The Ozark spectator., 1916-07-21

l his heart. which SkeWered him to the | floor.
 l sat down in an armchair and felt very sick. That lasted for maybe five minutes and was succeeded by a it of 1 the horrors. The poor, staring, white face on the floor was more than could bear, and I managed to get tablecloth and cover it. Then l staggered to a cupboard. found the brandy and swal- lowed several mouthfuls.
 1 had seen men die violently before. Indeed 1 had killed few myself in the Matabele war. But this cold blood ed indoor business was different. Still I managed to pull myself together. | I looked at my watch and saw that ] it was half past 10. An idea seized 1 me, and l went over the flat with a small tooth comb. There was nobody there nor any trace of anybody, but l shuttered and bolted all the windows and put the chain on the door.
 By this time my wits were coming back to me and l could think again. It took me about an hour to figure the thing out, and l did not hurry, for. un- less the murderer came back, l had till about 6 o'clock in the morning for my cogitations.
 1 was in the Soup-that was pretty clear Any shadow of doubt l might have had about the truth of Scudders $ tale was now gone. The proof of was lying under the tablecloth. The men who knew that he knew what he knew had found him and had taken the best way to make certain of his silence.
 Yes. but he had been in my rooms four days, and his enemies must have reckoned that he had confided in me So I would be the next to go. IL might be that very night or next day or the day after, but my number was up, all right
 Then suddenly l thought of another probability. Supposing I went out now and called in the police or went to bed and let Paddock find the body and cal them in the morning. What kind of Il story was to tell about Scudder?
 had lied to Paddock about him. and the whole thing looked desperately fishy If I made a clean breast of it and told the police anything he had told me they would simply laugh at me The odds were thousand to one that would be charged with the mur- der. and the circumstantial evidence was strong enough to hang me.
 Few people knew me in England had no real pal who could come for ward and swear to my character. Per haps that was what those secret enc mics were playing for They were rlever enough for anything, and an English prison was as good way of getting rid of me till after June l5 as knife in my chest
 Besides. if l told the whole story and by any miracle was believed l would be playing their game. karolides would stay at home, which was what they wanted Somehow or other the sight of Scudder's dead face had made me firm believer in his scheme.
 He was gone. but he had taken me into his confidence. and l was pretty well bound to carry on his work. You may think this ridiculous for man in danger of his life. but that was the way looked at it.
 am an ordinary sort of fellow. not braver than other people, but I hate to see a good man downed. and that long knife would not be the end of Scudder if could play the game in his place.
 IL took me an hour or two to think this out. and by that time I had come to decision I must vanish somehow and keep vanished till the end of the second week of June
 Then must somehow find way to get in touch with the government peo- pie and tell them what Scudder had told me
 l wished to heaven he had told me more and that 1 had listened more carefully to the little he had told me knew nothing but the barest facts There was big risk that even if weathered the other dangers I would not be believed in the end l must take my chance of that and hope that some thing might happen which would con. firm my tale in the eyes of the gov. ernment.
 My first job was 10 keep going fol the next three weeks. It was now tn. 24th day of May, and that mean twenty days of hiding before l could venture to approach the powers tha be. l reckoned that two sets of peopl, would be looking for me-Scudder's enemies to put me out of existence and the police, who would want me foi Scudder's murder.
 It was going to be n giddy hunt, and 1t was queer how the prospect com. forted me. l had been slack so loni that almost any chance of activity wa, welcome. When l had to sit alon, with that corpse and wait on forum, l was no better than crushed worm but if my neck's safety was to hang on my own wits was prepared to bs cheerful about it.
 The next thought was whether Scud der had any papers about him to giv' me a better clew to the business drew back the tablecloth and searched