The Washington times., 1911-07-21
CHAPTER XVI Lcontinuedl .

- we scarcely could have attempt
ed to put our plan into execu
tion that night. He brought III
word Of the condition Of AFFAIRS OUTSIDE
the villa. The escort which had &C
companied US from the city, and th'
majority Of the soldiers detailed u
guard the neighborhood. where encamp
ed at the farther side Of the park
Their camp-fires could be seen gln'
mering along the stretch OF stone wall
Pickets had been stationed along the
road and in the fields. They formed
wide circle, so no one could hope to ap-
proach the villa unobserved.
But what interested us the most
and was of vital Importance was the
order issued for the guarding of the
house proper. Probably because he
had little fear any one could slip
reason to suspect any one already IN
side. except Major Shulhof, the gov
ernCr did not trouble himself with
more immediate sentinels. dragon
before the front veranda, another In
the very summer-house we had visit
led that afternoon, and a third station
led ct the head of the stairs, where he
could watch the doors along the up
per hall, seemed sufficient for all pur-
poses.
When We visited the rooms earlier
in the day we had not neglected the
precaution of examining our ground
the rear of the house; beneath lay a
Stretch of thick turf, and the distance
two dozen feet. Morgan measured the
drop with his eye.
"A rope is necessary, for we may
find 1t convenient to return; but II no
rope. the sheets will help" said he
quietly. ~
Captain Hapmann solved the, diff
Guilty. Coming to the room shortly
before dinner. he lock the door and
removed his tunic, revealing, wound
around his body, length OF CLONES
line which, doubled, would provide
a safe means of reaching the grouno
and returning to the room
Enough, and to spare. to hang US
ALL" said he dryly, and delivered the
line into Morgan's keeping.
And during all that evening the
rope lay concealed under the mat
II was also before dinner that Nc
,Gregor appeared with our cases,
which the sentinel in the hall permit
ted him to carry to the room. Nor
gan did not hesitate to put before
him what we planned to do. The little
Ecotchman rubbed his hands together.
Il am to sleep in the servants quar-
ters, sir, and l Will slip out ihIo S tHS
grounds and look about a bit. said
he quietly.
dence knowing there would be some
one near US in the park who was not
an enemy.
AT / o'clock, If conditions are fav-
orable." said Morgan;
"At /, sir" replied McGregor, and
slipped out, past the sentinel and
down the stairs.
It was we'll toward midnight when
the house grew quiet, and 1t was ther
! passed one Of the longest hours OF
my life. Our room was dark. 1t was
A1-f ha vHylT
dow, through which came occasionally
the faint noises from the camp along
the wall, or the dull clank Of saber
from the direction of the front YER
Rnda Then, after what seemed an
ternity, I heard Morgan moving about
the room. l turned in time to see a
little streak Of light flash through
the darkness 1t was the bulfs-eye
with which Haupmann had ProVided
us, and Morgan was trying the slide
was to carry the thing into the
majors room. The captain had found
it. with several Others in a tool
house. Doubtless left there by the
men who had engineered the hold-up
held il while Morgan fastened the
rope to the fashioned bedpost we
had pushed against the window-siIl
Then l fastened the lantern at my
waist with a strap taken from one
of our suit-cases.
Go on, and shake the rope when you
are down. Morgan whispered
I lowered myself over the sill; the
rope was knotted at intervals, and in
q moment l reached the ground. In
another my companion dropped at my
side.
! There was a line of bushes a little
to the left and we made for them;
even in the darkness it was wise to
take precautions. Morgan was first as
We crcpt toward the corner of the
! house; l knew he was in front of me
M fCHy down
my spine For behind sounded muf-
fed footsteps. There was some one
stealing through the night along the
course We were following.
I stood there, at the edge of the
row of bushes. rigid. my hand upon
the butt Of the revolver in
pocket Providence alone prevented
me from drawing the weapon and fir
ing blindly; the shot would have
brought a score Of troopers swarm
ing down upon us.
A low voice came to me through
the blackness 1T is you. sir? / have
been watching your window for hall
an hour"
The voice was the voice of McGreg
or; 1 could have embraced him.
Under cover of the shrubbery we
the windows we. had noted from the
summer house. Fifty yards away we
knew was O dragoon, and the least
noise might prove fatal to our pro-
1ect. morgan lalo MS ndnQ upon my
shoulder.
"Haupmann should be somewhere
about, and the sentinel must be taken
care Of. Remain where you are; the
window is directly above US, but do
not attempt anything until I return"
he whispered.
The next moment I was alone,
crouching at the foot of the ladder of
vines I could hear nothing, distin-
guish nothing. twenty feet away. I
knew Morgan and McGrcgor were
creeping toward the summer house:
that across the park fifty soldiers
were sleeping. but I might as well
have heen upon a desert island so
lacking was evidence of human
being near me.
u might have been five. but more
probably fifteen minutes. when an In
distinc Il form issued from the darkness,
then three others. appearing before me
as though they lad arisen from the
ground. I knew II was Morgan. Haup-
mann, and McGrcgor, but-the fourth:
Then I caught :he shadowy outline Of |
a dragoon's bushy. It was the senti- |
mel who had been stationed in the sum- |
mer-house. Thanks to or Brcscian. this |
soldier also was taking a hand in the |
game against the governor. The first |
danger feared had been removed.