The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1923-05-09
CHAPTER vi

Tho Vault In the Woods.

The Vault In the Woods.
We found Currie waiting for US In
one Of his large cars, with his chauf-
feur. There were few cars on the
road, and in very short time we ar
rived in Saratoga.
We left the car before one Of the
hotels and followed BARLEY to the
public library. BARLEY spent several
moments glancing through the card
catalogue before he crossed to the
loan desk, and asked the pretty young
Crimes" She returned in a moment
with two volumes, bound In red cloth.
BARLEY opened one to the place where
the date when a book is taken out Is
stamped. There was only one date
Oh the white slip, and BARLEY copied
1t in his notebook. Then, turning to
the librarian, he asked her how they
had happened to buy the book, and
If she knew who it was that had
taken it from the library the one
time 1t had gone out.
Looking through her cards, she told
him that the book had been a gift,
and that the only person that had
ever taken it out was James Brit
feur. BARLEY raised his eyebrows In
surprise but did not ask her anything
more.
AS soon as we were again on the
street, he told US that so far as he
knew the only account Of the Edling-
ham burglary, other than the one in
the rare pamphlet that he owned, had
been published in the volumes he had
been glancing at. Currie, of course,
did not understand what he was talk
ing about; and BARLEY gave him the
details Of the English crime, and
ended by saying that, from the very
first 1t had been his opinion that who
ever had faxed the burglary at Sykes
had read the account Of the English
crime. Then, with a little rueful
smile, he added that the one person
who had taken the book from the
library was Sykes chauffeur.
He might have said more had we
not reached Currie's club just then
We sat and talked until about eleven
o'clock; then we started to walk
home.
AS we were leaving the club, we
met a young man whom Currie intro |
duced to US as Captain Lowe, COM |
mander of the local branch Of the |
state police. AS he was going in our
direction, we fell into step together;
and he told US of his work and how
<bn fntn haI
so much that farmers wives now had
a sense of security, even In the most
renIpte country districts. The great
est trouble they had at present, he
told US with a laugh, was with the
of whisky, not only into
Saratoga but even as far as Albany
and Troy. Though they knew that a
good deal of whisky was getting
they could not discover who
was running 1t. At the barracks he
babe US goodnight.
AS we passed the driveway that led
INTO the Slyke grounds, Currie told us
that it ran through nearly a mile Of
dense woods before 1t reached the
house. We were about thousand
'eet beyond the entrance when Bart
ey suddenly stopped.
whats that?" he asked in a low
yoice.
1 listened a moment, but the only {
hing 1 could hear was the horn Of a {
Instant automobile. {
BARLEY continued, II thought / I
leard a car in the woods. there on the f
eft"
Currie, who was few feet in front I
f us, laughed. John" he said, t
you're hearing things. No car can
e In those woods. Those are the d
rees you see from my house, and S
hey stretch for some miles without c
break. Slyke owns this part of
hem. You could not have heard o
ar
Barley placed his hand on his
riend's shoulder. That's what