The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1936-04-09
By
Dornford Yates
Copyright b. Nlnton. Balch = %.
wNU Service
CHAPTER X--Continued

liquor was bitter-sweet-and 1t made
me drunken with rage. A girl had been
mishandled. Not the Countess Hell
ena Of Yorick, for she was not Of this
life; but slight, pathetic figure, whose
head was bare J. that had stood very
still In valley.
What then took place. happened
more swiftly than l can set 1t down.
Bugle was on the drawbridge, and !
WAS standing. ready and waiting to Kill
him, three PAGES away. l saw the man
drop the handkerchief and / saw him
draw back his arm to discharge the
shoe. 1t was then that l noticed Sabre
-noslng the scrap of linen, white on
the bridge. =.
Az the shoe left Bugle's hand, the
Alsatian crouched. and as he turned
to come back the great dog sprang.
The shock would have sent giant
flying, for Sabre weighed fully six
stone.
AS Bugle met the rail of the draw
bridge, l heard bone snap.
And then the two went over. Into the
moat.
The splash they made must have
been heard, but for the cutlery within
the castle itself.
AS ! ran for the postern, heard
hubbub In the archway and Florin's
voice calling to Hubert to open the
gates.
AS / stumbled into the passage
This Is the stuff breathed Rush.
up the stairs on yer left I've got to
lock this door,
1t seemed best to do as he said.
Pharaoh and Dewdrop were gone l
needed Rush to bring me where they
were.
Without word. / turned to the
steps knew. =.
As l came to their head, became
aware OF radiance-a faint sugges
tion OF light, enough to outline the
doorway that gave to the little hall.
Another step, and / heard the drone
of voice.
/ entered the hall a-tiptoe.
One of Its doors was half-open-not
that OF the staircase which led to Hell
enas room. Beyond this light was
burning, the light OF torch-and an
ice-cold voice was teaching a bitter
sentence to cut like whetted knife.
$50 you see there's not much left.
Tomorrow morning, no doubt, order
will be restored. Very likely the police
will arrive They won't arrive tonight,
for the telephone isn't working. I'm
afraid I'm to blame for that. The
search, which Is now proceeding In a
somewhat haphazard way. will be or
gained; clues will be sifted the alb
duction will be reconstructed Your
sheets are below the ramparts, SO
they'll know you were taken that way.
Your handkerchief Hes on the draw
bridge; the slipper which You kicked
off will be found In the fields. | ex-
pect they'll employ your Alsatian-Tm
sure | should But as | carried you
here, / don't think that he will come
off. One has to think Of these things.
Be that as 1t may. no stone will be
left unturned to find the beautiful
countess-you really are lovely, you
know--the worshipful mistress of Yor-
lex, that carted her drunken brother
out OF her way And all the time
you'll be here, sharing this somewhat
unfriendly chamber with me and my
friends. You do see the point. don't
you? They wont search the castle,
because they'll know for certain we're
none OF us here. You didn't search 1t
this morning-you knew ! was gone.
And IL they did search the castle,
hardly think Florin would let them
look In this room. It's cleverly done,
that door. You've got to be curious to
find 1t and an expert to find Its lock.
I'm both. | found them on Wednesday
evening the help of your broth
er's key. l need hardly say that had
known that the key which you hand
ed the warden was his and not yours,
we should have adjourned to this
chamber this morning instead Of to-
night. However, airs well that ends
we'll. !.
A steafthy step behind me -remam.-
bered Rush.
AS turned he was locking the door
at the head OF the curling stair
For a fraction OF second ! hesl-
tated. Rush was at my mercy. Was
this the time to unmask? And then l
decided to stake my winnings once
more.
Rush Strengthened his back and
turned to the half-open door. Then he
hung on his heel for an instant. to
breathe In my ear.
"Come on, you. I'll give you Pha-
raohs genius. He's got little Sheba
cold"
Here, since 1t bears upon my story.
/ must describe how you entered that
secret room.
This was lie way OF &C.
In the massive door from the hall
the keyhole was set to the right, and
when you had turned the key, the iron
studded oak opened inwards and 80
to the left. At once you found your
self at the foot of a staircase turret
the steps Of which rose to the right and
after three or four rises curled out Of