Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-01-07
The Mystery Of
the Bou1e Cabinet
Is u TON E.. STEVENSON
Copyright. 1918. by Burton E. Stevenson.
Copyright, 1918. by Burton E. Stevenson.

ton, Godfrey sat down on the bot
tom step n nov his shoes, mo-
tioning us to do the same. Simmonds
obeyed phlegmatically, but my hands
We're trembling so with excitement that
CT my SHOES: but l managed to get them
both off without mishap, and to set
them softly on the floor at the stair
foot.
When at last 1 looked up with a sigh
of relief, Godfrey and Simmonds We're
stealing slowly up the stair, revolver in
hand. l followed them, but I confess
my knees were knocking together, for
lhere was something weird and chilling
IN that voice going on and on. 1t
ounde like the voice of a mailman:
there was something about it at nee
ierocious and triumphant "S~
Godfrey paused an instant at the
stairhead, listening intently; then he
moved cautiously FORWARD coward an
~opendoor from which The voiced
seemed to come, motoining us at the
same time to stay where we We're. And
as | knelt, bathed in presperation. l
caught one word, repeated over and
over:
"Revanche! Revanche. Revanche!
Then the voice fell to a sort OF low
growing, as of a dog which worries
its prey, and / caught a sound as of
ripping cloth.
Godfrey, on hands n knees, was
peerlng into the room. Then he drew
back and motoined US forward.
! shall never forget the sight which
met my Eyes as l peeped cautiously
around the corner OF the door.
The room into which I was looking
was lighted only by the rays which
filtered between the Stats of a closed
shutter. In the middle of the floor
SfD6 the Rnn1o .nnhinnf mud hafnra If
with his back to the door, stood a man
ripping savagely away the strips of
burlap in which it had been wrapped,
talking to himself the while in a sort
of savage sing song, and %pausing from
moment to momen to glance at a hud-
died bundie lying on the floor against
the opposite wall. For a time, /
could not make out what this bundle
was. then, straining my eyes, l saw
that it was the body of a man,
Wrapped round and round in some web
like fabric.
And as 1 stared at him. I caught the
glitter of his eyes as he watched the
man working at the cabinet-a glitter
not to be mistaken-the same glitter
which had SO frightened me once be-
fore
Godfrey drew me back with a firm
hand n took my place. AS for me,
! retreated to the stair and sat there.
- Siis i'RPihS my ialG anu u SlI6
TO understand. Who was his man?
What was he doing there against the
wall? What was the meaning of this
ferocious scene
Then my heart leaped into my throat,
for Godfrey, with a sharp cry of
"Halte-la!" sprang to his feet and
dashed into the room. Simmonds at his
heels.
l suppose two seconds elapsed before
] reached the threshold, and stopped
there. staring, clutching at the wall to
steady myself.
That scene is so photographed upon
my brain that | have only to close my
eyes to see 1t again in every detail.
There was the cabinet with it's wrap
pings torn away; but the figure on the
floor had Disappeared, before an
open doorway into another room stood
a man, q giant of a man. his hands
above his head. his face working with
lear and rage. while Godfrey, his lips
CURING into a hooking smile, pressed
a pistol against his breast.
Then. as l stood there staring. it
seemed to me that there was a sort of
flicker in the air above the mans head
and he screamed shrilly.
La mort" he shrieked. LIZ mort,,'
For one dreadful instant longer he
stood there ~motionless. his hands still
held aloft, his eyes staring horribly;
then. with a strangle cry, he pitched
forward heavily at Godfrey's feet.
-