Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1925-10-08

which incidentally Is the reason why
| am little late. Tonight"-he leaned
forward impressively-'th leader of
the gang himself honored me with a
visit. And the leader will lead no
MORE"
you killed him." said the girl,
helping herself to champs gne.
Il did," answered the count. "And
without the leader l think we can ig-
more the gang"
That's all right as far as It goes"
said the Reverend Theodosius in a
slightly Modified tone. But have you
covered all your traces? In this coun-
try the police get peevish over MUIR
der"
The count gave self-satisfed
smile.
mot only that" he remarked, "but
| have made it appear as if he had
killed himself Listen, my friends,
and / will give you a brief statement
Of the events of the past few days.
| suddenly found out that the leader
of this gang had discovered my head
quarters in Hoxton. l was actually
talking to Latter in my Office at the
time, when l heard outside the call
OF an owl. Now from the inforna-
ton / had received, that was the raj
lying call of their gang, and l dashed
into the passage Sure enough.
standing by the door at the end was
huge man covered from head to
foot in black. Whether it was bravado
that made him give the cry, or wheth-
er 1t was a ruse to enable him to see
me- is immaterial now. AS / say
he is dead. But-and this is the point
lit made me decide that the office
there, convenient though it was, would
have to be given up.
Il was completing the final sorting
out Of my papers with my secretary,
when the electric warming disc on my
desk glowed red Now, the Office was
empty, and the red light meant that
someone had opened the door outside.
| heard nothing, which only made it
all the more suspicious. So between
US we gathered up every important
paper, switched off all lights and went
out through the secret door. Then
we waited"
He turned to the clergyman, who
sat motionless save for a ceaseless
tapping of his left knee with his hand.
"As you know, monsieur" he pro-
ceeded, there is an opening In that
door through which one can see into
the room. And through that opening
l watched developments. After a
while torch was switched on at the
further door, and / heard voices. And
then the man holding the torch came
cautiously in. He was turning it into
every corner, but finally he focused
it on my desk. heard him speak to
one Of his companions, who came into
the beam of light and started to pick
the lock. And it was then that
switched on every light, and closed
the other door electrically. They were
caught-caught like rats in a trap"
The hunchback paused dramatical-
ly, and drained his champagne. If he
was expecting any laudatory remarks
on the part of his audience he was
Theodosfus and his little Janet might
have been carved out of marble, save
for that ceaseless tapping by the man
Of his left knee. In fact, had Count
Zadowa been less pleased with him.
self and less sure of the effect he
was about to cause he might have had
premonition of coming danger. There
was something almost terrifying in the
big clergyman's immobility.
Like rats In a trap" repeated the
hunchback gloaGingly. "Two men ]
didn't know, and-well, you know
who the other was. True he had his
mask on by way of disguise, but l
recognized him at once. That huge
figure couldn't be mistaken-it was
the leader Of the Black Gang him.
SELF"
"And what did you do, Zadowa?
How did you dispose Of one or all
those men so that no suspicion is like
~ to rest on your
The hunchback rubbed his hands to.
gether gleefully.
by an act which, think you will
agree, is very nearly worthy of your
self, monsieur. To shoot was impos-
sible-because am not sufficiently
expert with revolver to be sure of
killing them. No-no:hing so ordinary
as that. They saw me watching them:
I can see his eyes, Hugh said one
Of them to the leader, and / remem-
bered suddenly that in the passage not
far from where I stood were half a
dozen bombs What is 1t, monsieur?"
He paused in alarm at the look on
the clergyman's face as he slowly rose.