Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1921-12-21
CHAPTER X
In Which the Hun Nation Decreases
by One.
ONE

ONE
Drummond had yielded to impulse
the blind, all-powerful impulse of any
man who is man to get to the WOm-
an he loves if she wants him. AS he
had dashed across the lawn to The
Elms, with the Americans warning
cry echOing in his ears, he had been
incapable of serious thought. Slbcon-
sci0usly he had known that, from ev-
cry point of view it was the act Of q
mailman, that he was deliberately put
ting his head into what, in all prob
ability, was carefully prepared
Moose; that, from every point of view,
he could help Phyllis better by re
naming a free agent outside. But
when a girl shrieks, and the man who
loves her hears it, arguments begin
to look tired. And what little caution
might have remained to Hugh com
pletely vanished as he saw the girl
watching him with agoniZed terror in
her face, from an upsrair window, as
he dashed UP to the house. 1t was
her; then she disappeared suddenly,
as If snatched away by some invisible
person.
I'm coming, darling" He had given
one wild shout, and hurled himself
through the door which led into the
house from the garden. A dazzling
light of intense briIliance had shone
in his face, momentariy binding him;
then had come u crushing blow on the
back of his head. One cropping, wild
step forward, and Hugh DrummOnd,
dimly conscious of men all round him,
had pitched forward on his face into
utter oblivion.
It's too easy" Lakingtou's sheer
ing voice broke the silence, as he
looked vindictively at the unconscious
man.
so you have thought before.
Henry" chuc:lIed Peterson. "And he
always hobs UP somehow. If you take
my advice you'll finish him off here
and now, and run no further risks"
xiii him while he's unconscious?"
Lexington laughed eyilly. mo, Carl,
not under any circumstances what
ever. He has quite lengthy score
to pay and by God he's going to pay
it this time" He stepped forward
and kicked Drummond twice in the
ribs with cold, animal fury
well, don't kick him when he's
down, guv'nor You'll ave plenty o.
time after" A hoarse voice from the
circle of men made darlington look up.
'YOu cut it out Jem Smith," he
snarled, ''or I might find plenty of
time after foL others beside this young
swine The ex-pugilist muttered I'M
easily under his breath, but said no
more, and it was Peterson who broke
the silence.
what are you going to do with
him?"
Lash him up like the other two"
returned darlington, "and leave him
to cool until | get back tomorrow.
But I'll bring him round before I go,
and just talk TO him for a little.
wouldn't like him not TO know what
was going to happen TO him. Antic-
ipation is always delightful" He
turned TO two of the men standing
near Garry him into my room," he
ordered, land another of you get the
rope"
And so it was that Algy Longworth
and Toby Sinclair, with black rage
and fury in their hearts, watched the
limp form of their leader being car
ried into the central room. SWathed
in rope, they sat motionless and inn
potent, in their respective chairs,
while they watched the same process
being performed on Drummond. He
was no amateur at the game, was the
rope-winder, and by the time he had
finished, Hugh resembled nothing so
much as a lifeless brown mummy.
Only his head was free, and that lolled
forward helplessly.
darlington watched the performance
for time; then, wearying of it, he
strolled over to Algy's chair.
"Well. you puppy" he remarked,
"are you going to try shouting againg
He picked up the rhinoceros-hide rid
ing-whip lying on the floor, and
bent it between his hands. "That
vale on your face greatly improves
your beauty. and next time you'll get