Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-26

KY entrance had been so noise
NH less that I had time to take
V all this in before 1 was OBJ
4 4 served, and there is no doubt
whatever that if I had been
anything but a fool I should have
stepped softly back and waited for the
result of the alarm that Beatrice
Essiter had no doubt already given.
Before had fully realized the situation,
however, Rachel saw me. Her great eyes
glowed across the room, and the
cigarette fell from her fingers,
For what reason I could not at that
moment surmise, in the act of scream
ing out, she seemed to change her
mind, and Stified the cry In her throat.
Her start, however, had been sufficient.
The man who was examining the pearl
looked quickly up, swung round and
faced me. I covered him at once.
Hands upl Both of you'll" I cried.
"Quick!"
me man who had been cutting the
Corregio from the frame obeyed. The
nearer one hestitated. could see the
wicked flash of his eyes as he dropped
the pearl from his long, skinny fingers,
and ducked His hand was on its
way towards his hip-pocket, and
with the other man to look after,
I dared not hesitate second.
I shot at his legs, and although I
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bullet must have broken his kneecap,
for he went spinning round and the
the gun slid out of his hand on to
the carpet. The other man had crept
step nearer to me, but his hands were
still appraised I had him covered
again while his companion lay wrfthing
upon the carpet.
Shoot him, you fooll" the latter
shouted. Take a risk, can't you?"
IN INV hnly7ot I,ra0r1 tho 70 HE 1
the man spat out. Kick me yours"
The wounded man made an effort
TO roll over, but stopped at the sound
of my voice.
Touch the gun, and you're dead
man." I warned him. Keep your
hands up, you therel"
What followed seemed to me at that
moment, as it has done many times
since, the strangest part of the whole
amazing episode. was beginning to,
think that / had won my way through
and was master of the situation. The
man on the ground had tainted with
his last effort to reach his gun. The
other was standing obediently well away
from the table, with his hands up,
and, according to his own admission,
unarmed. Then suddenly heard
Rachers voice-a hoarse, passionate
whisper.
Look out, you idiot! Look out, be-
hind the curtai1sl"
Even as she shouted, remembered
the third man at the far end of the
room. His chair was vacant Martin
Hews, ungarded, was leaning forward
across the table, his face distorted with,
mingled rage and fear and a miniature
automatic with a specially made butt,
clenched in his hand. The man who
had been guarding him had DISAPPEARED,
but Rachels cry had disclosed his plan.
The whole of the left-hand side of the
room between the two doors was hung
with magnificent tapestry, towards
which she had pointed. saw the bulge
in 1t grow nearer every moment as
the pseudo-inspector crept up towards
me.
About three yards from where he now
was came parting in the tapestry. I
watched 1t with burning eyes, watched
for the glitter Of gun, expecting to
see it pushed through at any moment.
With it all, too, realized another
could have handed the gun to the
man who had been cutting the picture
from the frame, and I would have
been powerless to interfere. She sat
there instead watching-as watched
that bulge behind the tapestry draw
ing closer and closer. The man with
his hands up, who had already been
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der.
GIVE me that gun, you little DEVIL"
Rachel made no movement. 1t was
hard work to watch everything, but
the bulge was still more than the
length of mans arm from the parting,
and allowed myself one glance at
Rachel's face. caught only glimpse
Of 1t, but it was enough to tell me that
so far as she was concerned / was safe
Get your own gun, you clumsy bum
gler!" she shouted. Calling me names,
tool Three of you against one man, and
him toff wonder what Joe would say
to the mucking lot of you? Watch the
bulge, guv'nor."
watched though my gun was still
covering the other man. Nearer and
nearing came that culver behind the
tapestry. Just as I expected, I saw an
inch or two of dull sinister metal
slowly forced through the opening.
Shooting men in cold blood in the
library of an English country house
was nothing to my fancy, but in
another second, when his eye had
crept up to the cflink, was his mark.
] swung around and pulled the trigger
of my gun twice in succession trying to
hit the arm that held the pistol.
The other man. who had been watch