The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1920-01-16

Slowly the Belgian prepared for bed.
If he were being watched, he could
not know; but if so the watcher saw
no indication of the nervous excite
ment which the European strove
to conceal When ready for his
blankets, the man crossed to the little
table and extinguished the light
1t was two hours later that the
flaps at the front of the tent separated
silently and gave entrance to a dark
ROBBED figure, which passed noiselessly
from the darkness without to the dark
ness within. Cautiously the prowler
crossed the interior. In one hand was
long knife. He came at last to the
pile of blankets spread upon several
rugs close to one of the tent walls.
Lightly, his fingers sought and found
the bulk beneath the blankets-the
bulk that should be Albert Werper
They traced out the figure of man,
and then an arm shot upward, poised
for an instant and descended. Again
and again 1t rose and fell, and each
time the long blade of the knife buried
Itself in the thing beneath the blank
cts. But there was an initial life
lessness in the silent bulk that gave
the assassin momentary wonder. Few
erishly he threw back the coverlets
and searched with nervous hands for
the pouch of jewels which he expected
to find concealed upon his victims
body.
An instant later he rose with
curse upon his lips. 1t was Achmet
Eek, and he cursed because he had
discovered beneath the blankets of his
lieutenant only pile of discarded
clothing arranged in the form and
semblance of a sleeping man-Albert
Werper had fled.
Out into the village ran the chief,
calling in angry tones to the sleepy
Arabs, who tumbled from their tents
in answer to his voice. But though
they searched the village again and
again they found no trace of the Bel
gian. Foaming with anger, Achmet
Eek called his followers to horse. and
though the night was pitchy black
they set out to scour the adjoining
forest for their quarry.
AS they galloped from the open
gates, Mugambi, hiding in a nearby
bush, slipped, unseen, within the pal.
isade. In the darkness he passed, IN
challenged, and for an hour he crept
about in the rear of the various huts
and tents in an effort to locate that in
| which bis cyta
oned. One there was which he was
reasonably assured contained her, for
it was the only hut before the door of
which n sentry had been posted.
Mugambi was crouching in the shadow
of this structure, just around the cor
ner from the unsuspecting guard,
when another approached to relieve
his comrade.
1.-THE prisoner is safe within?" asked
the newcomer.
"She Is" replied the other, "for
none has passed this doorway since
came"
The new sentry squatted beside the
door while he whom he had relieved
made his way to his own hut. Mugam-
bi skunk closer to the corner of the
building In one powerful hand he
gripped a heavy knob-stick. No sign
of elatlon disturbed his phlegmatic
calm, yet inwardly he was aroused to
joy by the proof he had just had that
Lady" really was within.
The sentry's back was toward the
corner of the hut which hid the giant
black. The fellow did not see the
huge form which silently loomed be-
hind him. The knob-stick swung up
ward in a curve, and downward again.
There was the sound of a dull thud,
the crushing of heavy bone, and the
sentry slumped into silent, mani
mate lump of clay.
A moment later Mugambi was
searching the interior of the hut. At
first slowly calling LADY," in a low
whisper and finally with almost fran
tic haste until the truth presently
dawned upon him-the hut was
empty!