The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-11-26
The Mystery OF
the Bou1e Cabinet
BURTON E.. STEVENSON
Copyright, 1918. BY Burton 2. stevenson.

intricate design Of arabesaued insrus-
tations.
If there IN o secret drawer here"
said Godfrey, ut is somewhere In the
back, where there seems TO be a hollow
space. But TO discover the eembina-
He ran his fingers over the inlay.
n then, struck by a sudden thought.
tested each OF the little figures along
the tympanum. but they were all set
solidly In place.
There's one thing sure" he said,
"the combination, whatever IL 10, Is of
such a nature that II could not be dis
covered accidentally-by a person lean
Ing on the cabinet, for instance. IL
spring: II Is probably a question Of re-
leasing a series OF levers. which must
be worked in a certain order, or the
drawer won't pen I'm afraid We are
up against It."
II can't pretend I'm sorry" I said
with a sigh Of relief. las far as ! am
concerned. I'm perfectly willing that
well, I am not" retorted Godfrey,
curtly, and he sat regarding the cab
met with puckered brows. Then he
rose n began tapping at h back.
/ don't know what It was-for / was
conscious OF no noise-but some mys-
terious attraction drew my eyes to the
window at the farther side Of the room.
Near the top OF the wooden shutter,
which Parks n / had put In place,
was q small sem i-circular opening. to
allow the passage OF a little light, PR
haps, n peering through this opening
were two eyes-two burning eyes . !.
They were fixed upon Godfrey with
such feyerish intentness that they did
not see my glance, and I lowered my
head Instantly.
Godfrey" I said, in a shaking voice.
don't look up; don't move your head;
but there fs some one peering through
the hole In the shutter opposite us"
Godfrey did not answer for quite a
minute, but kept calmly IN with his
examination Of the cabinet.
Did he see you look at him?" he
asked. at last.
mo, he was looking at you, with his
eyes almost starting out Of his head. ]
never saw such eyes!"'
did you see anything OF his face?'
mo, the hole is too small. I fancy
I saw the fingers OF one hand, which
he had thrust through to steady him
self"
How high is the hole?"
Near the top OF the window" "a.
Godfrey came back TO his chair a
moment later, sat down in II, and
passed his handkerchief slowly Owe his
face Then he leaned forward, appar-
emily to examine h legs Of the cab
met. l,..
ct saw him." he said. COR, rather, I
saw his eyes. Rather fierce, aren't
they?'
They're a tigers eyes" I said. with
conviction. E...f"
wei. there is no use going ahead
with this while he is out there. Even
IL we found the drawer, we'd both be
dead an instant later"
You mean he'd kill us?"
III would shoot us instantly.
Imagine what a sensation that would
make, Lester. Parks hears two pistol
shots, rushes In and finds us lying here
dead. Grady would nave a CONFUSION
and we should both be famous for a
few days"
I'll seek fame In some other way"
I said drily. What are you going to
do about it,"
We've got to try to capture him;
and IL we do-well, we shall have the
fame all right But it's a good deal like
trying to pick up a scorpion-we're
pretty sure to get hurt. II that fellow
out there is who I think he is, he's
about the most dangerous man on
earth"
He went on tapping the surface Of
the cabinet. AS for me, / would Live
given anything for another look at
| IuOS6 BlSdIIllnb eyes. lney SeeineO TO
be burning into me; hot flashes were
shooting up and down my back.
why can't I go out as though !
were going after something" / sug-
gested. Then Park and I could charge
around the corner and get him."
You wouldn't get him. he'd get you.
You wouldn't have a chance on earth.
II there is a window upstairs over
that one, you might drop something
out on him. or borrow Parks pistol and
shoot him"
That would be pretty cowardly,
wouldn't it?" I suggested, mildly.
MY dear Lester" Godfrey protest.
ed. when you attack a poisonous
snake. you don't do it with bare hands,
do your" .
the window. "
He's gone!" I cried.
Godfrey was at the window in two
steps.
Look at that!" he said, and then
tell me he isn't a genius!"
l. followed the direction of his point
ing finger and saw that, just opposite
the opening in the shutter, a little hole
had been cut in the window pam
T. THAT fellow foreSees everything"
said Godfrey, with enthusiasm. He
probably cut hat hole as soon as 1t
was dark. He must have guessed we
were going 10 examine the CABINET to-
highland he wanted not only to see,
but to hear. He heard everything we
said, Lesteri"
Lets go after him!" I cried, and,
without waiting for an answer I
sprang across the ante-room and
snatched open h door which led into
the hall. = '..
Parks and Rogers were sitting on
the couch just outside and / never saw
two men more thoroughly frightened.
t"For Gods sake. Mr.. Lester!" gasped
Rogers. and stopped. his hand at his
throat, .-
lis 1t Mr.. Godfrey" cried Parks.
There's a man outside. Get your
pistol. Parks? ?"
Yes. sir" and he took it form his
pocket. .n.t.. ->.
1 snatched' It from him, opened the
front door, leaped the railing, and stole
along the house to the corner.
Then. taking my courage in both
hands, / charged around II.
There was no one in sight; but from
somewhere near at hand came a burst
OF hooking laughter. t.E.
ass CHAPTER XII. .
GODFREY rs FRIGHTENED.