The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-03-09

nlnu tllSm anu SnOVeu pack some OIL
the books but dropped others on the
floor and blasphemy burst from him.
The beam of light from the torch In
his hand swayed aside and back and
forth. Without warning, suddenly it
caught Alan as he stood in the dark
Of the front room; and as the dim
white circle of light cleaned into Al
ans face, the man looked that way
and saw him.
The effect of this upon the man was
so strange and so bewildering to Alan
that Alan could only stare at him.
The big man seemed to shrink into
himself and to shrink back and away
from Alan. He roared out something
in a below thick with fear and hor.
ror; he seemed to choke with terror.
There was nothing in his look akin to
mere surprise or alarm at realizing
that another was there and had been
seeing and overhearing him. The
light which he still gripped ,swayed
back and forth and showed him Alan
again, and he raised his arm before
his face as he recoiled.
The CONSERVATION Of the man was
so complete that it checked Alan's rush
toward him he halted, then advanced
silently and watchfully. AS he went
forward. and the light shene upon his
face again, the big man cried out
hOarsely: .,..
Dbl you, d-n YOU, with the hole
above your eye!. The bullet got you!
And now you've got Ben! But you
can't get me! Go back to hell! You
can't get me! I'll get you'll get
youl, You-can't, save the Miwaka!"
He drew back his arm and with all
his might hurled the flashlight at
Alan!.% 1t missela and crashed some
J where behind him, bu. did not 60 out !:
the beam Of light shot back and wa
vered and fiickered over both Of them,
as the torch rolled on the floor. Alan
rushed forward and, thrusting through
the dark, his Hand struck the mans
chest and seized his coat
The man caught at and seized Al
ans arm; he seemed tn feel, oft and
assure himself of its reality. ~.
"Flesh! Flesh - He. roared in re-
lief :. and his big arms grappled Alan.
As they struggled, they stumbled and
fell to, the floor, the big man under
meath His hand shifted its hold and
caught Alan's throat; Alan got an arm
free and, with all his force, struck the
mans face. TIE man struck back
Il heavy elbow on the side of Alan's
head which dizzied him but left him
strength to strike again. tand his
knuckles reached. the mans face once
more, but he got another heavy blow
in return. / The mar was graphing
no longer; he swung Alan to one side
and of of him, and rolled himself
away. He scrambled to his feet and
dashed out through the library, across
the hall, and into the service room.
Alan got to his feet; dizzied and not
yet familiar with the house, he blum
dered against wall and had to feel
his way along it. to the service room
as he slipped and stumbled down the
stairway, a door closed loudly at the
end of the corridor he had seen at
the foot Of the stairs. He ran along
the corridor to the door; it had closed
with a spring lock, and seconds passed
while he felt In the dark for the catch
he found 1t and tore the door open.
and came out suddenly into the cold
air of the night in a paved passage
way beside the house which led In one
direction 20 the street and in the
other to a gate opening on the alley.
He ran forward to the street and
looked up and down. but found it. emp.
ty; then he ran back to the alley. At
the end Of the alley, where it inter-
sected the cross street, the figure OF
the man running away appeared susl-
denly out Of the shadows, then dis
appeared; Alan, following as far as
the street, could see. nothing more OF
him; this street too was empty.
He ran n little farther and looked,
then lie went back to the house. The
side door had swung shut again and
latcheti He le. himself in Mt the front
door and turned on the light in the
reading lamp in the library. The
electric torch still was burning on the
floor and. he picked 1t up and extip-
guished it; her went upstairs and
J brought down hts. shoes. He had seen
wood fire set ready for lighting in
the library. and now he lighted itsand
ia. before it drying his wet socks be-
fore. he. put on his shoes. He was still
shaking and breathing fast from his
Struggle with the man and his chase
after him, and by, the, strangeness OF
what had taken place. =. >. -
When the shaft of light from, the
torch had flashed across AlanS face
in the dark library, the man had not
taken him for villa. he was-a living
person: he had taken him for spec
ter. His terror and the things he had
cried out could mean only that. The
sppcter Of whom? Not Of Benjamin
| Corvet; for one OF the things Alan
had remarked when he saw Benjamin
Corvet's picture was that he himself
did not look at all like his father. Be-
! sides. what the man had said mule it
certain that he did not think the spec.