The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1921-08-20
"What do you mean, Hugh?" asked

about five hours ago Peterson found
out that our one and only Hiram G.
Potts was upstairs"
Good Lord!" spluttered Darrell,
by now very wide awake. "what do
| we do, sergeant-major?"
"We take it in turns-twO at a
time-to sit up with Potts" Hugh
glanced at the other three. Oh it
you blighters-wake up"
| 81 don't know what it is" Darrell
said, rubbing his eyes. Il feel most in
formally sleepy"
"Well, listen to me-confound you
| Toby"
"Sorry, old man." With start Sim
| clair sat up in his chair and blinked
at Hugh.
They're almost certain to try and
| get him tonight" went on Hugh.
"Having given the show away by
| leaving a clue on the wretched secre-
tary, they must get the real man as
soon as possible. It's far too danger
| ous TO leave the-leave the" His
head dropped forward on his chest:
a short, half-strangled snore came
from his lips. It had the effect of
waking him for the moment, and he
staggered to, his feet.
The other three, sprawling in their
chairs, were openly and unashamedly
asleep; even the dogs lay in fantastic
attitudes, breathing heavily, inert like
logs.
"Wake up!" shouted Hugh wildly.
'For Gods sake wake up! We've
been drugged"
| An iron weight seemed to be press
| ing down on his eyelids: the desire
for sleep grew stronger and stronger.
For a few moments more he fought
against it, hopelessly, despairingly !;
while his legs seemed not to belong
| to him, and there was roaring noise
| In his ears. And then, just before
Inconsistencies overcame him, there
| came to his bemused brain the sound
| Of a whistle thrice repeated from out
side the window" With a last stu
pendous effort he fought his way to-
ward 1t, and for moment he stared
| into the darkness. There were dim
| figures moving through the shrubs,
and suddenly one seemed to detach
| itself. It came nearer. and the light
fell on the mans face. His nose and
mouth were covered with sort OF
pad, but the cold, sneering eyes were
unmistakable.
"Lakington!' gasped Hugh, ana
then the roaring noise increased In
his head; his legs struck work alto
gether. He collapsed on the floor and
lay sprawling, while Lexington, MS
face pressed against the glass outside,
watched in silence.
"Draw the curtains" Lexington
was speaking, his voice muffled be-
hind the pad, and one Of the men did
es he said. There were four In ALL
each with a similar pad over his
mouth and nose. where did you put
the generator, BrownlowT
"In the coal-scuttle." A man whom
Mrs. Denny would have had no diff
Guilty in recognizing, even with the
mask on his face, carefully lifted a
small black box out of the scuttle from
behind some coal, and shook 1t gent
", holding it to his ear. Its nm
ished," he remarked, and darlington
nodded.
IAN ingenious invention is gas,
he said, addressing another OF the
men. 1--WE owe your nation quite
debt Of gratitude for the idea"
i A cultural grunt left no doubt as
to what that nation was, and Laking
ton dropped the box into his pocket
go get him." he ordered briefly
and the others left the room.
Contemptuously darlington kicked
one of the dogs; it rolled over AND
Law motionless in its new position
Then he went in turn to each OF the
three men sprawling in the chairs
With no attempt at gentleness nc
turned their faces up to the light, and
studied them deliberately; then he lei
their heads roll back again with
thud. Finally. he went to the window
and stared down at DrummOnd. II
his eyes was a look Of cold fury, ant
he kicked the unconscious man say
agely in the ribs.
"You young swine" he muttered
"Do you think I'll forget that blow
on the jaw?"
He took another box out of hii
pocket and looked at it lovingly.
"Shall II" With a short laugh h
replaced it. Its too good dealt
, Tar you, Captain Drummond, ID. s. o.
INC. Just to snuff out In your sleep
No, my friend, think l can devils
something better than that; some
, thing really artistic"
Il Two other men came in as b.
turned away, and Lexington looke'
! 1t them.
SWELL" he asked, "have You got tn
, old woman"
.Bound and gagged in the kitchen.
answered one Of them laconically
sAre you going to do this crowd int
II The speaker looked at the uncon
/ scjous men with hatred In his eyes
!. ~Thsy cucumber the earth-thi
! breed Of puppy"
n. sThsy win not cucumber Il 70
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