The Washington herald., 1914-10-04

before any one could seize him.
For few seconds there was srin
and sbastiy silence. Brooke looked
around him wildly. The apartment was
unfurnished. save that the door was
covered with Thick rigs, and three
benches were placed near the farther
wall There were six men present all
together, three of whom were sitting
with folded arms upon the farthest
bench. They had the air and attitude
of spectators.
Directly facing them was man as
black as ink, dressed in a yellow robe,
and holding long knife of thin blue
steel in his hand; not far off stood
gaunt, strange-looking person, with
parchment-white skin and burning
eyes, whom Brooke recognized in an
instant from his pictures, as Kinsey
Brand, the explorer
Behind the two men a gigantic negro
was standing with lamps in his hands,
and in front of them the girl, bound
with cords which cut deeply into her
dress, was lying stretched upon a block
of wood. Her face was absolutely
eolorless, her eyes black and staring.
There was a curious, sickly odor
which seemed to come from the lamps
which the negro was swinging. An
these things were before Brooke like
a Hash. For some reason or other,
probably owing to the fact that the
ceremony at which they were assisting
had reached what to them was its most
impressive stage, no one stirred from
his place during those few seconds.
Brooke had time to withdraw his hand
nom his hip pockel. He stood there
i with his feet firmly planted upon the
ground and his back to the wall In
his hand the revolver glittered like sill
yer in the light Of the red flame. Then,
without removing his eyes from the
priest, he shouted as though to unseen
followers:
Come on, you menI I've got theml
I They are all herel See that the house
is surrounded"
The priest, for such he seemed to be,
suddenly raised the knife which he was
holding and crouched as though for q
spring at the intruder. Brooke, who
had never shot at a human being in his
life, felt scarcely tremor as he pulled
the trigger of his revolver and saw
the man go swaying over with hide
Gus CRY and his hands above his head.
His downfall, the fash and report of
the revolver, seemed TO spread confu7,
sion among the remaining occupants
of the room. The three spectators, fol
lowed by the negro, rushed for the,
door. Brand remained for a single'
moment glaring at Brooke.
Then he muttered something, some-I
thing which sounded to Brooke at first
like gibberish, and afterward like mu-
sic, something which ended IN a little
impressive cry-a densnciation, per-
haps, for one hand was lifted to the
ceiling. Then he, too, turned and left,
walking with strange dignity.
Brooke, for the first few seconds, was
! dazed. Then he seized the knife and
commenced to cut the cords which
bound the girl. Once he paused, The
: atmosphere had become unbearable
The sound below was unmistakable-
the cracking and roaring of flames.
t.He glanced at the window. A long
tongue of red FIRE had shot up. He
hacked furiously, at the rope. The girl
. was almost fainting
Get through the hole" he begged,
IF you can. Can you crawl?"
She nodded. He dragged her toward
: the opening. As he pushed her through
{ he glanced back
Make an effort!" he shouted.
She disappeared. He flung himself
; into the opening. He, too, reached the
, other side. The girl was half on her
feet, swaying.
Don't faint" he irnplored. Cling
to me. We must make rush for the
stairs
t They rushed for the stairs. his arm
around her. Below they could hear
the crashing of hatchets as the iremen
forced their way intp the next house.
A volume OF smoke met them, but they
t reached the street in safety.
Her lips moved, but she had no
strength to speak Brooke drove to a
nursing home, where the nlatron was d
friend of his, and where they willingly
took her in.
At II o'clock the next morning
Brooke called at the nursing home. The
girl was lying on the sofa in her room.
She looked at him steadily as he came
/ and sat by her side
Well" she asked.
The two Africans were burned" he
told her quietly. They had planned to
E destroy the place by FIRE if anything
: happened, but the flames spread too
quickly and their own escape was cut
loft"
what about the man Brand
a. HE was found dead in his room"
"And the three spectators?
They must have got away, he re-
q piled. There were no other. casual
d ties. Tell me what happened"
Il was sitting at work" she said,
when l heard them boring at the wall.
| | wrote note and went down into the
street to find boy to take it to you.
When l got back the African was in
, the room. He seized me. put something
over my mouth and dragged me
through to the other side of the wall.
S They tied me to that block and
5 chanted all sorts of strange things |
couldn't understand. Just as you ap-
lpeared the priest had lifted that knife
as though he were going to stab me,
and / heard Kinsey Brand cry out ID
English: Watch for her soulP
{ Brooke shuddered
8 What about my typewriter" :" she
asked weakly.
Burned to ashes, and about time,