Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1912-06-14
SYNOPSIS.

CHAPTER r-David Amber, starting
for a duck. shooting visit with hts friend.
Fakomls, comes upon an attractive yohng
lady equestrian who has been dismounted
BY her horse becoming frightened at the
audden appearance in the road of a bury
Hindu. Amber is about to attack the babu,
but the latter convinces him that he 10
Innocent OF being the intentional cause OF
e B y9banf iadys mishaR lie declares ~
mouthpiece Of The Bell" addresses Amber
as man of high rank and pressing Q
mysterious little bronze box. The To-
Ken, into his hand, disappears in the
nearby wood. Turning TO the girl at his
him by name.
rescue and he addresses her as Miss
Sophie Farrell, daughter of Col Farrell
OF the British diplomatic service In India,
and visiting his friends. the Quains. She
surmises that Quain had written Informs
Gon leading to this deductive reasoning.
They agree TO keep secret the meeting
with the Bengali and the matter OF the
mysterious box, Several nights later the
s.luain home is burglarized and the bronze
box stolen.
CHAPTER III-Amber and his friend
Quain go hunting on an island and be-
come lost when darkness comes on. Start
ing Tor home In a boat, the yawl slips
away In the night with Quain aboard and
Amber is left marooned. He wanders
snaehes cabin and knocks for admis-
-- Iy-upon being admitted n.
recognizes as Its occupant an old friend
named Rutton, whom ne last met In Eng
ttand, and who appears to be In hiding.
When Miss Farrell is mentioned Rutton Il
strangely sfiy. asgltated. Chatterji appears
VINO opens the box and finds an emerald
Elns. Chatterzi summons him to a meet
ing OF mysterious body Of which he 10
nd Aur
rrfA En- v.-ftUtton seize, a r.vo,ver
shd dashes out after Chattert He re-.
turns wildly excited and says he has kill
so so ehe an Hindu; Then. wrought up over
S..i apparent danger. he takes poison,
sCylng; he asks Amber. as friend, to 70
rrHRSTTERa vi Il ssss ssr, ssrsna s.,n.
Der bury his dead friend. m The "T next aay
A a. nnds Quain, tells him something
or ms adventure and decides to leave at
once f4r india, Quain takes him in his
steamer. '"i0
CHAPTER VII-Ambes JOURNEYS to In
ne. sends a letter to Mr.. Labertouche, q
scientific friend In Calcutta, by quicker
route The day the Poonah arrives in
port native mendlcant hangs constantly
CHAPTER vITT.-whsn Amber arrives
In Calcutta he finds a note. apparently
from Labertouche, awaiting him at his
hotel, 1t hints that something peculiar
has happened. advises secrecy and d.
reefs Amber to meet him at a certain
place. On arriving there a middle-aeed
man resembling the Hindu babu Chatterji
greets him. Amber's suspicious are
aroused and he whips out his pistol.
The insignificant fame showed him
a flight of stairs, leading up to dark
ness With drumming heart he be-
gan to ascend, counting 21 steps ere
his feet failed to find another. Then
cropping again, one hand encountered
balusterrail; with this for guide he
turned and followed 1t until 1t began
to slant upwards. This time he count
ed 16 steps before his eyes, rising
above the level of the upper floor, dis
covered to him a thin line of light,
bright along the threshold of a door.
He began to breathe more freely. yet
apprehension kept him strung up to
a high tension of nerves.
He knuckled the door loudly-ons
double knock followed by another.
From within voice called cheer
fully. in English: Come in"
He fumbled for the knob, found and
turned it, and entered small, low
ceiled chamber. very coy with lamp
light, and simply furnished with a sin
gle chair, a charpoy, a Watering,
larTe mirror. and beneath the latter
a dressing table Uttered with collec-
ton of toilet gear cosmestics and bot
ties, which would have done credit to
an actress.
There was but single person In
the room and he occupied the chair
before the dressing table As Amber
came In, he rose; middleaged babu
In suit of pink satin, very dirty. In
one hand something caught the light.
glittering.
"Oah. Mister Amber, / believer" he
gurgled. oily and affable. Believe
me, most charmed to make acquaint-
ance." And he laughed agreeably.
But Amber's face had darkened.
With an oath Ne sprsng back, threw
his weight against the door, and with
his left hand shot the bolt, while his
right whipped from his pocket Rut-
tons automatic pistol.
Drop that gun, you monkey" he
cried. sharply, ~ was afraid of this,
but I think you and III have an ac-
counting before any one else gets in
here"