The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-03-15

- afANi - -
Isolated position
>heibe4 mAe saw as, jt possible
more despondont The waiter in our
clothes had had time to penetrate; tha
roam had spraincd his shoulder aud
drew us along in series Of couvulsiye
Jerks, Aud then through he raia-
spattered window Of the blanket !
saw ljahts It was a small LEST,
rather yellow and It lasted perhaps
80 seconds Hotohkiss missed il and
was inclined TO doubt me But III u
couple OF minutes the roam hobbicd 20
the side Of the road and stopped. and
J made out break in the pines and
an arched gate.
Il WAS q small gate, too narrow for
the buggy | pulled the horse into as
much shelter as possible under the
trees, and We got out lIotchkiss tied
the beast aud we left him there. head
down against the driving rain, droop-
ing and detected Then we went
toward The house
Il was long walk The path bent
and twisted, and now ana then We lost
it We were climbing as we went.
oddly there were no lights ahead AZ.
though il was only ten O'Clock not
later Hotchkiss kept a little ahead
of me, knocking into trees now aed
then, but finding the path IN half the
time | should have taEen 0nce as
felt my way around q tree in the
blackncss. put my hand lmeypected-
~ on his shoulder and felt a shuddar
90 down my back
What do you expect me TO do2" he
protested, when demonstrated Hang
ont red lantern? What was thar?
Listen"
We both stood peering into the
gloom The sharp patter Of the rain
on Leases had ceased and from just
ahead there came back to Us the
stealthy padding OF feet in wet soil.
My hand closed on lIotchkiss' Shout
der and we listened together. warily.
Tue steps We're close by, unmistaK-
able. The next flash Of lightning
showed nothing moving the house
was in full view now dark and uaiu.
yiting. looming huge above terrace,
with an italian garden at the side.
Then the blackness again Some
body's teeth were chattering: | ac-
cused Hotchkiss but he denied It,
although I'm moi very comfortable,
I'll admit" he confessed; there was
something breathing right at my el-
bow here a moment ago
Nonsense" took his elbow and
steered him in what | made out to be
the direction of the steps of the Ital-
ian garden 4 saw deer just ahead
by the last fash; that's what you
heard BY Joye, hear wheels
We paused to listen and Hotchkiss
put his hand on something close to
us. Here's your deer" he said
Bronze"
As we noarod the house The sense
Of surveillance We had in the park
gradually left us. Stumbling over
hawer beds. running afoul of a sun
dial. groping our way sayage'y along
hedges and thorny banks. we reached
the steps finally and climbed the ter
race
1t was then that EIotchkiss fell over
one Of The two stone urns which. with
tall boxwood trees in them. mounted
guard at each side of the door llt
didn't make any attempt to gel up
lie sat in a puddle on the brick llooI
Of the terrace and cutched his lee
and swore softly in government Eng
lish
The occasional relief Of the light
ming was gone | could not see an
outline of the house before me W.
had no matches and an instants in
yesugation showed that The Windows
were boarded and the house closed
llotchkiss. still recumbeut, was aseer
tanning the damage. tendcrly peelius
down his stocking.
Upon my SOUL he said finally Il
don't know whether this moisture l.
blood or rain / think I've broken ;
bone"
Blood is thicker tLan water"
suggested rs it sticky? See if yo,
can move your toes"
There was pause. Hotchliisi
moved his toes BY that time hat
found a knocker and was making tn,
night hideous But there was no re