The Red Cloud chief., 1910-09-08

Sne went UP the STAIRS NJ that, TWO
at a time. Evidently she collided
with the candle, for it went out, and
was left in darkness.
/ was really astonishingly cool. |
remember stepping over the chair and
gluing my ear to the door. and shall
never forget feeling it give an inch or
two there in the darkness, under q
steady pressure from without. But
the chair held, although l could hear
an ominous cracking of one of the
legs. And then, without the slightest
warning, the cardroom window broke
with a crash. l had my finger on the
trigger of the revolver, and as
jumped 1t went off, right through the
door. Some one outside swOre round.
ly, and for the first time l could hear
what was said.
Only scratch. Men are at
the other end of the house .
Have the whole rats nest on u.s."
And lot of profanity which | won't
| write down. The voices were at the
| broken window now, and although |
was trembling violently, was de-
| termined that | would hold them until
| help came. | moved up the stairs un.
! I'll | could see into the cardroom, or
rather through 1t, to the window. As
! | looked a small man put his leg over
the sill and stepped into the room
! The curtain confused him for q mo-
ment; then he turned. not toward me
but toward the billiard room door
fired again, and something that was
glass or china crashed to the ground
Then | ran up the stairs and along the
corridor to the main staircase. Ger
trude was standing there, trying tC
locate the shots. and must have
been peculiar figure. with my hail
in crimps, my dressing-gown flying. M
slippers, and revolver clutched IL
my hand. | had no time to talk
There was the sound of footsteps II
the lower hall, and some one bounded
up the stairs.
l had gone Berserk, | think
leaned over the stair.rail and free
again. Halsey, below. yelled at me.
What are you doing up there?" h,
= yelled. you missed me by an inch
And then ! collapsed and tainted
When | came around Liddy was rul
bing my temples with eau de quinine
and the search was in full blast.
Well, the man was gone The stabl
! burned to the ground, while the crow
checred at every falling ratfer. an
the volunteer fire department spraye
z 1t with Il garden hose. And in tn
y house Alex and Halsey searched ever
u corner of the lower floor. finding n
II one.
e The truth of my story was show
e by the broken window and the owe
d turned chair. That the unknown ha
y got upstairs was almost impossible
e. He had not used the main staircas
70 there was no way to the upper foe
~ in the east wing, and Liddy had bee
II at. the window, in the west win
IS where the servants stair went up B,
oi we did not go to bed at all Sam y
q, hannon and Warner helped in IL
VI search, and not closet escape
NJ scrutiny. Even the cellars were give
e. a thorough overhauling, without 7
o. suit The door in the east entry hs
H. a hole through it where my bullet hi
ed gone, The hole slanted downwar
Id and the bullet was embedded in Il
ed porch. Some reddish stains showed
st had done execution.
Somebody will walk lame" Halls
iy said, when he had marked the cour
Vn of the bullet. ITS too low to have /
er anything but leg or foot"
From that time on watched eve
ng person l met for limp, and to IL
day the man who halts in his walk
IN an object CT suspicion to me. II
Casanova had no lame men; the ne,
he est approach to 1t was an old fell,
ID, who tended the safety gates at I
" railroad, and he, ! learned on inqui
had two artificial legs. Our man h