Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-12-22

Vienna 1 don't want anything more
than belongs to her. She left
With a great deal more upon her
than she brought! But am l to sup
pose, Monsieur. that you have made
your way here, at some personal in
convenience, l should say. to discuss
| the generosity Of my remuneration to
| the lady?" There was a tense silence
and the Captain continued in low.
almost purring voice. You do not
appear. even now, to comprehend the
thing You have done. shall do my
best to make You comprehend--and
before L have finished it may be that
l shall have a clearer explanation OF
this impulsiye call You have no
notion, Monsieur, how certain things
unloose the tongue-but you shall
discover"
| Billy saw his white teeth show in
a deadly smile. Back of him q dark
heavy figure appeared and the captain
without turning his head or moving
his eyes or his gun from Billy, gave
some rapid directions in Turkish and
the figure disappeared. 1t occurred
| to Billy like flash that from that
secret passage where the figure had
appeared there. was a panel into the
room on the right and that room had
a door opening into the hall outside
The next moment he felt the door
behind him open.
Then he pulled the trigger of that
gun in his pocket in which his hand
had been so lightly resting. The
Captain seemed to fire the same in
slant, but Billy had jumped aside as
he shot his own gun and he heard
the bullet singing past his ear, and
now, with his revolver out of his
pocket he shot again with an aim
so true that the other mans right
hand gave spasmodic jerk and the
revolver went spinning to the ground
Across the room he hurled himself,
springing from the onslaught Of the,
assaiiant entering behind him, and
thrusting the cursing Captain from
his path he leaped thru the sliding
panel. The lock clicked home and
he paused even in that moment of
hammering pulses and pounding
heart to tumble in the darkness to
shut that other panel into the next
room, remembering Fritzi's warning
that those locks needed key to open
them from within. The minutes de-
lay for the key would mean many
minutes for him.
He stumbled against the tiny stairs
that led to the tower room thru
which Falconer. had descended, but
he did not dash up those stairs 70,
he heard the noise of feet overhead,
as If returning from pursuit. and he
darted straight on thru the long, mar
| row, unlighted corridor, running like
a hare.
At the other end he crashed against
a half-open door and fell headlong
down a flight of stairs. From his
astonished fingers the revolver went
Gathering and tho he picked himself
up, battered but unbroken, at the
foot, he dared not waste a minute to
go back and hunt for the gun in the
dark. He was totally at loss for
directions; he had expected to find
himself in the Captains rooms. and
the stairs were unknown. Now he
could just make out a door ahead of
him and sent it flying open, smash
In the face of an astonished black
boy who went stumbling backwards.
Out went Billy's fist and caught
the unguarded chin a staggering
blow, and as the boy reeled back he
flung one hurried glance about the
big, lamp-lit chamber in which he
found himself, the room evidently of
Captain Kerrissen. and darted to an
arsenal OF weapons that glinted
against the inlaid panels Wrencbing
down the shortest scabbard he jerk
ed out a most villainous looking two
edged knife and gripping this pratt
cal weapon he bounded out the door.
fled thru the dim hall to his right,
rounded corner, to the right again,
hearing the sounds of pursuit loud
err and louder now behind him, shot
thru a vast reception hall and plung
ed down flight of stairs.
From the darkness below a figure
rose up to receive him with a grip
like iron. Billy's right arm was
| doubled at his side; the blade of that
villainous old dagger was pressed
against the yielding softness of the
| fellows sash, but for the life Of him
against the human flesh. With a
| conclusive movement he tore him
self from those gorilla arms and sent
up desperate kick, then leaped past
the staggering man, and with the I'M
used knife in his teeth. he tore at
| the bars Of the great gate in the wall