Middletown transcript., 1921-08-27

watched him writhing and twisting,
until ut last, he lay still. The
Boche was dead. y.
"What was that blow-pipe AFFAIR.""
cried Sinclair hoarsely.
"The thing they tried to finish me
with in Paris last night" answered
Hugh grimly, taking knife out of his
waistcoat pocket. "Let us trust that
none of his pals come in to look for
him."
A minute later he stood up, only to
sit down again abruptly, as his legs
gave way. They were numbed and
stiff with the hours he had spent in the
same position, and for while he could
| do nothing but rub them with his
hands, till the blood returned and he
| could feel once more.
Then. slowly and painfully, he tot
| tered across to the others and set them
| free as well. They were in an even
| worse condition than he had been;
and it seemed as if Algy would never
be able to stand again, so completely
dead was his body from the waist
downwards. But, at length, after what
seemed an eternity to Dgummond, who
realized only too well that should the
gang come in they were almost as help
| less in their present condition as if
they were still bound in their chairs.
the other two recovered.
"All fit now? Good! We've got to
think what we're going to do, for we're
not out of the wood yet by two or
| three miles,"
Lets get the door open," remarked
Algy, "and explore"
Cautiously they swung it open. and
stood motionless. The house was in
absolute silence; the hall was de-
| serted
"Switch out the light" whispered
Hugh. "Well wander round"
They crept forward stealthily in the
darkness, stopping every now and then
| to listen. But no sound came to their
ears; it might have been house of
| the dead.
Suddenly Drummond, who was in
front of the other two, stopped with a
| warning hiss. A light was streaming
out from under a door at the end of a
| passage and, as they stood watching
| it, they heard a mans voice coming
| from the same room. Some one else
| answered him and then there was
| silence once more.
At length Hugh moved forward
| again, and the others followed. And
| it was not until they got quite close to
the door that strange, continuous
noise began to be noticeable-a noise
which came most distinctly from the
| lighted room. It rose and fell with
monotonous regularity; at times it re-
sembled a brass band-at others it
died away to a gentle murmur. And
occasionally it was punctuated with
| strangled snort.
"Great Scott!' muttered Hugh ex-
! citedly, "the whole boiling bunch are
asleep, or I'll eat my hat"
"Then who was it Spoken said Algy.
"At least two of 'em are awake right
| enough"
| And, as if in answer to his question,
| there came the voice again from in
side the room.
"Wal, Mr.. Darrell, I guess we can
pass on, and leave this bunch"
With one laugh of joyful amazement
Hugh flung open the door, and found
himself looking from the range of
yard into two revolvers.
II don't know how you've done it,
boys" he remarked, 'but you can put
those guns away. I hate looking at
| them from that end"
| "What the devil have they done to
all your dials? said Darrell, slowly
lowering his arm.
"We'll leave that for the time," re-
turned Hugh grimly, as he shut the
door. 'There are other more pressing
matters to be discussed"
! He glanced round the room, and
slow grin spread over his face. There
were some twenty of the gang, all of
them fast asleep. They sprawled gro
tesquely over the table, they lolled in
chairs; they lay on the floor, they hud-
died in corners. And, without eXcep-
ton, they snored and snorted.
"a dandy bunch" remarked the
American, gazing at them with salts
| faction. Then he turned to Drum
mond. "Say now, Captain, we've got
a lorry load of the boys outside; your
friend here thought we'd better bring
'em along So it's up to you to get
busy"
| "NIullings and his crowd" said Dar-
rell, seeing the look of mystification OH
Hugh's face.
| For few moments Drummond
stood, deep in thought; then once
again the grin spread slowly over his
face. "Get the boys in, Peter; and
get these Jumps Of meat carted out to
the lorry. And, while you do it, we'll
20 upstairs and mop up
THREE.
| Even in his widest dreams Hugh
had never imagined such wonderful
opportunity. To be in complete pos
session of the house, with strong
forces at his beck and call, was state
Of affairs which rendered him almost
speechless.
keep your guns handy" whispered
Hugh. "We'll draw each room in
turn till we find the girl"
But they were not to be put to so
much trouble. Suddenly door Oppo-
site opened, and the man who had
been guarding Phyllis Benton peered
| ont SnSDiciOusly. His Jaw fell and
look of aghast surprise spread over
his face as he saw the four men in
| front Of him