Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-06-14
CHAPTER XII

The distant chime of Little Brad
ley church had struck one o'clock,
when Il. b. Smith stepped from the
shadow or the hedge on the east
side of the Secret House, and
walked slowly toward the road. Two
men, crouched in the darkness, rose
silently to meet him.
Il think 1 have found a place"
said T. b.. in low voice. las |
thought, there are electric alarms
on the top of the walls, and electric
wires threaded all thru the hedges.
There is a break, however, where, l
think, l can circumvent the alarm.
He led the way back to the place
from which he had been making his
reconnaissance.
Here It is" said T. B.
He touched a thin twine-like wire
with his finger. The third man put
the concentrated ray Of an electric
lamp upon 1t.
II can make another circuit for
this" he said, and pulled length
of wire from his pocket. Two min
utes later, thanks to quick manipu-
lation Of his wire, they We're able
to step in safety across the wall and
drop noiselessly into the grounds
I'VE shall find man on duty
house, and have an idea that there
are trip-wires on the lawn"
He had fixed a funnel-like ar
rangement to the head OF his lamp,
and now he carefully scrutinizcd the
ground as he walked forward. The
funnel was so fixed that it showed
no hight save on the actual patch of
ground he was surveying.
Here is one" he said, suddenly. (
The party stepped cautiously over
the almost invisible line /of wire.
supported q few inches from the
ground by steel uprights. placed at
regular intervals
'"rhey fix these every night after
sunset I have watched them doing
It," said 7. b. There is another
line nearer the house."
They found this, too. and carefully
| negotiated it.
Down." whispered T. B. suddenly,
and the party sank flat on the turf
i " oSS
the cause for the alarm, but pres
entity he discerned the slow moving
figure of the sentry as 1t passed be-
tween them and the house. The man
| was walking leisurely along, and
even in the starlight they could see
the short rifle slung at his shoulder
They waited until he had disap-
peared around the corner OF the
house, and then crossed the remain
Ing space of lawn. 7. B. had been
carrying a little canvas bag, and
now he put his hand inside and
withdrew by the ears struggling
rabbit.
Little friend" he whispered, "You
must be sacrificed in the cause OF
scientific criminal investigation"
He mounted the steps which led
to the entrance hall. The steel
beaded curtain still hung before the
door almost brushing the mat as he
had seen 1t. He released the rab-
bit. and the startled beast, after
a vain attempt to escape back to the
lawn, went with hesitating hop on
to the mat, and then, at threaten
ing gesture from T. b., pushed bis
nose to the hanging curtain to pene-
trate his way TO safety. Instantly
as he touched it there was quick
flicker of blue light. and the unfor-
tunate animal was hurled back past
T. B. to the gravel path below. The
detective descended hastily and
picked it UP. 1t was quite dead. He
felt the singed hair about it's head
and murmured a sympathetic vale
AS l suspected" he said in low
voice, IAN electric death- trap for
anybody trying to get into the house
that way. Now, Johnson"
The third man was busy pulling
out q pair of rubber boots; he took
from his pocket pair Of thick rub
Der gloves. and made his way with
confidence up the steps. He leant
down and tried to pull the mat from
its place, but that was impossible.
He gathered up the beads cautiously
with his hands; he was free, by
reason of his boots and his hand
covering, from the danger of a shock
but he took good care that no other
portion of the curtain touched auy
other part of his body. Very eau
tiously he drew the bead e''chick"
aside, looping it back by means of
strong rubber bands, and then T. B.
went forward. In the meantime he
| had followed the others example.
and had drawn stout rubber golosh-
es over his feet and had put. on
gloves OF a similar material. The
lock that he had noticed earlier in
the day was Of a commonplace type;
the only danger was that the in
mates had taken the precaution of
boiling or claiming the door, but
apparently they were content with
the protection which their electric
E-@.Z0Aa-s...-...