The Tupelo journal., 1912-09-06
(Copyrishs, Ioso, hy LEAH Joseph Vaace.l

zee what next, and while I vas debatk,
lng it, Black returned, pulling Oh his
E66t. He'd managed to get into his
clothing in 9 surprisingly short time.
He went straight to the door. jerked
1t open, and slammed out. taking the
same path as Power. 1 followed.
judging my distance at discretion.
1.-THE path led US directly to tho
farmhouse. Unfortunately l was a bit
overcautious, and 30 permitted Black
to get too far ahead. By the time I
caught up. something had happened 1
didn't quite see through. at Hrst. I
heard the gate click behind Black.
then. his footsteps as 10 pounded
across the stoop. and "a instant later
voices followed by a sound OF shut
ding. scufling feet. But when l found
him again he was aione-sfttfng alone
In the kitchen. the only lighted room
In the house. He had drawn a chair
up to the table and sat square to IT,
his feet solidly ON the floor. his hands
spread out fat. I could see him quite
plainly through the open door. He
Just sat there, staring at the blank
wall opposite (of course, he couldn't
zee anything, for that matter) and
never moved a muscle through what
seemed to me an eternity.
II daresay this lasted over ten min
utes: it seemed hours. Then sudden
sy 1t came-what we'd both been wait
ing for-like a thunderclap for unex-
~pectedness, only awful. l
sancied l heard, first, a thin, far
shout; at any rate, Black threw pack
his head, as if he had heard some
thing. The next instant the air
seemed to shudder with the most ter
rible, indescribably narrowing scream
of mortal agony
Then silence again-nothing more.
Beyond that preliminary start, Black
hadn't moved. He sat on, just as he
was, though he understood as well as
I, and better, what had happened OF
there in the darkness: tina. Power,
s~uspecting Blacks intentions, had
made a break to get away by Doat.
but had been overhauled by some
body instructed by Black-ovel hauled
and murdered. And he could
sit there, unstirring, with that on his
conscience :!
"After a while | heard something
moving in the barnyard and lodged
back into hiding-into the shadows.
Then a man passed between me and
the light, like a ghost, trotting along
noiselessly. He logged up to the house
and into the kitchen: as he entered.
Black swung round sharply. This new
arrival was a Chinaman-a low-caste
coolie, l judged. l couldn't hear what
they said-they spoke in undertones
but | managed to catch a word or
two, among them boat: which fitted
In with my suspicious. At once Black
got up-heavily, as if very tired
and went through the house n out
by the front door; | tagged along, OF
course. He went directly back to
the wireless station, sat down at the
operating table, and gave another
marvellous exhibition of what a blind
man can accomplish, with instinct 70
Enforcing the sense of touch.
-
"He threw In. the motor cut-oh
switch, to begin with, and the motor
started on the spark. just as some
automobile engines will. Then he
/ monkeyed with the detecter for a
while, listening. Nothing doing, ap-
parently-though he may have been
getting the range for New York. The
next thing, he disconnected the re
ceiving apparatus, threw the current
in through the starting box and pri-
mary switch, and began calling the
New York Office of the Standard Wire
less, stopping now and then to listen
for their response. Presently that
came through, and he told 'em to stand
ready to take an important message
Z for Voorhis, the second vice-president:
they we're to get him on the telephone
at once-wake him up and insist or
an instant answer You'll
! have gathered that | number In the
list of my many and varied accom-
plishments the ability to read Morse
by ear; once upon a time / was
regular telegraph operator.
1.-THE message was: Power has lef'
without warning, taking boat to row
to Vineyard. Absence just discovered
SEND trustworthy substitute immedi
ately. When may | expect him? AL
quiet here; island fog-bound.'
THE reply came through within
twenty minutes-which was prett.
quick work. OF curse ! couldn'
hear it; / only knew it was being re
ceived.
Just as Black gave the 0. X. sig
nal and shut OF the motor and dyna
mo, the door opened again, and hi
wife spoke to him. She said, almos
timidly: Douglas is anything
the matter?' He said in a rough, sur
ly tone: sEverything's the matter
That ass, Power, has stolen n of thu
boats and left the island. I've jus
asked Voorhis to send some n il
his place. He says there's a man OF
the way; it seems Power sent in hi
resignation yesterday evening Thos'
were his words, in effect-as nearl!
rs I can remember them. He Addee