The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-01-25

y
cried the manager.
Finding a solution to your prob
lem " said the little detective. getting
to his feet. Perhaps, gentlemen. you
will be good enough to follow me"
He stepped through the opening IN
the wall. and lifted the candle which
the valet had placed on the floor
whilst he was raising the panel from
within. BY It's light I could see the
first steps OF a flight which led down
into darkness
we viii take Jackson with US" he
continued Keep an eve on MIN. Mr.. l
Phillips. if you please"
II was a strange procession that We
made. First Peace. with the candle,
then Ransom. with the valet follow
ing. while 1 and Harbord brought up
The rear. We descended some thirty
steps, formed in the thickness Of the
wall. opened a heavy door. and so
found ourselves IN a narrow chamber.
some twelve feet long by seven broad.
Upon a mattress at the further end
lay a man. gagged and bound. AS the
light fell upou his features Ransom
sprang forward. shouting his name
"Silas Ford. by thunder!"
With eager GnEers we loosened the
gag and cut the ropes that bound HIS
wrists He sat up. turning his long.
thin face from one to the other Of us
as he stretched the cramp from his
limbs.
Thank you, gentlemen" said ha.
We'll Ransom. how are thlngs?"
bad, sir; but It's not too late"
He nodded his head. passing his
hands through his hair with q quick.
nervous movement
You've caught my clever friend. 1
see. Kindly 90 through his pockets.
will you? He has something I must
ask him to return to me"
We found It I'm JaCkson's pocket
book-a cheque, antedated a week, for
five thousand pounds, with a covering
letter to the manager Of the bank
Ford took the bit OF stamped paper.
twisting # to and fro in his supple
fingers.
1T was smart OF you, Jackson he
said, addressing the bowed figure be.
fore him. y give you credit for the
idea. To kidnap Il man just as he was
bringing of a big deal--weu, you
would have earned the money"
But how did you get down heref"
struck IN the manager.
He told me that he had discovered
an old hiding-place--a priests hole
he called 1t. and 7 walked into the
trap rs the best man may do some
times. As we got TO the bottom %
that stairway he slipped a sack over
my head, and had me fixed in thirty
seconds. lie fed me himself twice q
day, standing by to see ] didn't holloa.
When ] paid up he was TO have TWEEN
ty-four hours start; then he would
awhile, but I gave in tonight The
delay was getting too dangerous.
Have you a cigarette Harbord2 Thank
you. And who may you be-
It was to the detective he spoke.
my name is Peace. Inspector Ad-
dington Peace. from Scotland Yard
and I owe my rescue to your"
The little man bowed.
'YOu will have no reason TO regret
it. And what DID you think had be
come OF me, Inspector
1T was the general opinion that
you had taken TO yourself wings. Mr..
Ford"
II was as we travelled up TO town
next day that Peace told me his story.
I will set It down as briefly as may
be
Il soon camo 20 the conclusion that
Ford, whether dead or alive, was in
side the grounds OF Meudon Hall II
he had bolted, for some reason. blythe
way. which was perfectly iucOmpre-
hensible, man OF his ability would
not have left a broad trail across the
center Of his lawn for all TO see.
There was. moreover. no trace Of him
that our men could ferret ont at any
station within reasonable distance. A
motor was possible. but there were no
marks OF fits presence next morning
IN the slush OF the roads That fact
] learnt from a curious groom who
had aided In the search and who.
with a similar idea upon him. hal
examined the highway at
daybreak
when I clambored TO the top ~
the wall I found that the snow upon
the coping had been dlslodged. J
traced the marks, az you saw, for
about dozen yards Where they end
ed /. too, dropped 10 the ground out
side There I made a remarkable
discovery. Upon q little drift Of SNOW
that lay in the shallow ditch beneath
were more footprints. But they were
not those Of Ford. They we're tho
marks Of long and narrow boots, and
led into the road. where they were
lost in the track Of flock Of sheep
that had been driven over # the day
before
"I took "A careful measurement %
hose footprints. They might. %
course. belong 20 some private iuveH-
.igator; but they gave me an idea.
Gould some man have walked across
he lawn in Ford's boots. changed