Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-08-30
The Tigers
By EDISON

flash of a lantern across the water.
Thin clouds were in the sky, and
the moon had not yet risen. The
whole wilderness world was blotted
out by the shadow, and the soft
Fight over the water brought a queer
flood of thoughts. | welcomed its
approach. At the moment it SEEM
ed the only reminder that life still
existed about this great, bleak es-
tate of the Southleys. Without it,
it might have seemed a realm of
death, where human beings never
came. And besides, the great Alex
ander Pierce was returning from
his expedition, and ! did not know
but that this CLEAN across the wastes
was the breaking of the light of
truth in the darkness.
| heard a footstep behind me. 1t
was Inspector Freeman.
81 see he's coming just at the
time he promised" he said with a
note of wonder.
and the colored men got out to make
it fast. The lantern light was dim,
and / could not see plainly. 1t
seemed to me that something was
huddled in the bottom of the boat
something rather large-but l
couldn't see what it was because a
rubber tarpulin had been thrown over
it. But | did see Alexander's face.
He held the lantern up to look at
us, and it showed his features plain
ly. He seemed curiously intent.
We walked up the path, and
three shadows made black streaks
across the light that the lantern
threw. They were of the three
house to meet US. They also SEEM
ed grave, determined. Something
CLEANED in the old mans hand. AS
Alexander held the lantern high, l
saw what it was. 1t was a pistol.
whats this? ?" Alexander asked.
"Vilas's pistol" Southley replied.
"You told me to get it,
How did you do it without III
ing suspicion?
TOOK it from the drawer in the
library table. He keeps it there in
the daytime. Usually carries it at
night. Ernest and / left him with
the excuse that we had to talk to
some of the colored laborers at their
cottages. Josephine just slipped
away"
Alexander turned to Ernest. "How
about the candles?"
1.-TWO burning in the library. All
the others have been misplaced, as
you directed"
"And the servants 2"
"No one in the house but Ahmad."
"But | tell you that isn't SAFE" he
cried. He'll get away. Alexander,
you promised to keep watch out
for him. He'll be gone when we get
to the house."
al promised I'd see that he didn't
u away" Alexander answered
YEARLY. Hell be there when we
come. Don't fear, Inspector" He
turned to the others. "Then every
thing is ready. Miss Southley-
if you will go with Inspector Free
man. His arm is strong and his
aim is sure. Southley, you and
Ernest can take a,he south windows.
You, Long, will be an unprecedented
witness. But you've got to know
how to walk silently"
81 know how. I've stalked deer
in the West"
Good. Then you'll come with
me. And now-out goes the light
He lifted the lantern and turned
down the wick. Then he blew out the
flame. Of course / understood. In
our present position at the base of
the hill, it would not be visible from
IL .s-1-x &c 49, k&.,on II yntxII
be visible as we approached the
house.
And just as the shadows fell a
hand touched mine. 1t was a warm
hand, and soft, and the fingers rest
ed a single fluttering instant in my
palm. 1t was a lite hand, too, and
| had in a single instant of never-to-
be-forgotten knowledge of it's power
to soothe and hold and a tenderness
beyond all reckoning. And knew
whose hand it
maybe you can understand after
this" she whispered. perhaps you
won't condemn me So"
Then like a squad d%eploying in
battle, we started climbing up the
slope of the hill.
we soon lett bhe OCnerS III tne
darkness. Alexander and / crept to
the .postern door.
Zone sound will spoil the play"
he whispered to me in the instant
that we waited at it's threshold.
keep your ears and eyes OPEN"
Then we crept through into the
little hall. The door into the lib
rary was open, but scarcely any
light came through. So deep was
the shadow that Alexander was at
once visible.
We lay down on the opposite sides
of the hall, so that we could look
through into the library. But we
left the passage open, as Alexander
had instructed. The reason was
simply that he thought the man we
had come to watch might want to
make an escape through the door
way, and it would have spoiled the
plan for him to see us on the way
out. Lying close to the walls, it was
likely he would pass us by. But
after one glance through the door
way | felt sure that no such attempt
would be made. The darkness of the
hillside where Hayward had died
in this mans mind, seem more ter
rible than the room itself.
The library at Southley Downs
uyac +romapdoucIy lopu II had