The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-09-24

strong.
Raising his LEFT hand, he grasped
Blackstock's right by the wrist and
removed Il with q certain nrmness.
The other hand released him an In
slant later, and the man stood back
with short laugh.
'But you wouldn't have frsd?"
mot any sooner than you'd have
tried to strange me-"
"Of course ia no such idea
"Of course not; but you shouldn't
have suggested It You made me
nervous"
For q moment It was as II tie mask
had been dropped, a. II they openly
acknowledged one another as implaca-
BILE enemies. And again Coast re-
marked that Blackstock quivered as
he had when surprised, an hour be-
fore; ripple Of tensed muscles, hard
" to be detected, seemed 70 shake
him from head to foot-and was gone
in a twinkling, while the hard smile
reappeared on the satyr's features.
"Do you really tote q gun. Handy
side3"
Always" Coast rejoined briefly.
"Why-up here"
You never can tell what's going to
happen"
Perhaps you're right" Blackstock
conceded the point graciously. II
don't mind, but you really ought not
to take a Joke 20 seriously. However,
I'm full Of sleep and you
must be. John-hat, cane"
One Of the servants brought them In
stautly. "Qd-night, Handyside."
Blackstock hesitated an instant.
then got his bearings and found the
back door with unerring accuracy.
On the stoop he paused long enough
to say: Wen get together after
breakfast and talk business" and the
bIackness received him.
Mystihed, Coast waited, staring at
the spot where he had last seen the
~ suggested that his room was ready.
He followed the fellow stupidity, pre-
occupied, his mind ranging far In fu-
tile speculation as to the riddle OF
Blackstocks conduct. Long after he
was left alone in the room that had
been Powers he sat on the edge Of the
dingy bed, his gaze fixed upon
the reflection Of the lamps fame in
the window panel-absorbed in the
enigma.
He could not rid himself of the i'm.
preston that an inarticulate menace
lurked beneath Blackstocks apparent
ly unsuspicious reception of him.
Was insanity the explanation? Was
the man in reality homicidal maniac,
at whose intellect the lust to slay ate
like cancer? But in such
case, would he have delegated to an.
other the assassination of Power?
Did he or did he not suspect? Did
that sudden slip Of the mask signify
that-he had merely allowed himself
to appear to be deceived and was but
waiting to deliver some telling stroke
In retaliation?
How much has Coast to apprehend,
what to guard against?
To this latter question his every In.
stinct answered in chorus: Every
1
turned to safeguard himself-that he
might remain able to protect Kath-
crime.
It came to him that It was not un-
likely he had been left in that lonely
cottage with the three Chinese that
they might quietly make away with
him while he slept
/ T.
detailed inventory Of bis surround
ings; and found them hopelessly sx-
posed.
Unquestionably he would have been
safer in the open; but the storm was
now at the top OF its fury. Sheets Of
water were sluicing the house al II
cast from some gigantic bucket.
Danger within seemed very
much preferable to misery with
out. More than that, II Black
stock had planned an attempt upon his
life during the night, Coast might a.
well know It; for he was armed and
unafraid, and he who knows what to
fear is doubly armed.
Having wedged a chair beneath the
knob Of each door, he placed the lamp
upon the table, turning It low that its
scanty store of oil might last the
night, and sat down on the bed, the
pillow at his back, Appleyard's pistol
ready at his side.
Insensibly as the dead hours Jagged
marked by no disturbance foreign tc
the storm. his WEAKNESS bore heavily
upon him. His thoughts blurred into
q chaotic tumble Of incoherencies
He nodded, drowsed with chin or