The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1910-12-23

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go into the dining room and get . do.
canter out of the sideboard. He
poured out the liquor into a glass.
left the decanter there, and took the
whisky Into the library across the hall.
Ihen-he broke into a desk. using .
paper knife for a jimmy"
Good Lord, Hotchkiss," I exclaim.
ed; why, it may have been Sullivan
himself! Confound your theories-
he's getting farther away every min.
ute"
1T was Sullivan" Hotchkiss re-
turned imperturbably And he has
not gone. His boots are by the H.
brary fire."
lie probably had a dozen pairs
where he could get them" scoffed.
And while you and | sat and slept,
the very man we want to get our
hands on leered at us over that rail-
ing"
Softly, softly, my friend" Hotch.
KISS said, as | stamped into my other
shoe. Il did not say he was gone.
Don't jump at conclusions. 1t Is fatal
10 reasoning. AS a matter of fact, he
didn't relish a night on the mountains
any more than we did. After he had
unintentionally frightened you almost
lnto paralysis, what would MY gentle
man naturally do? Go out in the
storm again? Not if ! know the Alice
sit-by-the-fire type. He went upstairs,
well up near the roof, locked himself
in and vent to bed"
And he is there now?'
He is there now"
we mad no weapons. l am aware
that the traditional hero is always
armed, and that Hotchkiss as the low
comedian should have had a revolver
that missed fire. AS a fact, we had
nothing Of the sort. Hotchkiss car
ried the fire tongs, but my sense of
clined the poker.
"All we wan is a little p%eaceable
conversation with him." | demurred.
We can't brain him first and con-
verse with him afterward. And any,
how, while l can't put my finger on
the place, l think your theory is weak.
If he wouldn't run 100 miles through
fire and water to get away from US,
then he is not the man we want"
Hotchkiss, however, was certain. He
had found the room and listened out
side the door to the sleeper's heavy
breathing, and so we climbed past lux
urious suites. revealed in the deepen
inc 61N1ioht met LONG yiCtor ~ HnlI
and bOudoir. And we were both badly
winded when we got there. 1t was
a tower room, reached by narrow
stairs, and we'll above the roof level.
Hotchkiss was glowing.
1T is partly good luck, but not ALL"
he painted in a whisper. IF we had
persisted in the search last night, he
would have taken alarm and fed.
Now-we have him. Are you ready?"
He gave a mighty rap at the door
with the fire tongs, and stood ex-
p~ectant. Certainly he was right; some
one moved within.
Hello! Hello there!" Hotchkiss
bawled. you might as well come out.
We won't hurt you, if you'll come
p~6dCeaDly.
"Tell him we represent the law" l
prompted. That's the customary
thing, you know"
But at hat moment a bullet came
squarely through the door and fat
tened itself with a sharp psf against
the wall of the tower staircase. We
ducked unanimously, dropped back out
of range, and Hotchkiss retaliated with
a spirited bang bang at the door with
the tongs. This brought another bull
let. 1t was a ridiculous situation. I'm
der the circumstances, no doubt, We
should have retired, at least until we
had armed ourselves, but Hotchkiss
had no end of fighting spirit, and as
for me, my blood was up.
Break the lock-" | suggested, and
Hotchkiss, standing at the side, out Of
range, retaliated for every bullet by q
smashing blow with the tongs. The
shots ceased after a half dozen, and
the door was giving, slowly. One OF
us on each side Of the door. we were
ready for almost any kind of desper-
ate resistance. AS it swung open
Hotchkiss poised the tongs; | stood.
bent forward, my arm drawn back for
a blow.
Nothing happened.
There was not a sound. Finally, at
the risk of losing an eye which l just
Iy value, / peered around and into the
room. There was no desperate there:
Only a fresh-faced, trembling-lipped
servant, sitting on the edge of her
bed, with a quilt around her shoulders
and the empty revolver at her feet.
We We're victorious, but conquered
army never beat such a retreat as ours
down the tower stairs and into tho
refuge of the living room. There.
with the door closed, sprawled on the
divan, l went from n spasm of mirth
into another, becoming sane at inter-
walls, and suffering relapse again every
time l saw Hotchkiss' disgruntled
c~ountenance. He was pacing the room.
the tongs still in his hand, his mouth
49,