Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-27
THE GHDED MAN
Bv CLIFFORD SMYTH

caught the fash of white drapery It IN
bend in that farthest corridor"
Raoul laughed. You are mistaksn,r III
said. Nothing is there now, that's ctt45
tain"
They stood silently watching the dst1k
green-and-whit figures that stretched a4&vF'
IN closely-huddled ranks before them. But
tney could detect nothing that answered to-
Mrs. Quayle's description. There WAe
nothing that moved. nothing human, In All
mat glttering array of grotesque forms &
Ihen, there was a sharp, climbing sound. ~
II the brittle point Of a stalactite had b1en
broken off and had fallen to the ground.
We are watched" said Leighton in 4 low
voice. Whoever they are. these people have
some reason for following us-and keepinR
out of the way"
Time to be on our guard" said Herran In
Spanish to Miranda. who assented vehs-
mently. 49,
Nonsense - exclaimed Raoul.
An You say that?' growled Miranda
susptciously. This Is one trap of yours.
then 20 ~
The accusation added to the general alarm.
itaoul protested scornfully but before he
had time to clear himself he was covered
by two huge revolvers. drawn simultaneously
by Herran and Miranda.
1T is not so easy - threatened Miranda,
whose excited flourish of firearms endanrt
sered the others quite as much as Il ala
Raoul
Thank heaven. we have guns ~ murmure07
Andrew. who had produced a armless-lock-
ing pocket-knife which he brandished inef-
fectively. S&A
This sort Of thing is very annoyinr.y said
Leighton, addressing Raoul. who began to
show uneasiness. There's no DENYING that
your disappearance was suspicious. Then
we find you here in a place that is evidently
known and freauented by others Your ex-
PLANTATION is unsatisfactory. Then, when the
presence of these hitherto invisible people 10
quite certain, you try to divert our atten-
ton from them"
You are talking nonsense said RaouI
disgustedly. You intimate that I am In
league with the inhabitants Of this cave
against you. That means. / must have lured,
you here deliberately to do YOU harm.
Please remember that it was YOU who
planned this expedition, and that I had not
rentured in here SO far before
Who knows! You seemed famiiiAr
enough with the secret of the Black Mag.
net"
Take us out of here, my fellow. and w
believe you are not one scamp" said Mfranda
brusquely.
Il am not bound to do anything OF tho
kind. even If I could retorted Raoul. Look
out for yourselves"
SO! that is good" commented Miranda.
We take the advice. Here we can do
nothing. Into Guatavita we cannot jung
through this well. Mel am too fat Z"
The busting doctors show of energy
proved infectious. He and Herran unceFo.
moniously pocketed their revolvers, 1eaving
Raoul at liberty to do as he pleased. while
they looked about for a way of escape.
Since he had become suspicious of Raoui,
Leighton was inclined to trust the ieadershtp
of the two South Americans. The latter.
convinced that there was no way out from
this part OF the cave. determined to 70. baof
TO the central chamber, hoping to hnd th3t1
the entrance to the tunnel leading to the
outside world. They hit on this plan becauso
they feared an ambush on any Of the Iabys
%rlnthlan trails leading Off in other une1<
plored directions.
CCONTINJ'En TnMnpDnvrN IS ~