The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1919-11-06
CHAPTER XXI.
The End Of the Chateau.


and a thick air that breathed with
great gasps that hardly brought relief
to my choking throat. And a voice
out Of the darkness crying ceaselessly
In my ears:
"Help met Help met"
raised myself and tried 10 struggle
to my feet. found that cou,i move
my limbs freely. I tried 10 rise upon
my knees, but the roof struck my head.
/ stretched my arms out, and / touched
the wall on either side OF me.
must have been stunned by the
concussion OF the landslide. BY a
miracle had not been struck
Help met Help mel'
I tried to find the voice. I cruwied
three feet toward II. and the wall
stopped me. But the voice was there.
II came from under the wall. felt
about me in the darkness. and my
hand touched something damp.
whipped II back n, horror. Il was the
face OF a man.
There was only the face, Where the
body and limbs ought 20 have been was
only rock. The face was on my side
Of a wall Of rock. pinnlng down the
body that lay outstretched beyond.
recognized the voice now. II was
that Of Philippe Lacroix.
"Ah. mon Dieui Help me. Help
me"
He continued TO repeat the words In
every conceivable tone. and his suffer
Ing was pltiable. felt one hand csme
through the tiny opening In the wall
and grasp at me.
"Who is it," he mumbled. "Is trnt
you. Hewlett? For Gods sake, kill
me"
crouched beside him, but did not
know what to say or do. could only
wait there. that he might not die alone.
"Glye me n knlfel" he mumbled
again; clutchlng at ms. "a knife.
HEWLETT Don't leave me to die like
this Bring Pere Antoine and my
mother. / want to tell her-to tell
her"
He muttered In his dellrium until
his voice died away. thought that he
would never speak again. But present
ly he seemed to revive again to the
consciousness of his surroundings.
"Are you with me. Hewlettf he
whispered.
placed my hand in his. and he
clutched at 1t with feverish force.
"You win have the gold. Hewlett" I"
he muttered, apparently ignorant that
!, too, was a prisoner and in hardly
better plight. II tried to kill you, Hew-
lett. Are you going TO leave me to die
alone In the dark nowf"
NO" answered. at doesn't mat.
ter, Lacrolx." And, really, It did not
matter.
81 wanted TO kill you" his voice
rambled on. "Lacroix is dead.
watched him die. I thought if-you
died, too. no one but I would know the
secret OF the gold. tried to murder
you. blew up the tunnelw
He paused, aad / heard him gasp
for breath. His fingers clutched at my
coat sleeve again and hooped them
selves round mine like claws OF steel.
|
relapsIng into his delirium; "but l left
1t behind me and the police got 1t.
Isn't II odd, Leroux," he rambled on.
''that one always leaves something be-
hind when one has killed man? But
the newspapers made no mention about
the knife. You didn't know he was
dead, did you. Leroux, for all your
cleverness, until that fool Hewlett left
that paper upon the table? You knew
enough TO send me TO Jail, but you
didn't know that It was l who killed
him. Help mel" He screamed hor~
rlbly. "He is here looking at mel"
"There Is nobody here. Philippe"
I said. trying TO soothe his agony OF
soul. What n poor and stained soul
Il was. travelling into the next world
alonel "There is nobody but me. Phil
ippe"
"you lie - he raved. "Louls Is here
He has come for mel He deserved to
die. He tricked me after we had found
the gold. He tricked me twice. He
told LerouX, thinking that he would
win his gratitude and get free from
the mans power. And the second time
he told Carson. Then there were three
OF us in the secret"
"What did you do7" asked. though
II was like conducting a pos; .mortem
upon murderer's corpse.
CrC' BE CoNTINUEp)