The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1911-02-09

trees. and We got out Hotchkiss -
u beast and We left him there, bead
AoUn against the AF1ving rain. Aroop-
fnG and detected. Then We went
toward the house.
IT vas long walk. The path bent
an4 twisted. and now and then ve lost
= We were climbing as We went
Oe4ly there were NO lights ahead, al
eAoa6A IT was only ten o'clock-not
lafsr. Hotchkiss kept . little ahead
q n. knocking into trees now and
~. but finding tAs path In half the
ttos ] should have takea. Oncs. rs
] tsat my way around Q tres in the
saaekness. put ny hand Unexpected
" on his shoulder aAA 6slt Q shudder
. down my back.
What do you s9peet ae to Aos" Ae
Deotested, when rsnoastsatsA. .Hans
ct . red lantern? what ~ that!
Listen"
We both stood psesfns into tie
gloom. The sharp pattsr of he rain
% leaves had ceased and froa 1use
aAead there came back to - ~
stealthy padding Of fest in NJ ooil.
Ny hand closed ON Hotchkiss' shoul-
der and we listened Together, varily.
The steps were close BY. unnistak.
able. The next nash OF lightning
showed nothing moving: the house
was in full view now, dark and unin.
vtting, looming huge above . terrace.
with an Italian garden at the side.
Then the blackness again. Some
body's teeth were chattering: I &C.
cused Hotchkiss but he denied Il.
although I'm not very comfortable.
I'll admit" he confessed: there was
something breathing right At my o..
bow here moment ago"
Nonsense" I took his elbow and
steered him In what ! made out to be
the direction Of the steps of the Ital-
ian garden. II saw Q deer Just ahead
BY the last flash: that's what you
heard. By Jove. I hear Wheels"
We paused to listen and Hotchkiss
put his hand on something close to
u. Here's your deer" hs said.
Bronze"
A we neared the house the sense
OF surveillance We had in tho park
gradually left US. Stumbling over
flower beds. running afoul Of Q sun.
dial, cropping our way savagely along
hedges and thorny banks, We reached
the steps finally and climbed the ter
race.
It was then that Hotchkiss fell over
one Of the two stone urns which. with
tall boxwood trees in them. mounted
guard at each side Of the door. He
didn't make any attempt to get up.
He sat in a puddle on the brick floor
Of the terrace and clutched his leg
and swore softly In government Eng
lish.
The occasional relief Of tho light
ming was gone. could not see an
outline of the house before me. We
had no matches and an instant's in
vestigation showed that the windows
were boarded and the house closed.
Hotchkiss, still recumbent, was ascer-
tanning the damage, tenderly peeling
down his stocking.
upon my SOUL" he said finally. 81
don't know whether this moisture ID
blood or rain. l think I've broken a
bone"
Blood Is thicker than water"
suggested. as it sticky! See If you
can move your toes"
There was a pause: Hotchkiss
found a knocker and was making the
night hideous. But there was no re-
sponse save the wind that blew sod
den leaves derisively in our faces.
Once Hotchkiss declared he heard a
window sash lifted, but renewed vio-
lence with the knocker produced no
effect.
There's only one thing to do" l
said, finally. "I'll go back and try to
bring the buggy up for you. You can't
walk, can you?"
Hotchkiss sat back in his puddle
and said he didn't think he could stir,
but for me to go back to town and
leave him. that he didn't have any
family dependent on him and that IL
he was going to have pneumonia he
had probably got it already. left
him there and started back to get q
horse.
II possible, 1t was worse than be-
fore. There was no lightning and
only by a miracle did flnd the little
gate again. I drew a long breath Of
relief, followed by another. equally
long, of dismay. For had found the
hitching strap and there was nothing
at the end of it! In lull Of the wind
seemed to hear, far OF. the eager
thud Of stablebound feet. So for the
second time climbed the slope to
the Laurels and on the way I thought
Of many things to say.
struck the house at new angle.
for I found a veranda, destitute OF
chairs and furnishings. but dry and
evidently rooted. 1t was better than
the terrace, and SO. by cropping along
the wall, I tried to make my way to
Hotchkiss. That was how found the