Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-03-21


dence enough to get warrant for
with the missing postmaster"
II didn't say I had a warrant for
Crandall," replied the inspector sharp
ly. did you ever hear of Jone Doe
warrant" 2
How do you know they are out
here now" I asked. a.
We'll soon find out. Come on" he
answered, starting across the clearing
almost at a dog-trot.
There were many more questions l
wanted to put to him, but there was
no opportunity. and, besides, / doubted
much if he would answer them. At
first he made little effort to move
quietly, but after we had gone
quarter of a mile or more he called
back in whisper, Quietly now"
We had come to path which led US
through a short thick growth OF I'M
derbrush AS noislessly as Indians fol-
lowing a trail we felt our way along,
the silence broken now and then by
the sound Of bough bent back, or
rustling leaf. Soon the path brought us
out on some rising ground Not fifty
yards ahead of us appeared the de-
serted cottage.
That's it, whispered Dodds.
"Ssh!' answered Davis. "Wait
here!" u.
We stopped there just at the edge
Of the underbrush, peering into the
darkness. straining our eyes to see and
our ears to hear. From the one win
dow in the side of the one-story log
hut a dim light shone, proving that the
place was either occupied or had been
very recently. AS we became more and
more accustomed to the darkness |
could see that there were apparently
two paths, the one on which we were
standing and another leading off at
almost right angle. ....... ..-
AS we looked and listened I heard a
sharp crack. like the breaking of a
twig that had been stepped on.
The sound. 50 far as I could judge,
came from the other path. apparently
hundred feet away from the cottage.
] turned toward Davis and saw that
he. too had heard it. He was stand
ing with his whole body tense, his
head bent forward little as If ready
to spring at any instant. Almost un-
consciously my hand went into my
pocket and brought out my revolver.
I felt that affairs were rapidly ap-
preaching crisis.
to our ears. At first indistinct. 1t
quickly took the rhythm Of footsteps
hurrying along the path. man walk
ing rapidly. decided. The hurrying
footsteps came nearer and nearer.
Davis now was crouching like a run
ner about to make hundred-yard
dash.
It was only minute Of suspense
and yet the effect on my nerves was
indescribable. I wanted to scream like
a hysterical girl: wanted to run. for
ward or back. it made no difference;
wanted to do something. anything
but stand there and wait in the dark
ness.
All of a sudden the form of a man
hurrying along the other path became
visible He seemed to be carrying
something. Davis took two or three
noiseless steps forward and stopped
abruptly. From the shadows, from no.
where it seemed, the figure OF another
man appeared directly in the path OF
the oncomer.
"Hold on there!" it said, or some.
thing like that.
With curse the first man dropped
whatever he was carrying and started
to run The second man started after
him. With not more than ten PAGES
between them the pursued man sud.
denly wheeled. A revolver flashed and
the pursuer with muttered curse fell
headlong in the path. The hunted man
turned and, with headlong speed,
plunged down the path.
At the revolver shot Davis had
leaped forward, and. needless to say,
Dodds and I were not far behind him.
Fast as the fugitive was vanishing
Davis was even faster. With the move.
ment Of trained runner he, the wiry
Inspector, quickly outdistanced Dodds
and myself and was close on the heels
of his man.
AS ran breathless behind him. hop.
ing to arrive in time to help him in
his capture. I saw the man ahead halt
and turn. Instinctively I knew he was
about to shoot again, and, raising the
revolver I had been carrying all the
while. without even trying to aim. !
fired in his direction just az saw the
flash from his revolver There was
hardly a second between the two
reports and then
A woman shrieked.
turned sick with horror. There
could be no mistaking it.
It was the voice of Louise Parrish.
With overwhelming dismay it came
to me that I had shot the woman
loved. Too stunned to move I stood
there. My whole body seemed turned
to stone My arms hung helpless at
my sides. My legs refused to move.
My mouth was fever-dry and my
tongue lay lifeless. Yet my vision.
recall. seemed clear and strong, pene-
trating the darkness as If 1t had been
broad day. I seemed to see. as if the
sight belonged to some one else, some
one outside myself saw the in.
spector and the constable, both appar.
emily unhurt by the shots. dash on in
pursuit. saw mans figure rise up
from the path. seemed to hear him
call out: Louise. Louise, where are