Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1925-12-19
CHAPTER IX-Continued


Surprised though they would be to
get II. II might help them to clear up
the mystery Of Mr. Latter's insanity.
II may prove rather unpleasant for
you. Of course, but that can't be
helped"
ITS kind Of you TO give me a loop
hole Of escape, said Drummond pleas
sntly. what are the eyentuallties
10 which you aludeT
"The nonreturn to me Of a little
bag containing diamonds" remarked
the hunehback quietly. "They were in
the desk which was wrecked By the
bomb"
Dear, dear" said Hugh "Am
supposed to have them in my posses
slonY'
81 can only hope most sincerely for
your sake thnt you have" returned the
other. otherwise I'm afraid that let
ter will 20 TO the police"
For a while DrummOnd smoked in
silence then, with lazy smile on his
face, he sat down IN an armchair fac
ing the hunchback.
There are one o. two things / have
10 say TO you before depriylng myself
Of the pleasure Of your company BY
the post following the one which car
ries your interesting disclosure win
so another letter addressed to Sir
Bryan tombstone himself ! shall be
I'm the office when he opens tan we
shall both be roaring with laughter
over the extraordinary deluslon that
quite the biggest fool Of his nC-
quainiance could possibly be the
leader OF the Black Gang Aud as if
10 prove the utter ahsurdity Of the
suggestion this second letter viii be
from the leader Of the Black Gang
himself In Il he win state that be
was present ut 8 Green street, uoxton,
last night IN an endeavor to obtain
possession of the anarchist and Bol-
shevist literature stored there. That
he took with him professional bur
glar 10 assist him In opening the safe
and other things which might be there.
and that while engaged IN this emil
nently virtuous proc eedlug he found
that he was trapped in the room by
some mechanical device And then
vii. come "A very interesting disclosure
lie viii state how suddenly he saw
through a crack IN the door a pair Of
eyes looking nj him. And their color
see, what is the color OF your eyesq
laf !. %.
the same as old Iongmoor's-th though
his are a little bluer. And then the
owner OF the eyes was so inconslder.
ate as To throw a bomb Ia the room:
bomb which Killed one Of the .len,
and wrecked the desk. So that The
owner Of the eyes, gray blue eyes Just
Ike yours, is a murderer common
Murderer And we hang men IA Eng
land for murder" He paused and
stared nj the huuchhack. This Is
Jolly game, isn't it?"
And you really imagine" said the
hunchhack contemptuously. tint even
your police would believe such story
that a man would wreck his own Of
fee, when on your own showing he
had the men trapped inside IT."
probably not" said Drummond az
fahly. ANY more than they would
believe that / was the leader Of the
Black Gang So since they're such
wretched crowd of unhelievers don't
think It's much good playing that
game. Waste ~ time. Isn't itg So
vote we play another one. mn On our
own-a little game Of make believe
like we used 20 play in The nursery"
u haven't an idea what you're talk.
Ing about Captain Drummand." said
the hunehback. shifting uneasny in his
chair For an trace or aiTahuitv bga
vanished from the face of the man
opposite him to be replaced ~ an
expression which made Mr.. Atkinson
pass his tongue once or twice owe l!ps
that had suddenly gone dry.
"Haven YOU YOU ratY said Drum
mond quietly Then It'll tell YOU. Just
for the next five minutes we're going
10 pretend that these two astonishing
statements which the police supld
fellows won't believe are trne We're
going 10 pretend only pretend. mlna
you-that I en- the leader of the
Black Gang and we're going 10 pre-
tend that You are fhe man who aunc
the bomb last night lust Tor avs
minutes only then we Is back rs real.
ity and unheljevlns policemen.
And II during the following five min
utes strange sounds were heard by
Denny In the room below. be was Tar
too accustomed 70 the SQUADS o.
breaking furniture 10 worry. II
wasn't until the hunchhnck pulled
knife that Drummond warmed "a Ms
work. but from that mofsent Ne lost
his temper And because the. bunch.
back was a though en-
dowed withal by Nature w.s. s,Rgular
strength Jared on rrammond 10
FIGHT him as Il be had been q normal