The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1912-11-01


into the folds of his tunic, From a
neighboring compartment of the desk,
the second stranger drew another find,
whi@h he in turn hastily hid in the
same way. With lightning rapidity,
they went through every part of the
! desk. In that same instant Britt felt
rather than heard a footstep behind
him, and, jerking glance over his
shoulders, saw Sands advancing upon
him angrily. With quick uplift Of
his hand, the detective stopped the
millionaire in his tracks, and then
drew him quietly toward the portiere
and motioned for him 70 look through
the hole in the leather. Sands bent a
little, and then glanced wondertngly
into the bedroom. He raised a face
of astonished inquiry to Britt He was
answered by another silencing ges-
ture from the sleuth He looked once
more through the tiny hole just in
time to see the Hindoos straighten
themselves from their crouching at
ttude over the desk and turn toward
the window. His hand thrust itself
into his coat pocket, he slipped into
the opening in the portieres with
single stride, and, leveling an auto
matte pistol that looked more like
block Of steel than anything else, he
cried: "Hande upl"
The men did not turn; instead, they
leaped for the window, followed by
Britt and Sands. Quick as they were,
they were not quick enough for the
Headquarters man. Launching his
wiry form as a tiger springs, Britt,
pistol In hand, hurled himself between
the foremost Indian and the open win
dow and seized him in his strong
grasp. Sands, almost as rapid In his
movements in spite of his bulk, flung
a powerful arm about the throat of
the other intruder, and with his other
hand closed the window with a crash.
Britt and Sands dragged their pris-
oners to the other side of the room
and forced them down upon a couch
Then the sleuth, slipping his pistol
back into his pocket, seized the Indian
Sands was holding by the throat, and,
more as an order than a request, ask
ed the millionaire to bind the cap
tives.
Il think I recognize you, my dear
young friends" he said. You are
two of the dark jugglers who had fun
with me in Central Park and River
side Drive last evening l think it's
about time for me to return the COM
pliment with merry little jest of my
own" Turning his head to the mil
lionaire, he said again: eff you have
any silk handkerchiefs to spare, Mr..
Sands, please use them as handouts.
These gentlemen are accustomed to
silk, and I would not like to use any
thing cheaper on them than they used |
on me. l suppose II we trussed them |
up with cotton or hemp. they'd die Of
modification"
The detectives sarcasm was lost |
ON Sands until he thought to recount |
in few brief words his abduction In |
the park and the struggle for life that |
had followed 1t. It was evident that, |
in spite of the detectives GOODNESS, he
had some feeling on the subject. In |
fact, his manner toward the now cow
AAhB AAAhNOOo Uoo llIOAO vi lCob ~
vengeful. Sands fell in with the hui
NOR of the situation, and in a very
few minutes the Fasteners were
bound with silk handkerchiefs as soft,
yet strong. as any scarf they could
have prodoced IN the bazaars Of Cal
cutta or Cawnpore. When the task
was done, and 1t was done pretty neat
nrfN Do nj b. kolF
struggling mems threats and pushed
them against the back of the sofa I'M
til they half-sat, halliday there, head
to head. Then he stepped back, rest
ed his hands on his hips, and eyed
thea mochngly.
You are not very clever" he said,
but anyway, you're a fine-looking
body of men What do you think OF
yourselves, anyhow Think you'll cut
out this second story game? or
will you content yourselves with the
safer occupation of dips7 Ny private
advice to you is to try hencoops for
while. Cut out the big circuit, and go
and get reputation"
How much of his biting irony, If
any, the Orientals understood they
did not indicate. They only gazed at
him In dumb misery, evidently in ex-
pectation of an ignoble end. They fol
lowed Britt with their Joint gaze as
he paced up and down the room, both
pitifully watchful. and menifestly
most wholesomely afraid.
You saw part of what these chaps
were doing. Mr.. Sands" said Britz,
but what you saw was only the last
of It. ! want to tell you the way they
went through this room was amazing.
l hope you didn't lose many vslu-
ables."
Sands. in his slow way, assured the
detective that IL was not likely the
searchers had found anything he
would miss very greatly; but the
man was not satisfied.
The mystery of the proceeding, he
was inclined to think, did not begin
and end with the Orientals. II was
possible, Of course, they had searched
Sands room simply as a matter of
routine in the same way that at the
hrst opportunity they probably would
search the home of everyone who
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