The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1911-01-12
CHAPTER XII.
The Empty Apartment.

The Empty Apartment.
When Britt CROPPED his way out of
the soundest sleep he had known in
many year, it was in absolute liz.
norance of his whereabouts. He
gasped desperately several times be-
fore ne returned to anything like his
normal breathing.
Mingled with the peculiar taste of
the smothering dark was faint odor
unlike anything in the headquarters
mans experience.
1t had a persistence all its own, and
when he tried to persuade himself
his sensory nerves had played trick
upon him, It wreathed into his nostrils
with unmistakablo individuality.
Britz needed no effort to rise to tell
him he still was bound hand and foot,
and In the first instant of his full
awakening he realized the silken gag
still held his speech in thrall. He bit
the ball of silk savagely, and strained
his tongue until the roots ached in en-
deavors to force the gag out of his
mouth. AS we'll might he, helpless as
to hands and feet as he was, have
tried to shake OF gorillas grip at
his throat. Yet the seeming hopeless
ness Of his plight did not disturb him
greatly. He had been IN worse places.
1t was question Of patience. perse-
verance and pluck, and when it came
to virile qualities, the famous Central
Office man was abundantly and allit-
eratively equipped.
He tested his bonds-gently at first,
then vigorously, then with all his
strength.
He was not q Sandow, but he had
abundance of plant and serviceable
strength. After many minutes passed
in vain efforts to free himself, he re-
Taxed his body and limbs for q short
but complete rest, meanwhile bending
his mind to the task Of determining
where he was. The result of his men,
tai endeavor was as fruitless as the
other. All he knew at the end Of 1t
was that he lay on bare floor in a
room which, from the sound of his
heels on the boards, he judged was
small. That thought suggested to him
means of summoning help other
than. vocal.
He began drumming on the boards
with his heels. 1t was firing work,
for his ankles were held so close that,
with his feet beating in alienation,
he could not make much noise. To
make sound likely to carry far, he
had to raise and lower his heels to-
gether-an achievement that sounds
easy until one has tried doing it many
times. With all his endurance he
could not keep 1t up for many minu.
utes at stretch. In the intervals he
strained his hearing for a response.
None came.
Britt rolled over on his face. AS
his hands were tied behind bis back,
his chin rested On the floor, and he
had little leverage by which to lift
himself Several times he tried to
rise to his knees, only to slip
and lruise his face on the hard floor.
Those mishaps were painful, but not
discouraging to a man Of Britt reso.
luteEess. Again and again he made
the attempt; again and again he
failed, but at last, with a mighty
heave that left him painting, he raised
himself by a catapult movement and
sat Lack on his heels, waiting to
catch his breath.
1t was a harder task to get Ga his
feet He could not do 1t in the I(iddle
Of the floor. Slowly, carefully, he
worked his way on his knees to the
wall, against which he braced himself.
Then. bit by bit, he bent his feet for
ward In demilune until his weight
was on knees and toes. His progress
was as painful as 1t was slow, for the
elk scarf compelled his ankles to
bend in unison, II at all, and even
when 10 had bent his toes to the
requisite point 1t was q great strain
to keep them there.
The detective, after a brief pause
to gather his strength. set his Shout
Ger against the wall and threw all his
force into a single, vigorous push.
The movement almost threw him to
the floor again. but he recovered his
roise quickly and stood erect. For a
low moments he was content to revel
y the relaxation that was so welcome