Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1915-12-03

| key was unavailing to slide the bolt.
Seconds were precious.
Quickly he went to the corner OF
the house. There was a water pipe.
He began to climb it. risking its pre-
carious support.
On the roof at last, the naturalist
| crawled along, looking for some way
of getting into the house. But he
could not seem to find any. Carefully
| he crawled to the edge Of the roof
| and looked over. Below he could
hear sounds, but could make nothing
of them.
From his pocket he took the leather
case and opened it. There was pc
culiar arrangement, like some Of the
collapsible arms on which telephone
instruments are often fastened to q
desk or wall, capable of being col
lapsed into small space or of being ex-
tended for some distance. On the
thing was arranged a system Of mir
rors, which the naturalist adjusted.
1t was a pocket periscope.
He thrust the thing over the edge
of the roof and down, and looked
through it. Below, he could see into
the room from which came the pecu-
liar sounds.
He looked anxiously. There he could
see Elaine endeavoring still to loosen
the cords and unable to do SO. Only
for a moment he looked. Then he
folded up the pocket periscope in the
case and showed it back into his peck
ct. Quickly he crossed the roof again
and slid down the rain-pipe.
At the door stood three of Del Mars
men waiting for Del Mar who had told
, them he would follow Immediately.
|, The naturalist had by this time
reached the ground and was going
, along carefully back to the house.
He drew his revolver and, pointing II
, down, fired. Then he lodged back OF
, an extension and disappeared for the
moment.
Instantly the three men sprang up
. and ran toward the spot where II
, seemed the shot had been fired. There
! was no one about the side Of the
, house. But the wind had carried the
smoke into some bushes beside the
2 grove, and they crashed into the
!. bushes, beating about.
= At the same time, the naturalist
q having first waited until he saw which
I way the men were going, dashed about
e the house in the opposite direction
Then he slipped, unopposed and unob
Z served, in through the open from
door, up the stairs and along to the
/ room into which he had just been look
j ing. He unlocked the door and en-
tered. Elaine was still struggling with
Il the cords when she caught sight o.
\ the stranger.
H Not a world" he cautioned undel
\ his breath.
She was indeed too frightened to or!
out. Quickly he loosened her, still
i holding his finger to his lips to enjoil
i silence.
II Follow mel" he whispered.
j She obeyed mechanically, and thel
Il went out into the hall. On downstairI
4 went the naturalist. Elaine still keep
1 ing close after him.
Il He looked out through the from
II door, then drew back. Quickly he wen
Il through the lower hall until he cam
to the back door in the kitchen. Elain
following. He unbolted the door an
opened it.
Run" he said, simply, pointing on
q of the door. They're coming BAG
n the other way. I'll hold them"
She needed no further urging. bu
darted from the house as he close
4 the door after her.
eli
It was just at this point that d.
Mar came riding along the main roa
on horseback. He pulled up suddenl
as he saw a car run in alongside th
road.
That's Elaine's runabout," he mu
tered, as he dismounted and tied b
horse. How came 1t here?"
He approached the car, much wo
IT. ried by its unaccountable presens
er there instead of before the st. &c
% main. Then he drew his gun and hu
ried up the side road.
- He heard q shot and Quickened b
ut pace. In the woods Unexpectedly I
as came upon his three men still beatil
m about, searching with drawn revolve
Oh for the person who had fred the she
De "Well?" he demanded. sharpl
AZ whats all this?"
W Someone fired q shot," they
planned, somewhat crestfallen.
1T was q trick, you FOOLS" he q
ne swered testify. Get back to 20
w prisoner"
10 Without q word they turned n
up hurried toward the house, Del M
following. You two 60 in," he
dered the foremost. III 60 aroul
ne, the house with Patrick"
be, As Del Mar and the other man r
'er around the corner they could ju
lid catch q feeting glimpse Of someo
'm disappearing into the trees.
LID 1t was Elaine.
he The man hurried forward, blazi
no away with his gun.
Running, breathless, Elaine hea
Ter the shot behind her which Del Ma
Ter man had fired in his eagerness. T
nd bullet struck q tree near her with
nd "ping!" She glanced back and d
eth the man. But she did not stop.
IDS tead she redoubled her efforts, n
to ming zigzag in among the trees wh'
st. they were thickest.
we Del Mar, q little bit behind his m