The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1920-11-12

fellow" said the man with the knife,
and so 1.-THE and quick were his move
ments that the bully only just caught
his hand in time. / had never been
nearer to assassination.
"NoF said the bully. 1--WE will keep
him for the present. He may tell us
much more yet. He won't escape.
I'll see to that. 1 will wait here"
"The work for us, for you"
"For me the greater danger" was
the answer with savage oath. IF
the messenger has reached the EN-
bassy, the police may soon be inter-
! ested in this place. 1 run the big risk.
There is more danger here than in the
streets"
"There is some truth in that" said
the Swede, land it seems to me you
are the man to run the risk. You are
the one who has been fooled. We took
our orders from you"
"Obey them still then and CO." was
the retort. 81 do not tell everything.
We have still good chance"
They went quickly, not so much
obeying his orders, think, as anxious
to get clear of the building. The bully
called instructions othem as they
went down stairs, and promised to
show light as usual in some window
if he had reason to think the house
was being watched. 1 heard door
bang, and then the bully gave his at
tention to me.
"I expect you are trying to be
clever" he said, "but you haven't got
rid of me. Do you really think the
other man is the man we want?"
knowing that I am not 1 made a
suggestion. You seemed to think it
was good one just now"
"Ah, do not say all think-never,
and 1 do not show the world the
works in my brain, nor you, nor those
others. I am not an exhibit in glass
case. No, always say less than l
know, and then people think I know
more than l do. You think you have
fooled me; you have never yet got up
early enough to do that"
fully realized that this man might
be more dangerous to me than any of
the others, but at any rate he did not
threaten me with an ugly knife.
81 see your brain working" he went
on. "You wonder why I did not lock
you up and go with the others
who am their leader. We take little
journey together, and you say nothing
and do exactly as you are told. I can
use knife. Come"
With his hand upon my arm ready
to grip me if l showed any sign of re-
sistence, we went down a flight OF
stairs, and were at the head of Sec
ond flight of stairs, when the street
door below us opened and closed
again, and someone came hurriedly up
the stairs. For moment the bully
seemed uncertain how to act, the in
terruption was evidently unexpected.
One of his companions did not trust
him and was erturning to share his
watch over me. / hoped it wasn't the
man with the knife. Suddenly the
bully, with a threatening hiss to be
silent, drew me into a recess, and as
he did so 1 noticed he had a revolver
ready.
The man VINO came up was stran-
ger to me, a course, brutal fellow,
more ferocious than my gaoler, as
murderous a looking scoundrel as l
had ever set eyes upon. He passed
without glance at the recess and
went up to the room we had left.
"Now, quietly" said the bully, grip
ping my arm. I went with him I'M
hesitatingly for I had no desire to
meet the newcomer. We tip-toed down
the next fight of stairs, then turned
into a short passage, and passed
through door at the end of it. This
opened onto the head of another flight
of narrow stairs, and my companion
paused as if uncertain whether to go
down or not. At the foot he paused
again, and listened before opening an
other door which led into large
storeroom filled with bales and boxes.
"This way" and lie led me down an
alley between stacked merchandise.
He still had the revolver in his hand
ready to use it on me or on any part
enemy who might stand in his way.
No one challenged us and not sound
reached my ears as from one store
room we descended to another, and
finally through small door, which
the bully unbolted, passed into a mar
row street. My companion looked