was no doubt
about his being the keeper. AS the
cry Of the Bette du Bon Dieu came for
the third time he put down the pack
age and went to the second window,
from the dark closet. dared
not risk making any movement fear
ing might betray my presence.
Arrived at the window, he peered out
on to the park. The night was now
light, the moon showing at intervals.
The Green Man raised his arms twice,
making signs which did not under
stand; then, leaving the window, he
again took up his package and moved
along the gallery toward the landing
place.
Rouietabille had instructed me to
undo the curtain cord when saw any
thing. Was Rouletabille expecting
this? 1t was not my business to ques-
ton. All had to do was obey instruc-
lions. / unfastened the window cord,
my heart beating the. while as IL it
would burst. The man reached the
landing place, but, to my utter sur
prise-I had expected to see him con-
tinue to pass along the gallery-I saw
him descend the stairs leading to the
vestibule.
What was / to do? looked stupidity
ut the heavy curtain which had shut
the light from the window. The signal
had been given, and did not see Roule-
tabille appear at the corner of the "off
turning" gallery. Nobody appeared.
was exceedingly perplexed. Half an