Judsonia weekly advance., 1921-07-28
By Cyril McNeile
"Sapper" Copyright by Geo. H. Doran Go.


 breakfast. Which is why there are in England today quite number of civilians who acknowledge only two rulers-the King and Hugh Drum mond. And they would willingly die for either.
 The result on Drummond was not surprising; as nearly as a man may be he was without fear And when the idea came to him as he sat on the edge of his bed thoughtf.lly pulling off his shoes, no question of the possible risk entered into his mind. To explore the house seemed the most natural thing in the world, and with character istic brevity he summed up the situ- alton as it struck him.
 'They suspect me anyhow: in fact, they know l took Potts. Therefore, even If they catch me passage creep ing, I'm no worse off than I am now. And l might find something of inter- est. Therefore, carry on, brave heart" if was dark in the passage outside as he opened the door of his room and crept toward the top of the stairs. The 1 collar of his brown lounge coat was turned up, and his stocking feet made no sound on the heavy pile carpet | Like a 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 LDI1 l. .Q board alone broke the stiffness.
 To the left lay the room in which he l had spent the evening, and Drummond turned to the right. As he had gone up to bed he had noticed door screened by heavy curtain which he thought might be the room Phyllis Benton had spoken of-the room where Henry Lakington kept his ill., gotten treasures. He felt his way along the wall and at length his hand touched the curtain-only to drop 1t 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 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 tne darkness? At length he deter mined to risk it, and drew from his pocket 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 a 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 off the torch and retreated rather faster than he had come.
 "A conyivial household," he nut tered to himself through lips that were a 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 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 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 hay idea that he would like to hit some thing-hard.
 There were nine stairs ill the first half of the flight, and it was as he stood on the fifth that he again heard the low chuekle. 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 hQ heard the man move-only the very faintest sound-but it was enough. Without 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 a 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