Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1918-05-28
CHAPTER xl-Continucd.

-13-
Ember pushed back his chair and,
rising, strolled to the door. "Moonrise
and fine, clear night" he said, star
ing through the wire mesh of the
screen. "Wish you were well enough
to go riding with me. However, you
won't be laid up long, / fancy. And
I'll be back day after tomorrow. Now
i must cut along"
And within ten minutes Whitaker
heard the motor car rumble Off on the
woodland road. He wasn't altogether
sorry to be left to his own society, but
in spite of his half-hearted perturba-
ton and dissatisfaction, the WEAKNESS
of long, full day was so heavy upon
him that he went to sleep almost be-
fore Sum Fat had finished making him
comfortable.
Distinguishing the candle, the China
man, moving with the silent assurance
of a cat In the dark, closed and latched
the shutters, then sat down just out
side the living-room door, to wait and
watch sleeplessly alert.
An hour passed in silence. and an
other, and yet another. Sum Fat sat
moveless in the shadow, which blended
so perfectly with his dark blue silk
garments as to render him almost In
distinguishable- figure as patient
and imperturbable as any bland, stout,
craven god of his religion. But In time
there fell upon his ears another sound,
to which he stirred, If imperceptibly-
drawing himself together, tensing anu
flexing his tired muscles while his eyes
shifted quickly from one quarter to
another of the darkened living room
and the still more dark bedchamber.
And yet apparently all that had
reused him was the drowsy whistle of
a whippoorwill.
Then, with no other presage,
shadow fitted past one of the side win
dows, and in another reappeared more
substantially on the veranda. Sum
Fat grew altogether tense, his gaze
fixed and exclusively focused upon
that apparition.
Cautiously, nolselessly, edging Inch
by inch across the veranda, the man
approached the door. 1t was open. A
full, long minute elapsed. Even Sum
Fat held his breath throughout that
fnterminable reconnaissance.
At length, treasured, the man slipped
into the room. Another minute: no
sound detachable more untoward than
that of steady respiration in the bed
room; with movement as swift and
sinister as the swoop Of vulture, the
man sprang toward the bedroom door.
Leaping from a sitting position, with
a bound that was little less than a
flight through the air, the Chlnaman
caught him halfway. There followed
a shrek. a heavy fall that shook the
bungalow, the report of a revolver
sounds of scuffling
Whitaker half dazed, found himself
standing in the doorway, regardless OF
his injury.
He saw, as one who dreams and YET
is conscious that he does but dream
Ember lighting candles-calmly apply
ing the flame of a taper to one after
another as he made a round of the
sconces. Sum Fat was kneeling on al
tours, above something that breathet
heavily and struggled without avail.
Whitaker's sleep-numbed facultie:
cleared.
"Emberw he cried. "What in thu
name of all things strange"
Ember threw him a Pickering smile
"Oh, there you are?" he said cheer
fully. 1--WE got something interesting
to show you. Sum Fat''-he stoope'
and picked up a revolver-"you ma,
let him up now, if you think he's safe.
"Safe enough" Sum Fat rose, grin
ming. Had plenty"
He mounted guard beside the dool
For an instant his captive SCENE
reluctant to rise. Ember moved to hi
side and stood over him, balancing tn
revolver in his palm.
"Come," he said impatiently. 80
with your
The man sat up as If galvanized b
fear, got more slowly to his knee
then, grasping the edge of the tabl
dragged himself laboriously to stan
ing position.
Whitaker's jaw dropped and his ey'
widened with wonder and pity. +
couldn't deny the man, yet be found