The Raymer enterprise., 1921-10-20

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an accident In the night: in q house
like this ono never can tell. Orr
hs carefully cut the end Of q cigar
you might 90 mad, In which case We
shouldn't bother to kill you. In fact,
II you 60 mad. We shall not be dis
pleased"
Once again he smiled genially.
"As said before, in q house like
this, you can never tell. :"
The intimidated rabbit, breathing
heavily, was staring at Hugh fascin-
ated and after moment Hugh turned
to him with q courteous bow.
"Laddie," he remarked. you've been
eating onions. Do you mind detecting
the blast In the opposite direction"
His calm imperturbability seemed to
madden darlington.
"You walt" be snaried thickly; you
wait till I've finished with you. You
won't be 80 id humorous then. -"
Hugh regarded the speaker languid-
ly.
"Your supposition ID more than prob
able" he remarked, In q bored voice.
II shall be too intent on getting into
a Turkish bath to remove the contain
lnation to think Of laughing"
Slowly Lakington sank back In his
chair. a hard, merciless smile on bis
lips; and for a moment or two there
was silence in the room. It was broken
by the unkempt man on the sofa. who,
without warning, exploded unexpected.
ly.
"A truce to all this foollng," he
burst forth In deep rumble; II con-
fess do not understand II. Are we
assembled here tonight. comrades, to
listen to private Quarrels and stupid
talkr'
A murmur of approval came from
the others, and the speaker stood up
waving his arms.
Il know not what this young man
has done: care less. In Russia such
trifles matter not. he has the appear.
ance Of q bourgeois. therefore he must
die. Did We not kill thousands-aye,
tens Of thousands Of his kidney, before
we obtained the great freedomi Are
We not going to do the same In this
accursed country XIII him now
throw him In q corner and let m pro-
ceed."
He sat down. amidst q murmur Of
approval. in which Hugh Joined heart
ily.
Splendid" he murmured. "A mag.
nincent peroration. Am I right, sir.
In assuming that you are what Il vul.
carly known % Bolshevistr'
The man turned bis sunken eyes,
glowing with the burning dres Of fanat.
icism. on Drummond.
II am one Of those who are fighting
for the freedom Of the world" he cried
harshly. "for the right to live Of the
proletariat" he nuns out his arms
wildly. TT ID freedom; It ID the dawn
Of the new age"
Hugh looked at him with genuine
curiosity; It was the first time he had
actually met one Of these wild vision.
aries In the flesh. And then the curl.
osity was succeeded BY very definite
amazement: what had Peterson to do
with such as he1
For the moment his own deadly risk
was forgotten: growing excitement
filed his mind. Could 1t be possible
that here, at last, was the real object
Of the gang; could It be possible that
Peterson was organizing a deliberate
plot to try and Bolshevize Englandl
He looked up to find Peterson regard
ing him with q faint smile.
ut Is q little difficult to understand,
Isn't It. Captain Drummondl" he said.
carefully filcking the ash of his cigar
II told you you'd find yourself In deep
water" Then he resumed the contem-
plation Of the papers in front Of him.
Hugh half closed his eyes, while
general buzz Of conversation broke out
round the table.
Fragments Of conversation struck his
ears from time to time. The intiml-
dated rabbit. with the light Of battle
In his watery eye, was declaiming on
the glories Of workmen's councils; q
bullet-headed man was shouting an In.
spring battle cry about no starvation
wages and work for all.
"Can It be possible" thought Hugh,
grimly. shat such as these have the
power to control big destlnies?" And
then. because he had some experience
Of what one unbalanced brain, whose
owner could talk, was capable OF
achieving: because he knew something
about mob psychology, his half con.
temptuous amusement changed to a
bitter foreboding.
"You fool!" he cried suddenly to
the Russian; and everyone ceased talk.
Ing. "You poor id boob! You-and
your new earth! In Petrorad today
bread Is two pounds four shillings q
pound; tea. fifteen pounds q pound. Do
you call that freedom7" He gave q
contemptuous laugh.
Too surprised to speak. the Rus.
sian sat staring At him; and It was
Peterson who broke the silence with
his suave voice.
your distress, l am glad to say,