The Elk Mountain pilot., 1917-11-29

Sebastian Wrenehed the Cloth Out Of
His Hand.
bed in order to seize Sebastian before
he could make his getaway. But Sc
bastian had been too quick for him.
RObed In the mantle, which COM
pletely enveloped him, Sebastian was
crcuching upon one of the empty beds.
waiting for his opportunity to make
break for freedom. He saw Ravengar
hunting for him in the wrong direc-
ton.
He crept softly from bed to bed.
Ravengar was advancing along the
middle of the room, with arms out
spread, like man in blind mans bun.
1t was easy to elude him.
He crept toward the window, near
which, In n rack, rested the fire extin-
guisher and the fire AK. Raising the
ax, he shattered the window glass.
The doctor by the door, seeing the
ax apparently pick itself out of the
rack and break the pane, uttered a
loud cry and came running forward.
go back" shouted Ravengar, and
pricipitated himself toward the win
uOW, tTNlus 10 STuSp SeDuStluu Uy tue
legs and bring him down.
Sebastian had anticipated this move.
He flung the AK into Ravengars face.
Fortunately for the latter, he happened
to move aside Mt that moment.
Sebastian had crawled under the
nearest bed as Ravengar made for him.
Ravengar was puzzled. CrOuchlng
down. he began to beat the room with
his arms. But Sebastian was already
travelling from bed to bed.
Look" !" cried Leontine.
The depressions caused by Sebas-
tian's feet were becoming visible upon
the counterpanes. Ravengar rushed
to head Sebastian off, but Sebastian
had already reached the door. The
doctor suddenly felt violent blow in
the face. which sent sent him stagger-
ing. The next moment Sebastian had
opened the door and rushed toward the
stairs.
Fate was with him no longer. An at
tendant was coming up the middle of
the stairway. Sebastian hesitated an
instant. but Rayengar was close be-
hind him, and the two men were clos
ing in on him. The one was conscious
Of his presence, the other not.
"Stop him!" Ravengar yelled to the
attendant, who stopped in surprise and
looked about him.
The next instant Ravengar saw the
attendant stagger under. the impact
of the collision.
Now hold him!" he yelled, and
dashed down after Sebastian. His
hands caught the surface of the cloth,
dragging 1t from Sebastian's head.
The attendant. seeing head, unsup-
ported by any body, apparently floating
In the air, uttered one scream and
promptly disappeared.
Ravengar made a wild leap for Sc
bastian. The head disappeared again
as Sebastian threw the mantle over
himself. But Ravengar tackled him,
and the doctor and the hospital attend
ants who had been drawn to the spot
by hearing the sounds of the struggle
saw Ravengar apparently fighting with
himself upon the stairway.
Then. as the struggle grew fiercer.
they saw first head, then an arm,
then part Of body appear and disap-
pear, as If materialized out of thin
air. 1t was too much for their nerves.
Sebastian fought desperately, for 1t
was battle for life. He and Raven
gar were very fairly matched. They
buffeted each other and struggled,
until, with n supreme effort, Ravengar
raised Sebastian in his arms and tried
to fling him over the banisters to the
hall below.
Sebastian, poised thus, clung to Raw
engar. If he died, his enemy should
die with him.
The doctor, standing above. saw the
two men fall headlong to the mosaic
pavement underneath, where the clerks
and other attendants had already gath
cred.
AS the bodies struck the hall floor,
there was hasty scramble for safety.
By a miracle neither was seriously
injured. Ravengar. however. was
slightly stunned, and. during the few
moments of semiconsciousness that fol-
lowed Sebastian managed to wrench
the cloth out of his hands and disap-
pear.
He vanished as Leontine came rum
ming down and kuelt beside her friend
(END OF TWELFTH EPISODR)