The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1936-03-13

In flash the wicket was open and
l was outside.
AS heaved him into the car, 1 saw
a bedraggled figure hurrying on to the
bridge. l laid the Count fiat on the
fioor-boards and put his coat over his
| face. Then l took my seat at the
wheel and started to turn the car
Helena was speaking.
"Rouse the other watchmen and the
warden as well. The castle is to be
searched. Unless he left by postern,
his lordship must still be here. Tell
the warden that / have news for his
lordship which will not wait, that I've
gone to Lass to catch him in case he
has gone"
"Your ladyship will be returning?"
"Within the hour"
/ had the car we'll in the shadows
and Helena's door was open before she
she was so quick that, though the
porter made to escort her, 1 was able
to have the car moving before he was
out of the light.
AS 1 whipped over the drawbridge,
I heard her sigh with relief.
sand now for Mona," she said.
The time was now half past twelve,
which shows that much may be done
In quarter of an hour. Indeed, /
would not have believed it If the clock
had not been Ginning as we passed
over the bridge.
AS we left the meadows, set
foot on the brake and switched out
my lights.
For a moment we sat in silence.
| Then
Mona" cried Helena. "Mona."
The girl did not answer, and after
a frantic moment 1 flung myself out
| of the car.
"Mona," l cried, "where are you?"
A figure rose out of the night.
"She's hoped it, sir" said Barley.
thankful to see you, sir. And that's
the truth"
1t was twenty minutes later, on the
skirts of Annabel village, that Barley
stood by the Rolls and told us his tale.
| We dared not return to the castle
| before ten minutes past one, for Lass
was II miles from Yorick and not even
| the Rolls could have done the double
| journey in less than 50 minutes, no
| matter how much she was pushed. We
had, therefore, ten minutes to spare
much against our WILL for that Pha-
raoh was racing for Yorick we had not
shadow of doubt. Still, to be I'M
easy was foolish; that day had done
the journey as Pharaoh was doing 1t
now. If Pharaoh had the luck of the
devil, we might expect to see him at
half-past one; but would have laid
fortune that he would not arrive be-
fore six.
So, as we had time to spare Barley
stood by the Rolls and told us his tale.
"a wire come on Monday, sir, lit
tie later than usual, about ten o'clock.
Return at once l. said and it bore
your name. Well, we left as sharp as
we could-for Villach, of course; but
when we gets out at Villach, there
amt no car to meet us, let alone no
Rolls. That's queer. says Mr.. Bohun.
I don't understand it, he says. If Mr..
Spencer could wire, he could send a
car. 1t may be all right, but we'd bet
ter go careful, Barley, from this time
on Well, we 'ired car at Villach, and
stopped four miles from the farm.
Then we enters the woods on foot. 1t
was just about half-past four when we
sights the house. Everything looks as
usual-sleepy an peaceful, you know,
sir, an no one about. But Mr.. Bohun's
uneasy. Mustn't rush in he says. You
stay an watch out he says, while I
go round to the back He hadn't
hardly spoken before Rush comes out
Oh the apron, as bold as brass.
II give you my word, sir, that shook
us. We made sure they'd got you all
right. But of course we couldn't do
nothing until 1t was dark. Then we
crept in and 'ad closeup" He drew
in his breath. ''Those two-Rush and
Bugle-they're simple, that's what they
are. They're like turn on the 'alls.
You could walk right in between them,
before they'd know you were there.
For 'alf an hour that evening we lis
tened to what they said, and of course
we very soon knew that Pharaoh'd got
his foot in the castle and you was
away. Then Mr.. Bohun goes for the
farmers wife, but she knows nothing
at all, except that his lordship'S back
and given special orders that Bugle
and Rush is to have Your rooms at the
farm.
"Well, we had to have quarters
somewhere, so Mr.. Bohun comes here.
The last place they'll look he says,
and the best I know Then we starts
in watchin' the castle and vistin'
Plumage at night. And that was all
we could do, for to look for you was
hopeless-we didn't know where to be-
gin. But we knew where Pharaoh was,
and we made up our minds to get him.
for once he was out of the way, all
roads were clear"
Barley closed his eyes and pushed
back his hat.
no BE CONTINUED)