Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-11

mess, and finally, admonishing Mansel not
to forget the tonic and embrocation, was
ratified off to the railway station in dogcart.
WELL" questioned Mansel, what do
you think of Fordyce's opinion?"
Il agree with him about the supernatural
end; but guess there's something in it we
have not found out My people have all de-
They have!" Mansel calculated. II ex-
pected as much. They know what there is
in it, if you and Fordyce are skeptical."
and her brother made sign to drop the SUBJ
ject.
do you know what is the matter with
the servants?" she asked. my maid is
jingle jangling about, wringing her hands,
and the head khitmutgar is continually
glancing over his shoulder as if he expected
to see ghost. Then that horrible man has
been sitting in the road again opposite"
by Jove!" calculated Perrin. This
thing is getting on my" He broke off on
catching significant glance from Mansel.
II mean l wish the new assistant engineer
they promised to send out would turn up"
THE serving of dinner came as an oppor-
tune interruption to topic both men had
agreed to hold secret; but with the fall of
night creepy sensation temporarily affected
Perrin. He found himself glancing uneasily
from the pleasantly shaded light of the din
ing room into the blackness without, and the
figure of the gaunt fanatic Swallowed grin1ly
in his mind What he expected would have
been hard to define, except that the common
place assassin's bullet had no part in that
overhanging something. He wondered at
Mansel's calmness, considering he believed
himself doomed man without power of re-
sistance. While joining absentmindedly in
the conversation, his thoughts gradually
shaped definite purpose. This he dis
closed later when Mansel's sister had retired.
See here, Mansel!" he said. cts hardly
fair that you should take all the risk, pen
atty or whatever it is, of landing that MUIR
derous Brahman. Why they should choose
you in preference to me for their tigers claw
trick, don't quite understand
"Oh, I've been threatened before" re-
turned Mansel. "Now comes the settle
ment!"
well, anyway, I've formed "a kind of
idea, which may be all wrong. But I'd like
to try it. Do you consent"
Before know what your idea ISL"
Perrin nodded.
"All right. Go ahead. presume it is
nothing preposterous."
Simply that should like to occupy your
room tonight"
why, what do you suspect"
Cant say that l suspect anything posi-
lively" replied Perrin; 'but what l may
call suggestion is floating in my mind
But my room is an addition to the bunga-
low" protested Mansel. "In way it is sep
arated."
That's just it," replied Perrin. THAT
is why should like to try it for night
What is the real motive?" asked Man.
sci.
III tell you in the morning. Do you
agree to let me sleep in your room?"
"Oh, yes, if you wish
"All right. But we'll make the change
after it might be presumed you had gone to
sleep. Their is also reason for that"
Perhaps uppermost in Perrin's mind
when he made the proposal was to see for
himself what happened; provided Of course
an act of some kind took place. While he
did not believe that the mark of the tigers
claw on Mansel's breast came by black,
white, or any other kind of magic, or, as
Mansel put it, a malicious supernatural
agency, he was out to solve the problem and
prove Mansel in error.
MANSEL'S bungalow was on the hem of
IVA the jungle, and his room, built as a