Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-06-14

creak; the sound such as q man would
make who, with infinite precauton
against making noise, was moving
in a dark room; stealthy, uncanny
noise. Hugh peered into the darkness
tensely. After the first moment Of
surprise his brain was quite cool. He
had looked under the bed, he had
hung his coat: In the cupboard, and
save for those two obvious places there
was no cover for cat And yet. with
the sort Of sixth sense that four years
Of war had given: him, he knew that
noise had been made by some human
agency. Human! The thought Of the
cobra at The Elms flashed into his
mind, and ;hiss mouth set more grimly.
What II Peterson had introduced some
Of his abomInable mekagerie into the
roomP =. Then, once more, the thing
like fly sounded loud in his ear.
And, was it his imagination, or had
he heard q faint ,sib!lant hiss just be-
fore?
Suddenly. ..it-struek him that he was
at terrible disadvantage. The thing,
whatever it was, knew, at any rate
approximately, his position: he had
not the slightest notion where 1t was.
And blind man boxing man who
could see, would have felt just about
as safe With Hugh, such conclu-
sion meant instant action. 1t might
he dangerous. %, the floor 1T most GER
tainly was far more so in bed. He
felt for his, terch, and. then, with one
conclusive bound, he was standing BY
the door, with his hand; OH the electric
light switch.
Then he paused and listened Intent
lY. Not a sound could he hear; the
thing, whatever it. was, had become
motlonless at, his Sudden movement
For an aprrecla5le time he stood there,
his eyes searching the darkness-but
even he could see nothing, and he
cursed the American comprehensively
under his breath. He would have given
anything fol. even the faintest grey
light, so that: he could have some idea
of what 1t was and where it was. Now
he felt utterly helpless. while every
moment he imagined some Shiny.
crawling. brute touching his bare
feet-creeplng up. on him. >. He
pulled himself together sharply. Light
was essential. and at once. But, If
he switched It 0n, tliere would be
moment when the thing would see
him before pc raulds see ithe thing
and such moments. are not helpful.
There only remained his torch; and
on the Ancre, on one occasion, he had
saved his life by It's judlcous use The
man behind one: OF those useful imple-
pents is in blackness far more i'm
penetrable than the blacklist night. for
. the man In front is dazzled. Fte can
only shoot at the torch wherefore
hold it to one side and in front Of
The light flashed out, darttng round
the room. Ping! Something hit the
sleeve Of his pajamas, but still he
could see nothing. The bed. with the
clothes thrown back; the washstand;
the chair with;his trousers and shirt
everything was as 1T had been when he
turned in. And then he heard sec
ond sound-distinct and clear. 1t came
from high up, near the ceiling, and
the beam caught the big cupboard and
travelled up. .. 1t reached the. top, and
rested there, fixed and steady. Framed
in the middle Of. 1t, peering over the
edge, was a little hairless, drown fEce,
holding what looked like tube In its
mouth Hugh had one glimpse Of
dark, skinny hand putting something
In the tube, and then he switched Off
the torch and ducked, just as another
fly pinged over his head and hit the
wall behind.
One thing, at any rate, was certain:
the other occupant Of the room was
human, and with that realization all
his nerve returned: There would be
time enough later on, to find out how
he got there. and what those strange
pinging noises had been caused by.
Just at that moment only one thing
was on the program; and Without Il
sound he crept round the bed toward
the cupboard, to put that one thing In
to effect in his usual direct manner.
Twice did he, hear the little whls-
fling hiss from above, but nothing sang
past.his head. Evidently the man had
lost him. and was probably still aim.
Ing at the door. And then, with hands
that barely touched it. be felt the out
lines Of the cupboard.
. It was standing an inch or two from
The wall, and he e,slipped his fingers be-
llnd the back On one side. He lis
tened for moment, but 10 movement
came from above; then, half facing the
wall he put one leg against it. There
was one quick, tremendous heave:
jcrash which sounded deafenng: then
silence. And once aguin he switched
Oh his torch. :.
Lying on the floor by the window
was one Of the smallest men lie had
ever seen. He was native Of sorts.
and Hugh turned him over with his
foot He was quite unconscious, und
the bump on his head. where it llad