The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1925-11-06
CHAPTER XIII
In Which Things Happen at
MAVERICK Hall.

Had the Italian come up five minutes
sooner-a minute even-all would have
been well. AS it was. at the very mo-
ment when Drummond's crashing blow
took him on the point of the jaw with
mathematical precision, another mathe-
nautical law began to operate .else-
where-the law of gravity. Something
fell from ceiling onto table in the
room below that ceiling, even as in
days gone by an apple descended into
the eye of the discoverer Of that law.
The two men seated in the room be-
low the ceiling in question failed to.
notice 1T at first.
Then one stared upward and gave a
little cry Of horror. Slowly spreading
over the white plaster was a great
crimson stain, whilst from crack In
the middle the steady drip fell onto
the table,,
There's been murder DONE" he
shouted hoarsely and dashed out Of the
room. Doors were flung open, and half
a dozen men rushed up the stairs after
him. There was no doubt which. the
room was, and headed by Yulowski
they crowded in-only to stop and
stare at what lay on the floor.
"It's the Creek" muttered one of
them. HE was guarding the girl.
And someone has severed the main
artery IN his arm"
With one accord they dashed across
the passage to the room where Phyllis
had been. In second the door was
broken in, and they saw the uneon-
sciOus italian lying on the bed.
'sThe Black Gang" muttered some
one fearfully, and Yulowski cursed him
for cowardly swine. And it was his
hoarse voice that DrummOnd heard
shouting for the power to be switched
on, as he turned and darted across the
lawn.
Completely ignorant Of what had
taken place, he was just as ignorant
Of what was meant by switching on the
power. His one thought now was to
get away with Phyllis. A start meant
everything, and at the best he couldn't
through hers he urged her forward
while behind him he heard a confused
shouting which gradually died away
under the peremptory orders Of some
one who, seemed. to be in command.
And almost subconsciously he noticed
that the thudding noise had ceased;
only the faint humming ofthe engine
! broke the, silence.
I Suddenly in front of him he saw
the fence which had caused him to
wonder earlier in the evening He was
not five feet from it. when it hap
pened-the amazing and at the. mo-
ment inexplicahle thing. For months
after he used to wake in the night and
lie sweating with horror at the near
ness of the escape. For it would have
been Phyllis, who would have gone
through first;s it would have been
Phyllis, who But it did happen
s just in time. 49,
He saws dark shape, dart across the
open toward the fence, an animal car
jrylng something in its mouth. 1t
4 reached the fence. and the next in
stant it bounded an incredible height
in the air. only to fall backward onto
the ground and lie motionless almost
at DrummOnd's feet. 1t was so utterly
unexpected that he paused instructive.
ly and stared at 1t. 1t was a fox, and
the fowl it had been carrying lay a
yard away. 1t lay there rigid and
noti0nless, and completely bewildered
he bent and touched it, only to draw
back his hand as If he'd been stung.
A sharp stabbing pain shot up his
arm, as If he'd had an electric shock
Z and suddenly he understood, and
with cry of fear he dragged Phyllis
back just III time.
The fox had been electrocuted.
That was what the man had meant
by shouting for the power to be
switched on. And as he stood there
still clutching Phyllis arm, and shaken
for the moment out of his usual calm,
there came from the direction of the
house. the deep-throated baying of u
big hound.
'What is 1t. Hugh?" said Phyllis in
an agonized whisper. s
With terrified eyes she was staring
at the body Of the fox. stiff and rigid
in death.nnd with its jaws parted In u
hide0us snarl
Then suddenly she realized that her
husband was speaking-quietly. In
sistently. 1--WE can't climb through
the fence, dear" he was saying calmly.
'You see they've switched an electric
current through the wires. and II SOU
touch one you'll be electrocuted. So
I'm going to throw you over the top"
In an agony of fear she chung TO
him for a. poment then as she saw
his quiet, Set face she pulled herself
together and smiled There was no
time for argumen; now: there was no
time for anything except instant ac-
tion. And being a thoroughbred. she
was not going to hinder him by any
weakness on her part. OF fear for