Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-04-13
Continued from Yesterdays Starr ,

strange sounds, and. knowing tina
Drummond was abroad on his wan
behring's would peer eagerly over tn
parapet into the desolate torn-ul
waste in front. But they never saw
anything, even when the green
ghostly flares went kissing up int,
the darkness and the shadows dance,
Enthusiastically. All was silent an,
still: the sudden shrill whimper wa
not repeated
Perhaps patrol coming bach
would report German. lying hud
died in shellhole. with no trace o
a wound. but only broken neck
perhaps the patrol never found any,
/ thing. But whatever the report
Hugh Drummond only arinncd ant
| saw to his mems breakfasts Which
is why there are in England today
quite a number of civilians who &C.
k NOV snd , only n two 5ulers,th s
they would willingly die for either.
The result on Drummond was not
/ surpriSing-as nearly as man may
be he was without fear. And wher
, the idea came to him as he sat or
| the, edge Of his bed thoughtful,
| pulling off his boots. no question OF
! the possible risk entered into his
! mind. To explore the house seemed
! the most natural thing in the world
! and with characteristic brevity he
! summed up the situation S it struck
! him.
[ "They suspect me. anyhow: in
! fact. they know ] took Potts. There
I fore. even if they catch me passage
creeping, I'm no worse off than
ana now. And I might find some
! thing Of interest. Therefore, carry
! on. brave heart"
| The matter was settled: the com
| pete bench of bishops. headed by
! their attendant satellites would not
have stopped him. nor the fact that
! the German front-line trench was a
! far safer place for stranger than
the Elms at night. Eut he didn't
! know that fact. and it would have
| cut no more ice than the episcopal
! dignitaries. even if he had. : :
! 1t was dark in the passage out
! room and crept toward the top of
! the stairs. The collar of his brown
lounge coat was turned up and his
stOckinSed feet made no sound on
the heavy pile carpet. Like a huge
shadow he vanished into the black :
ness. feeling his way forward with
the uncanny instinct that comes from
much practice. Every nov and thcn
he paused and listened intently, but
the measured ticking of the clock
| below and the occaional cTeak of a
board alone broke the stiffness
For a moment his outline showed
up against the faint gray light which
was coming through window half
way down the stairs: then he was
gone again. swallowed up in the
gloom of the hall. To the left lay
the room in which he had spent the
evening. and Drummond turned to
the right. AS he had gone up to
bed ne had noticed a door screened
by heavy curtain. which he thought
might be the room Phyllis Benton
had spoken of--the room where
Henry darlington kept his in-gotten
treasures. He felt his way along
the wall. and at length his hand
touched the curtain-oniy to drop
it again at once. From close be-
side him had come a sharp. angry
He stepped back a pace and stood
rigid. staring at the spot from which
the sound had seemed to come-but
he could see nothing. Then he
leaned forward and once more
moved the curtain. Instantly IT
came again, sharper and angrer tina n
before.
Hugh passed a hand over his fore
head and found it damp. Germans he
knew. and things on two legs. but
what was this that Kissed SO viciously
in the darkness" At length he deter
mined to risk it. and drew from his
pocket tiny electric torch. Holding
it well away from his body. he switch
ed on the light. In the center of tie
was d snake. For moment he
watched it. fascinated. IS it spat at the
light angrily: he saw the fiat hood
where the vicious head was set on the
upright body: then lie switched off
the torch and reiterated rather faster
than he had come.
"A convivial household" he mutteret
to himself through lips that were d
little dry. "a hooded cobra is an UNI
pleasing pet"
He stood leaning against the ban
listers regaining his self-control.
There was no further sound from
the cobra: seemingly it only got an
noyed when its own particular domain
was approached. In fact, Hugh had
just determined to reconnoiter the
curtained doorway again to see if it
was possible TO circumvent the snake.
when low chuckle came distinc.' Y
to his ears from the landing abos.
He flushed angrily in the dark IS.
There was no doubt whatever B to
the human origin of that laugh. and
Hugh suddenly realized that he was
making the most profound foil of
himself And such realization,
though possibly salutary TO all of us
at times. is most unpleasant.
For Hugh Drummond. who. with all
his lack of conceit. had very good
idea of Hugh Drummonds capa bill =
ties. to be At an absolute disadvan-
tage- to he laughed at by some dirty
swine whom he could strange in half
a minute-was impossible. His fists
clenched. and he swore softly under
his breath. Then as silently as he
|. had come down. he commenced TO
climb the stairs again. He had q
hazy idea that he would like to hit
something-hard.
There were nine stairs in the first
half of the flight. and il was as he
stood on the fifth that he again heard
he low chuckle. AT the same in
slant something whizzed past his head
so low that it almost touched his
hair. and there was a cfang On the
wall beside him. He ducked instinct
lively. and REGARDLESS of noise raced
up the remaining stairs, on all fours.
His jaw was Set like a vice, his eyes
We're blazing: in fact Hugh Drum
mond was seeing red.
He paused when he reached the top,
crouchnS in the darkness. Close to
him he could feel some one else. and
holding his breath. he listened. Then
h. heard the man move-only the
very faintest sound--but it was
enough. Without a seconds thought
he sprang. and his hands closed on
human flesh. He laughed gently;
then he fought in silence.
His opponent was strong above the
average. but after minute he was
like a child in Hueh's grasp. He
choked once or twice and mute red
something: then Hugh slipped his
right hand gently on to the mans
throat. His fingers moved slowly
round his thumb adjusted Itself low
iugly. and the man felt his head he
ing forced back irresistibIy. He gave
one strangled cry. and then the pres
sue relaxed