Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-16
BY GELETT BURGESS

sprawling hitting his forehead upon the iron plate
And he fell his overloaded pockets dsgorged ewelry
and precious stones all about him. For moment
he lay there only half conscious.
The next thing he knew two were helping him to
rise: His head was buzzng, blood was dripping from
his face he would have fallen again but for their assist
In another moment, he selt the sicish odor of
chlorofom and he lost consciousness for instant.
Before ne vent off, voices sounded strangely in his ears
supporting him. He too dazed even to realize his
danger.
When he 1egained partial use of his senses, he was
walking, still assisted by the two He could
scarcely support his weight and they held him up
by sheer strength of arm. He caught few words.
"There's stable round the corner III get cab and
we'll take him to" 1t was Mangus OShea speaking.
Then, as in a dream, he walked on, tottering. 1t
seemed to last for hours, that horrible journey. Slowly
he began to revive, and started to protest
"Give him another whiff!"
damp handkerchief held hard his nostrils for
few seconds. He struggled weakly and went back into
oblivion. &c. alternately walking and doing off again,
trying to shake himself free, from awful night
mare he was dragged on and on, and on
The next thing he knew he in a cab This time
he had wit enough not to show signs of evvng but sat
huddled between two men, listening His pockets
being deliberately rifed O'shea was filling his own
ITO Peter Slows loft he saying. @Peter won't
be there tonight; he'll be at the club telling his fool
stories We can make good getaway. Take his pants
cross, and catch the first boat over the pond"
Then indiscreet movement of Fenton's head at
tracted the notice of his captors The chlorofo hand
kerchief was pressed firmly to his nose again. and
Fenton knew no more
HE awoke, he had idea how long afterward, with
chilled legs to find himself lying his back, sick
with nausea, his trousers missing He in some dark
place. and could nothing except at side of
dim spots which from time to time obliterated
by one, and reappeared again like holes In the dark
admitting the merest trace of light He not out of
DOORS though the floor he lay felt if covered with
gravel There was close, unfamiliar smell in his nos
frc md ob ,1>oc 1ou,
persistent cultural sound he could not at first explain
As his brain cleared he made out by the uter
ing of wings back and forth and the peep of chicks that
he in sort of large dovecote pigeon house
Every little while he felt sharp peck at his bare legs
and feathers brushed his face He reached out his hand
cautiously, felt bird slip away from him. and his palm
fell upon small eggs, still from the mother
He lay there awhile longer, in wonderful discomfort
trying to puzzle out his situation AS the
off, he rose and stumbling over pigeons and smashing
eggs at every step, CROPPED his way toward the light
The windows too small for him to see anything
outside. He started to explore the garnet. Bang-he
suddenly fell just escaping being precipitated into
hole in the floor square, like the opening for ladder
though no ladder was there. He thanked his lucky
stars that he had only barked his shins, and rubbed
them till he found they sticky whether with blood
broken eggs he could not in that darkness be
No light came from the trap in the foor-all he could
about him vague forms that fitted to and fro,
all he could hear the monotonous, brooding
of doves. There seemed escape till someone came.
He shouted aloud shouted again and again. waited and
listened His overcoat gone and the pockets OF his
coat had been rifled.
He found single match Lighting it, he gave
glance about, which revealed nothing more than his
imagination had pictured thousands of pigeons the
floor, the rafters, flying hither and yon. He
trying to devise of escape yelling with all
his might meanwhile when light ickered in the hole
below him, and voice came up to him.
"Wfo's there?"
FENTON stuck his head through the trap, and dis
= cerned specialized old man with SCrawny beard,
holding lantern and looking up at him, mouth agape
in wonder.
"Let me out, for Heavens sake!' Fenton cried