Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-03-27

N1~
when I heard the telephone ring. IL
was Craig Without a word Of apology
for his rudeness. which | knew had
been purely absent-mindcd. I heard
him say: Walter. meet me in half
an hour outside that Florence Leigh's
house"
Half an hour later I was waiting
near the house IA the suburbs to
which I had beer directed by the
strange telephone can The day before.
! noticed that II was apparently de-
serted. The blinds were closed and a
To Let" sign was on the side OF the
house.
Hello. Walter" cried Craig at last.
bustling along.
He led the Nay around the sid or
the house TO "A winsow and. with n
powerful grasp. w%rcuched open the
closed shutters. ~ had Just smashed
the window WREN a policeman ap-
peared.
Hey. you fellows what are YOU
doing there" he shouted.
Craig paused q second. then pulled
his card from mis- pocket
"Iust the man want. ne rarried.
much TO the ~policcman's s-rprise.
There's something crooked going on
here. Follow Us is.r
We climbed into the window There
was the same living room We had
seen the day before. But il Was now
bare and deserted.
Come on" cried Kennedy. beckon-
ing us on.
Quickly h rushed through the
house. There was not a thing in Il 20
change the deserted appearance ~
the first floor. AT last ID occurred ~
Craig TO erope his way down cellar.
There was nothing there.
Kennedy had beer carefully going
over the place. and Was AZ the other
side OF the cellar from ourselves
when | saw him stop ana gaze III the
floor.
Hide" h whispered suddenly to
We waited a moment Nothing hap
pened. Had ne beer seeing things or
hearing things. | wondered?
From our hidden vantage We could
now see a square piece in the floor.
perhaps five feet IN diameter. slowly
open up az though on a pivot.
The weird and sinister figure Of a
man appeared over his head H. wore
a peculiar helmst Iith hideous glass
pieces over the eyes and tubes that
connected with a tank which he car
ried buckled ~ his back.
Quickly he closed down the cover of
the tube. but not before a vile cfiluyi-
um seemed 20 escape. and penetrate
even 70 Va in our hidinE places. A.
he moved forward Kennedy gave a
flying leap Al him. and We followed
with a regular football Interference
IL was the work Of only a moment
for us 10 subdue and hold him. While
Craig ripped of the helmet.
II was Dan the Dude.
What's that thing?" 7 pufed. as I
helped Craig with the headEoar
IAN oxygen helmet" he replied.
There must be air down the tube that
cannot be breathed
He went over 70 the tube. Carefully
he opened the top and gazed down.
starting back 4 second later. with his
face puckered up AT the noXious odor
Sewer gas he calculated. a. he
slammed the cover down. Then ne
added 10 tho policeman: Where do
you suppose II FROM"
Why" replied the officer. "the 81.
James viaduct an old sewers some
where about these parts
Kennedy puckered his face as nc
eazed az our prisoner. lie reached
down quickly and lifted something of
the mans coat.
Golden hair he muttered
"Elaine's,"
A moment later he seized the man
and shook him roughly.
Where IL she-tcIl mo7- hc de-
manded
The man snarled some Kind ~ a re-
ply. refusing 10 say a word about her.
Tell me" repeated Kennedy.
"Humph," snorted the prisoner. more
close mouthed than ever.
Kennedy was furious As he sent
the man Keeling away from him he
seized the oxygen helmet and began
putting IL on. There vas only n
thing 10 do-to follow the clue Of the
golden strands OF hair.
Down into the pest hole he went. his
head protected BY the oxygen helmet.
As he cautiously took one step after
another down a series az iron rungs
inside the hole. he found that the wa
ter was up 10 his chest At the bot
tom OF the perpendicular pit was a
sarrow. low -passageway leading of.