Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-03-09

extinguished by the socket key. rather
than by the wall switch while the heat
of the bulb indicated that the current
had been shut of only an instant be-
fore his entrance.
The light full up, he went back to
, the thug, ,knelt,- and, lifting the body,
turned it upon its back.
/ Recognition Immediately rewarded
this maneuver: the masked face up
turned to the glare was that OF the
/ American who had made a fourth in
i the concert Of the Pack-"Mr Smith -
/ Quickly unlatching the mask, Ian
4 yard removed it; but the countenance
! thus exposed told little more than he
knew; he could have sworn he had
never seen it before None the less,
something in it's saturnine cast per-
! sistently troubled his memory with
the same provoking and battling effect
that had attended their first encoun-
ter.
Already the American was strug-
Cling toward consciousness. His lips
and eyelids twitched systematically,
he shuddered, and his fexed muscles
began to relax. In this process some
thing fell from between the fingers of
his right understanding small and
silver-bright that caught Lanyard S
eye.
Picking it up, he examined with in
terest a small hypodermic syringe.
loaded to the full capacity, plunger
drawn back-all ready for instant use.
1t was the needle of this instrument
that had pricked the skin of lanyard S
neck; beyond reasonable doubt it con-
ing dose of some narcotic drug-co-
caine, at a venture.
So it appeared that this agent of the
Pack had been commissioned to put
the Lone Wolf to sleep for an hour or
two or more-perhaps not perma-
nently-that he might be out of the
way long enough for their purposes.
Lanyard smiled grimly, lingering the
hypodermic and eying the PROSTATE
man.
Turn about" he reflected, lis said
to be fair play. Well, why not?"
With this he bent forward, dug the
needle into the wrist Of the American
| and shot the plunger home, all in a
single movement so swift and deft
that the drug was delivered before
the pain could startIe the victim from
his coma.
AS for that, he recovered quickly
enough; but only to have his clearing
senses met and dashed by the muzzle
Of pistol stamping a cold ring upon
/ his temple.
Lie perfectly quiet my dear Mr.
Smith" Lanyard advised: don't speak
above a Whisper! Give the dope a
chance; it'll only want a moment-or
I'm no judge and you're a careless
! highbinder I'd like to know, how
| ever, if it's all the same to you"
But the drug was taking swift eff
feet; the look of panic which had
| drawn the features of the American
and fiickered from his eyes, with
dawning appreciation of his plight,
was clouding, fading, blending into
|
fiuttered and lay still; the lips moved
as if with urgent desire to speak, but
were dumb; a long, convulsive sigh
shook the Americans body, and he
rested with the immobility Of the dead,
! but for the slow and steady rise and
/ fall of his bosom.
Thoughtfully Lanyard reviewed
| these phenomena
| Must kick like a mule, that dope!"
he reflected. Lucky it didn't get me
before l guessed what was up! If
I'd suspected it's strength, however,
| I'd have been less hasty-I could do
with a little information from Mr..
Mysterious Stranger here!"
| Suddenly conscious of his dry and
burning throat, he rose, and going to
the washstand, drank deep and thirst
t lily from water bottle, then set him
self resolutely to repair the disarray
| of his wits and consider what was
| best to be done.
| IN abstraction he wandered to a
chair over whose back hung light
dressing gown of wine-colored silk,
which, because it would pack in small
! compass, he was in the habit Of carry
| ing with him on his travels. Lanyard
had left this thrown across the bed.
| and he was wondering subconsciously
what use the other man had thought
Ito make Of it that he should have
! taken the trouble to remove it to the
| chair
But even as ne laid hold OF it he
dropped the garment in sheer surprise
to find it damp and heavy in his grasp,
sodden with viscid moisture. And
| when, in a swift flash Of intuition. he
examined his fingers. he discovered
| thereon faint discoloration-a red
| dish stain.
! Had the dye run? And why had the
| American come to dabble the thing in
| water?
| Then the shape of an object On the
| floor near his feet arrested Lanyard's
| questioning vision. He stared, incred-
| ulous, moved forward, bent over, and
picked it UP, clipping it gingerly be-
tween his fingers.
1t was one of his razors-a heavy
+ hollow-ground bIade-and it was foul
with blood.
With low cry, suddenly smitten
with understanding, Lanyard wheeled
and stared fearfuIIv Of tbo door con1