The Ely miner., 1921-09-09
Bulldog Drumnond
The Adventures of Demobilizsd Cyril McNeie
Officer Who Found Peace Dull asappsr"
gbGH

Copyrights by Geo. Il. Doran Co.

no sound on the heavy pile carpet.
Like huge shadow he vanished into
the blackness, feeling his way forward
with the uncanny instinct that comes
from much practice. Every now and
then he paused and listened intently,
but the measured ticking of the clock
below and the occasional creak of a
board alone broke the stiffness.
To the left lay the room in which he
had spent the evening, and Drummond
turned to the right. As he had gone
| up to bed he had noticed a door
screened by heavy curtain which he
thought might be the room Phyllis
Benton had spoken of-the room
where Henry Lakington kept his i'll
| gotten treasures. He felt his way
| along the wall, and at length his hand
touched the curtain-only to drop it
again at once. From close beside him
had come sharp, angry hiss.
He stepped back a pace and stood
| rigid, staring at the spot from which
the sound had seemed to come-but
he could see nothing. Then he leaned
| forward and once more moved the
| curtain. Instantly it came again,
sharper and angrier than before.
Hugh passed a hand over his fore
head and found it damp. Germans he
knew, and things on two legs, but
what was this that hissed so viciously
in the darkness? At length he deter
mined to risk it, and drew from his
pocket a tiny electric torch. Holding
it well away from his body, he
switched on the light. In the center
of the beam, swaying gracefully to
and fro, was snake. For a moment
he watched it, fascinated as 1t spat at
the light angrily; he saw the fiat hood
where the vicious head was set on the
upright body; then he switched of the
torch and retreated rather faster than
he had come.
"a convivial household" he NUT
tered to himself through lips that were
little dry. "a hooded cobra is an
unpleasing pet
Hugh had just determined to recon-
hotter the curtained doorway again to
see if it was possible to circumvent
the snake, when a low chuckle came
distinctly to his ears from the landing
| above.
He flushed angrily in the darkness.
There was no doubt whatever as to
the human origin Of that laugh, and
Hugh suddenly realized that he was
making the most profound fool Of him
self. To be laughed at by some dirty
swine whom he could strangle in half
| a minute-was impossible. His fists
clenched, and he swore softly under
| his breath. Then as silently as he
had come down, he commenced to
climb the stairs again. He had hazy
idea that he would like to hit some
| thing-hard.
There were nine stairs in the first
half of the fight, and it was as he
stood on the fifth that he again heard
the low chuckle. At the same instant
something whizzed past his head so
low that it almost touched his hair,
and there was a clang on the wall be-
| side him. He ducked instinctively,
and regardless of noise raced up the
| remaining stairs, on all-fours. His
| jaw was set like wise, his eyes were
blazing; in fact, Hugh Drummond was
seeing red.
He paused when he reached the top,
crouching in the darkness. Close to
him he could feel some one else, and
holding his breath, he listened. Then
he heard the man move-only the very
faintest sound-but it was enough.
Without a seconds thought he sprang,
and his hands closed on human flesh.
He laughed gently; then he fought in
silence.
His opponent was strong above the
average, but after a minute he was
like child in Hugh's grasp. He
choked once or twice and muttered
something; then Hugh slipped his
right hand gently onto the mans
throat. His fingers moved slowly
round, his thumb adjusted itself low
ingly, and the man felt his head being
forced back irresistibly. He gave one
strangled cry, and then the pressure
relaxed.
! "One half-inch more, my gentle hu-
morist," Hugh whispered in his ear,
''and your neck would have been
broken. As it is, it will be very stiff
for some days. Another time-don't
laugh. It's dangerous.
Then, like ghost, he vanished
along the passage in the direction of
| his own room.