The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1922-04-14

into the hall to the eGd OF the stairs,
where he looked down and listened.
From here the sound of some one NOV
ing about came to him distinctly he
could sec no light below. but when he
ran down To the turn Of the stairs, it
became plain that there was Il very
dim and fiCkering light in the library.
He crept on farther dOWn the stair
case. His hands were cold and moist
from his excitement, and his body was
hot and trembling.
Whoever it was that was moving
abOslt downstairs, even If he was not
IN who had q right TO be there, at
least felt secure from interruption.
He was going with heavy step from
window to window; whore he found a
shade up, he pulled 1t down brusquely
and With a violence which suggested
great strength under Il nervous strain;
Il shade, which had been pulled down,
flew up, ana the man damned 1t rs
though it had startled him then, after
an instant, he pulled it down again.
Alan crept still farther down and ut
last caught sight of him. He was n
big, y~OungloOking man, with broad
shoulders and very evident vigor;
Alan guessed his age at ~thlrty-tve; he
was handSome-he had Il straight
forehead over daring, deep-sot eyes
his nose, lips and chin were power
fully formed and he was extensively
and very carefully dressed. The light
- .-Is,l a.. 49,, sl,n-A shtno. an ,,,A
from q fiat little pocket ~searchlight
that the man carried in one hand.
which threw a little brilliant circle OF
light as he directed It and now, rs
the light CHANGED to fall on his other
hand-powerful and heavily muscled
Alan recollected the look and size
Of the finger prints on the chest Of
drawers upstairs. He did not doubt
that this was the same man who had
, gone through the desk but since he
had already rifled the desks, what did
he want here now? AS the man moved
out of sight. Alan crept on down as
far MS the door to the library; the
man had gone on into the rear room.
and Alan went far enough into the
library so he could see him.
He had pulled open one Of the draw
ers in the big table in the rear room
and with his light held so high as to
show what was in It, he was tumbling
over its contents and examining them.
He went through one after another of
the drawers Of the table like this
after examining them, he rose and
kicked the last one shut disgustedly;
he stood looking about the room ques-
tiOningly. then he started toward the
front room.
He had, as yet, neither seen nor
heard anything to alarm him, and as
he went to the desk in the front room
and peered impatiently into the draw
ers, he slammed them shut, one after
another. He Strengthened and stared
about. Oh Ben! On Ben" he
calculated violently and returned to
the rear room. Alan, again following
him, found him IN his knees in front
Of one Of the drawers under the book
cases. AS he continued searching
through the drawers, his irritation be-
came greater and greater. He jerked
one drawer entirely out Of its case,
and the contents few In every direc-
ton; swearing at 1t, he gathered up
the letters. One suddenly caught his
attention he began reading 1t closely,
then snapped 1t back into the drawer,
crammed the rest on top OF 1t, and
went on to the next OF the files. He
searched In this through half
a dozen drawers, plainly finding moth
ing at all ne wanted he dragged some
Of the books from their cases, felt be-
hind them and showed back some OF
the books but dropped others on the
floor and b~laSpheny 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
SC strange and so bew4ldering 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 ov~erhearing him. The
light which he still grlpped swaycd
back and forth and showed him Alan
again, and he raised his arm before
his face as he recoiled.
TIE CONSERVATION CT the man was
so complete that ii checked Alan's rush
toward him he Matted, then advanced
silently and w%atchfully. AS he went
forward. and the light shOne upon his
face again, the big man cried out
hOarse!y:
"D-n yOu, d-n you, with the hole
above your eye! The bullet got you
And now yop'yp pot Rem Rut Won