The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-08-07

and tried 70 pierce the darkness Wit
his eyes.
Before he snapped on the light agail
J he was startled into rigidity by tn
sound of footsteps treading the pas
sage overhead. They came rapid,
with sharp, ripping clicks OF ieathe
| boot heels on stone. This was not TIT
soft padding OF felted native slippers
IL was the tread OF a fearless mar
wearing European footgear or perhaps
American boots like his own.
Garland moved backward and away
from the steps until his back struct
sharply against a cold wall. There hi
stood, part of the enveloping black
ness. while the footsteps stopped al
the arched door. and then by the flare
of a sputtering candle jammed In the
neck of a soda water bottle Garland
saw a pair Of trousers descend the first
few steps. Then as the man came
down the candle flame lighted his shirt
front and reached his chin just as a
Whit of air from out of nowhere In
particular extinguished the light.
dash it ALP muttered the man in
English. and Garland felt queer little
thrill of relief that the interloper was
not a Chinese.
After some fussing and final excla-
nation OF disgust because he failed 10
find another match about his person.
the newcomer dung his candle aside
and seemed to stop and consider the
situation.
Perhaps he heard Garland's carefully
controlled breathing. for suddenly he
asked. who's there?"
Garland hesltated and then decided
not to answer Perhaps the stranger
would go away now that he was with
out a light. In the meantime he would
endeavor to reach his goal by edging
along the wall against which he was
leaning.
His feet made no sound In the soft
earth, and he had made considera BILE
progress when he became conscious of
heavy breathing behind him, and he
knew that the newcomer was follow
ing in his wake.
Garland reached an angle of the
wall. followed IL around, turned again
and once again into n small square re-
cess which had a window slanting up.
ward to some cunningly contrived
opening above ground which admitted
the moonlight TO throw silver cloth
over a stone table. On the stone table
was small shadowy slit perhaps the
width OF a dagger's blade.
The two men reached the table to.
gether and In the moonlight stared
pantingly at each other. The moon
lighted them up to their lips. and above
that their faces were in darkness.
IF you've got light for heavens
sake turn 1t on!v- growled the newcom.
er impatiently. and Garland. as II II
was the most natural thing in the
world for him to have met fellow
white man on this secret errand of
his, snapped on his lamp and threw
Its broad white beam across the face
Garland" said Harpeth stupidity.
And then with fierce suspicion he
went on: you followed me. thought
better of you than that. old man"
II was here first" calculated Gar
land. I'm blamed If | don't believe
you're following mep'
"You had an errand herer Harpeth
put the question hesitatingly.
"Yes, and yours Is probably the
same" said Garland, with a trace of
relief I'm his tones. 81 was fearfully
afraid somebody would find out and
get the cinch on me. but somehow it's
SO confoundedly spooky down here I'm
glad of company. even IL It's a rival
for He paused suggestively.
1.-THE black daggerP' asked Harpeth
quietly.
Garland nodded. 81 guess you've
met with Wah Sung Loo. haven't you?
saw him I'm Portland"
"And | in Los Angeles" admitted
Harpeth. did he sell you informa-
ton concerning the black dagger
which contained one of the biggest EN-.
eralds I'm the world and which was
by one of his thieving an
cestors i'm this spot? Did he tell you
how you could reach IL, and as he was
lying and might never come back to
this country he would sell a map of
It's location for 500? Well. be told
me the same yarn. and I took a chance
Oh 1t too. Since 1 started, however,
I've had thousand misgivings. the
chief one being that the old rascal
1idn't believe the story himself. be-
ieve that to him It was tradition
nothing more. and he made money out
Of It."
"He stung me. too. and yet-I'm go
Ing to try for that black dagger, Har-
peth. Here's the black dagger he gave
me. I suppose you've got its mate. |
ri Just drop It In this slit Well, by
love. It touches something that's CIV
ing way! Now. what do you think of |
thatT
The table top swung up and slipped |
back into n recess disclosing a small |
square stone receptacle in which was |
crushed heap of tattered yellow silk, |
which dropped to dust under their fin
gers. In the heap of dust was a dark |
object which Hnrpeths fingers drew
70 the light. 1t was a small dagger |
IF finely tempered steel. almost black
IN color. In the hilt was set the lar
yest emerald the Americans had ever
seen.