The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1921-09-15

have killed you. I'm sorry about 1t
I wasn't particularly anxious to end
your life. But 1t had to be done"
The German. hardly conscious OF
what he had said owing to the pain In
his arm, was frantically kicking the
Engllshman's legs, still bound to the
chair: but the iro grip on his wrists
never slackened. And her quite sud-
denly came the end. With one dread
full, ~convulsive heave the German
jerked himself free, and fell doubled
up on the floor. Fascinated, they
watched him writhing and twisting,
until AT last, he lay still. The
BOche was dead. 49,.
"What was that blOw-pipe affair."
cried Sinclair hOarsely.
"The thing they tried to finish me
with In Paris last night" answered
Hugh grimly, taking a knife out Of his
waistcOat pocket. LET us trust that
none Of his pals come In to look for
him."
A minute later he stood up. only to
sit down again abruptly, as his legs
gave way. They were numbed and
stiff with the hours he had spent In the
same position. and for n while he could
do nothing but rub them with his
hands, TIL the blood returned and he
could feel once more.
Then, slowly and painfully, he tot
tered across to the others and set them
free as well. They were In nm ever
worse condition than he had been
and It seemed as If Algy would never
be able to stand again, so completely
dead was his body from the waist
dOwnwards. But, at length, after what
seemed an eternity to Drummond, who
realized only too well that should the
gang come In they were almost as help
less I'm their present condition as II
they were still bound in their chairs
the other two recovered.
"All fit now? Good! We've got tC
think what we're going to do, for we're
not out of the wood yet by two or
three miles"
Lets get the door open," remarked
iAlgy. land explore"
Cautiously they swung 1t open, and
stood m~otionless. The house was in
absolute silence: the hall vas de.
serted.
"Switch out the light" whispered
Hugh. "We'l wander round"
They crept forward s%tealthily In the
darkness, stopping every now and then
TO listen. But no sound came to their
ears: II might have been a house of
the dead.
Suddenly Drummond, who was in
front Of the other two, stopped with a
warning hiss. A light was streaming
out from under a door at the end Of q
passage and, as they stood watching
ii, they heard a mans voice coming
from the same room. Some one else
answered him and then there was
silence once more.
At length Hugh moved forward
again. and the others followed. And
IT was not until they got quite close tC
the door that n strange, continuous
noise began TO % noticeable-a noise
which came most distinctly from the
lighted Don 1t rose and fell with
HOMOGENEOUS regularity; at times 1t re.
sembled a brass band-at others II
died away to a gentle murmur. And
occasionally ii was punctuated with q
stranglcd snort. ...
"Great Scott !" muttered Hugh ex
citedly, 1.-THE whole boiling bunch ar
asleep, or I'll eat my hat"
Then who was it spoken said Algy
AT least two Of 'em are awake RICH
enough"
And, as IL in answer to his question
there came the voice again from In
side the room.
oval, Mr.. Darrell, l guess VIZ ca
pass on, and leave this bunch"
With n laugh of joyful amazemen
Hugh flung open the door, and fOun
himself looking from the range Of
yard into two revOlvers.
II don't know how you've done II
boys" he remarked, "but you can pu
those guns away. l hate looking q
them from that end"
"What the devil have they done {
all your dialsT' said Darrell, slOwl
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