The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1934-04-19
CHAPTER XII
In the Dark

The room was in darkness Sly
CLAN backness that was impenetrable.
Peter concluded that the blinds had
been drawn against observing eyes. be-
cause almost no light filtered through
the windows. He closed his eyes, to
accustom them to the lack OF light.
When he opened them again. he could
decry two reetangles. lighter than the
gloom about him. The windows.
They were to his left. Swiftly he out
lined a plan of battle. He must reach
the wall to the right, to prevent sur
prise from the rear. Then. hugging
the wall, he could move slowly forward
until his foe was silhouetted against
the faint glow of the windows.
With his thumb he released the
safety on his revolver. The slight me-
tallic noise of 1t sounded loud against
the hushed background of the room.
The faint tang of tobacco was In the
air. Where was that wall? Peter
wished fervently that he had not adj
vanced so far into the room. He did
not dare raise his feet Any col
lision with unseen furniture-any
noise. no matter how slight-would be-
tray his exact whereabouts to his
quarry.
From beyond the door, the gates of
the elevator FLASHED open and shut
again. Even from this distance, the
noise seemed unbelievably loud. Be-
low In the street, car changed gears.
Queer, how outside noises drifted into
this stiffness here He could even hear
his own breathing. Peter stopped
then, holding his breath. Perhaps he
was close enough to hear the telltale
whisper of the other fellows breath
Ing.
There was no sound here-only the
muffled distant noises from outside.
Once more he moved cautiously for
ward Again he stopped. This time IT
was the ticking Of his own watch
which disturbed him. II he could hear
1t, perhaps the other fellow could too,
He crouched. unbuckling the wrist
band, and slid the offending timepiece
along the floor, several feet behind
him, never once relinQuIshing his grip
on the revolver.
Once more he peered about him, hif
eyes straining to pierce the blackness
Except for the barely discernible out
lines Of the windows, there was moth.
Ing by which he could get his bear.
| ings. He searched his mind for some
memory OF the room. some character
istic which might be of value to him
/ now. He could think OF nothing. Still
| he could not be far from the wall op
posite the windows. 1t was not al
unusually large room. Once there. MI
chance of finding the other man, with
ont himself being found. waa mucl
better. He resumed his cautious ad
vance. His foot struck something. Hi
grip on the revolver frightened.
He explored with his free hand. /
was only chair. He moved around !
and advanced again, slowly, silently
And then he found the wall. With
feeling OF relief, he backed against II
facing the room. II he were SURPRISED
now. 1t would not be from the rear.
Then, still taking every precautiol
against any sound which might betra
his whereabouts, he sided along tn
wall, his eyes exploring the room wit
slightly more success, now that he ha
the room sIlhouetted between himsel
and the windows. His strainlng eye
could identify table, In vague relic
against the window squares. Near b,
a wide leather chair. whose blurre
outline he was slow In classifying
Peter moved on slowly.
His back struck picture on To
wall. IT scraped against the plastic
but did not fall. He caught his breat
and moved more quickly. II the re
low were tempted to shoot at tn
sound. 1t would be just as well not
be there.
Next he encountered table, againi
the wall. His progress here We
blocked. He would have to NOV
around It, once more exposing his res
to attack. Again he paused to liste
He was tempted to believe that b
nerves had deceived him-that thel
was no one else In this room, after a.
And yet he could not forget that clio
of the light switch, before he opene
the door. Nor the odor of Tobacco
And then there were the drawn blind
Why should the shades of an office
drawn In this way? No. there was &c
taInly some one here.
Peter thought of the picture he hi
nearly knocked from the wall. 1t nj
almost betrayed him. His fingers Q
: plored the table top. The Incident hi
suggested a new strategy. II he coul
by some means, cause the other mi
to betray his whereabouts, the re
should be simple. He found Gale
dar pad. Still gripping the revolvs
he tossed the pad across the room wi
his left hand. 1t struck something,
chair probably, and slid to the flo
: with noise that seemed uncanny
the unnatural stiffness. His eyes ach
! with the effort to penetrate the blac
ness. Nothing happened. His ener
e was too canny to be taken In like thi
2 1t irked him, and yet he yielded t
tAv4 .