Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-05-27

throat with MS Otner nanQ. Anu
agdin silence settled on the room =. .
Still holding the unknown man In
front Of him, he reached the foot Of
The stairs, and there he paused. He
had suddenly remembered the mys-
terious thing which had whzzed past,
his head that other night, and then
changed suddenly into the wall beside
him. He had gone up FIVE stairs when
1t had happened, and now with his
foot on the first, be started to do
some rapid thinking.
= If, as, Peterson had kindly assured
.hffl,, they proposed to try and send.
ihim. mad, it; was iunlikely that they
would kill him on the stairs. At the.
same time it was obviously an imple-
ment capable of accurate adjustment,
end therefore 1t was more than likely
TINT they would use it to frigllten
him. And If they did-if they did :. :.
The unknown man wriggled feebly
in his hands, and q sudden unholy
look came on to Hugh's face.
tits the only possible chance" he
said to himself, "and If it's you or
me, laddie, I guess it's got to he
you"
With q quick heave he jerked the
man off his feet, and lifted him up
till his head was above the level Of
his own. Then clutching him tight,
he commenced to climb. His own
head was bent down, somewhere IN
tile region Of the mans back, and
ne took no notice of the feebly kick
Ing legs. ..,I
Then at last he reached the fourth
step, and gave a final adjustment to
his semi-conscious burden. He pressed
his head even lower In the mars
back, and lifted him up another three
,in3hes.
"h:M' dwfully joily!"' he murmured
II nope the, result will please you"
"I'd stand quite still if we're you"
said Peterson suavely. "Just listen"
/, As Hugh had gG1nblctl on, The per-
'formance was designed to 1righten.
Instead Of that, something hit the
neck of the man he was holding with
such force that it wrenched him clean
out Of his arms. Then came the clang
beside him, and with a series Of
ominous thuds a boiy .C!led down
the stairs into the hall below.
"You fool.' He heard Lakington's
voice, shrill with anger. you've
killed him. Switch on the light :. :"
But before the order could be car
'ried out Hugh had disappeared, like
great cat, into the darkness Of the
passage above. AS luck would have
it the first room he darted into was
empty, and he flung up the window
and peered out.
A faint, watery moon showed him ]
n twenty-foot drop onto the grass,
and without hesitation he flung his
legs over the sill. And at that mo-
meht something prompted him to look
upward.
1t was dormer window, and TO an
.uClINC lllli dCCGSS w liS ipfL "uS
easy. Without an instant's hesitation
he abandoned all thoughts Of retreat;
and when two excited men rushed in
to the room he was firmly ensconced,
with his legs astride of the ridge of
the window, not yard from their
heads.
Securely hidden In the shadow, he
watched the subsequent proceedings
with genial liberation. A raucous bel
low from the two men announced
that they he'd discovered his line Of
escape; and, in half Il minute the
garden was full Of hurrying figures.
One, calm and impassire, his identity
betrayed only by the Inevitable cigar,
stood by the garden door, apparently
taking no part in the game; Laking-
ton, blind with fury was running
round in small circles, cursing every
one impartially.
'The car Is still there" "A man
came up to Peterson, and Hugh heard
the words distinctly.
"Then he's probably over at Ben
tons house. will go and see."
Hugh watched the thick-set, mas
sive figure stroll down toward the
wicket gate, and lie laughed gently
- T. i1,,c