The Washington herald., 1913-06-22
Copyrighted. 1917
THE BoBBs-MERRILL COMPANY.

of safety. he would find his escape cut
off. Thousands of men were employed,
and thousands more drafted in as vol
unteers to render this outcome assured.
1t was an army deployed in an ir-
regular circle, and moving inward to-
ward its center. Men of the highest
executive ability commanded it, saw
TO its necessary delDerarion, eliminated
which any man could slip. The oc-
casion was serious, and it was taken
seriously.
OF the outcome no one in touch with
the situation had moments doubt.
The messages and the phenomena had
continued to come from the danger
zone. Ii was of course evident that
they could not have been sent from
any portion of the zone actually
searched and occupied by the search
ers. The remaining portion of the
zone, from which they were still COM
ing. had been completely surrounded.
After that the manifestations had
ceased. Therefore, Monsieur Y must
be within the beleaguered circle. To
add to the probabilities, as Eldridge
pointed out, the remaining district COM
passed the highest hills i'll the zone-a
fact on all fours with his hypothesis.
On the appointed morning the army
moved toward the center. Men beat
the ground carefully, so close to one
another that they could touch hands.
As they closed in the ranks became
thicker Animals of many kinds, con-
fused as the ranks closed in on them,
tried to break through the Gordon and
we're killed. Captains held order in
the front row, that the army might not
become a crowd. Birds, alarmed by
the shooting, rose and wheeled.
In the city immense crowds watched
the bulletins sent momently from the
very field itself by private wires strung
hastily for the occasion. Enterprising
Journals had prepared huge rough
maps, on which the contracting circle
was indicated by red lines, constantly
redrawn. 1t was discovery before a
multitude. The imagination of the
public. fired by its realization of this
fact, stretched itself ahead OF the dis
tant beaters, bodying forth what they
might find.
As the circle narrowed excitement
grew. All business ceased. The streets
were crowded; the windows of the
buildings looking out on the numerous
bulletin-boaIds were black with heads.
Those who could not see demanded
eagerly of those who could.
In the Atlas Building the wireless
operator hung out of his window. Be-
side him was Jack Warford.
barrow declined to join them. "You
tell me-" said he.
Jack therefore reported back over
his shoulder the bulletins as they APP
peared. The crowds below read them,
their faces upturned. One ran:
Gordon now has surrounded the
crest of the Knob. Station of Monsieur
Y determined among oak-trees. Men
halted. Picket company surrounds
The crowd roared its appreciation
and impotence. A long pause followed.
Then came the next bulletin:
Search discovers nothing
A puzzled angry murmur arose, con-
fused and chopped, like cross currents
in tideSay. Finally this was hung
out
No trace OF human occupancy"
A moments astonished pause ensued.
Then, over the vast multitude, its faces
upturned in incredulous amazement;
over the city laying sparkling in the
MONDAY sun fell the pail of absolute
darkness.
In the wireless Office of the Atlas
Building Percy barrow laughed.