The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1917-12-21

From a lantern in a far corner there
were disclosed the outlines of long
room, with a matted floor and many
rich rugs. There were some articles Of
furniture. teakwood chairs and tables
and many more mats.
Phil removed his shoes and crept to
screened corner. From the privacy
Of the screen he watched down the
length of the room. There was no
visible door in the walls. He could
not even see an aperture where be had
fallen from the strong room Of the bank.
but he suspected that the entire back
wall of the strong room had pivoted in
to this strange place and pushed him
down.
Suddenly a sound smote the silence,
the sharp intake of Chinaman's
breath when he is surprised.
| Phil looked from his hiding place.
| A strange figure was approaching
down the length of the room, hui
man form completely covered with a
strange dress Of black feathers. 1t
was a small, bent form, and the veil
Of black feathers hanging before the
invisible face fluttered In and out with
the breath of its wearer.
In its hand the strange being carried
wicked looking knife.
"Ah, hav thought Phil, and his hold
on the revolver frightened. Here is
the old Black Pheasant himself! I'm
to be mnerved by threats, stirred by
thefts, and when I attempt to discover
the thefts l am decoyed here and muir
dered. Well, two can play at that
game, my somber Bird"
When the Black Pheasant had reach
ed the spot where Phil had carelessly
left his shoes he bent over them for
moment, and then, uttering shrill
staccato yell, he turned and began
/, to search the room. When he poked
his evil head around the corner Of the
screen Phil was ready for him. The
pistol spoke, but by rapid turn Of
his arm the Black Pheasant sent the
bullet flying to the ceiling.
Phil made a rush for the man and
grasped the wrist that held the ugly
knife, forcing the hand to the floor
There Phil struck 1t such blow with
the knuckles of his other hand that
the knife dropped from the nerveless
fingers. Both men made desperate eff
forts to regain it, but neither could dis
tinguish in the dim light where it was.
Phil in grasping the others wrist
had been made aware that the skin
was oiled. The feathered man thus
had a great advantage over Phil. The
latter had the advantage, however, in
being a man Of herculean strength.
He threw himself upon his antagonist,
grasping his throat This, too, was
oiled, but Phil managed to get grip
of both hands on the muscles of the
neck, including the windpipe. That
grip he held till one after another he
felt the muscles Of the body relax
and he knew the man was dead.
Phil crouched there in listening at
titude.
Would the dim shadows Of the Ions
room give up any more of these gro
tesque black feathered pheasants?
He waited until an eternity appeared
to have passed; then he crept out eau
tiously, peering behind screens ant
searching all the dark corners.
\ | Ine result OIL LIS st dlCu VAS IL At6S
chest filed with canvas bags Of gold
:, the gold which had been stolen during
Blare's time and the last thefts. 1
: was all there intact. The thief hat
. stolen but was afraid to spend,
Who was the thief that he or the,
lacked the courage to spend what the,
o had stolen?
:, Phil went back to the prone figure O.
; the Black Pheasant
= He drew aside the yelling blacl
o feathers and saw the wizened face o
old Wong Suong, the night watchma1
a who had been proved of impeccabl
: honesty because he was openly so poor
O Wong Suong was the Black Phan
o tom. He was the writer Of the mys
V FERROUS messages, he was the thief 0
gold. the murderer Of Oscar Blare, tn
# would be murderer of Phil Manton.
g Phil never discovered when the bac
q wall of the Far Eastern had been tam
d pered with, but he suspected that
j. had been known to Wong Suong for
IL long time.
d No one save the officials of the ban
A. ever knew the history of that nigh
Phil managed to escape and secur
e help. The gold was returned to tn
D. strong room and the rear wall rer
Il dered firm. The mysterious room |
1t the rear was taken for a director
ID room, and the memory Of Oscar Blar
-e was cleared of the stigma of suicide.
People say that the Far Eastern ban
N must have passed through tinancif
a. crisis, for Manton lost his worried loo
" and has ever since then been his genis
ID self.
But Phil smiles and tells himsel
id that the shadow Of the Black Plea,
X ant has passed away forever and tbs
III the Far Eastern is as firm as the roc
of Gibraltar.
N But he cherishes a profound respet
for old Wong Suong's powers Of II
n. genuity.
ly Soldiers to Read Browning.