The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1925-11-18
AAPTER XII-Continued
10


Ow."
stroke of luck they had not tax
clasp-knife, and by still create
> of luck he found that the catcl
Z window had been broken, ant
q nroved even easier to Opel
he had thought.
next moment he had vanished
the drawing-room. And now he
Cd that that strange noise which
cd heard while standing on the
was much louder. AS he eau
Iy opened the door and peered
the passage the very faint hum
me steady drone, while with
successive thud the fioor-boards
little.
massage was in darkness,
III light was shining from under
of the doors. And as he crept
in search of the stairs he heard
s proceeding from one of the
$ he passed. Evidently o fairly
lous household, it struck him, as
ested the bottom stair with his
bit to see if it creaked. But the
case was old and solid, and the
carpet was thick, and at the mo-
Hugh was not disposed to
h. Afterward the house seemed
romise fairly fruitful field for
litigation; at present Phyllis was
bat mattered. SO he vanished up
Is with the uncanny certainty of
lis movements at night, and d mo-
later he was standing on the
ing above.
was a long, straight corridor, a
ca of the one below, and he
led in the direction in which he
her room must lie. And he had
taken a couple of steps when he
ped abruptly, peering ahead with
that strove to pierce the dark
For it seemed to him that there
something in the passage-some-
3 darker tim its surroundings.
at that moment something sprang
pr the darkness, and he found him
. fighting for his life.
pr second or two he was at a
1yantage, so completely had he
taken by surprise; then the old
Is returned. And not moment
soon; he was up against an an
INST who was worthy of him. Two
Is like iron hooks were round his
and the man who gets that grip
wins more often than not. His
hands shot out into the darkness,
| Then for the first time in his life
FL stab of fear. For he couldn't
n the other man: long though his
We're, the other mans were far
FER and as his hands went along
he could feel the muscles stand |
put Ike steel bars. He made one |
fhe effort to force through to his
|nents throat and it failed; with |
superior reach he could keep his
lnce. Already Drummonds head
beginning to feel like bursting
lhe awful pressure round his
Ht and he knew he must do some
at once or lose. And. just in
lie remembered his clasp-knife.
enl against his grain to use 1t:
before had he fought an I'M
u man with a weapon-and as
% ne could tell this man was I'M
w. but 1t had to be done and
quickly.
u all his force he stabbed side
at the mans left arm. He heard
u, OF pain, and the grip of one
nahds round his throat relaxed.
Aow the one urgent thing was to
Ut MN shouting for help. Like
81 Drlmmond was on him, one
vi MS mouth and the other
ny MS throat with the grip he
earned from Osaki the Jap in
sone by, and had never forgot
ana because he was fighting to {
:" lie wasted no time. The grip [
LEU mere was dreadful wor- ,
muse as the man bit into his {
men 1t was over. The man
downward onto the floor, and
aond stood drawing in great 0
luls of air. :
- ne Knew there was no time to 4
inough they had fought In ST.
anu lie could still hear the mo- a
US thud and the beat of the a
~ any moment someone might
'ps'airs. And to be found with r.
nian at ones feet in a strange II
:. not The best way of securing h
liable welcome. What to do g
nc pody-that was the first in
punt There was no time for d.
: seiemes; it was question of W
a, asAs and CHANGING it. So for N
Wy OF two he listened at the 10
room, then he gently opened III
vas a bedroom and empty. and m
aurlner hesitation he dragged OF
opponent in, and left him living W
"oor' BY the dim light from hi
, ','aincd WINDOW, he could see co
!. man was almost deformed, so tn
'A was The length Of his arms. te