The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1946-01-11
CHAPTER III

mans fingers"
And he said: ~ looked in the
kindling and the paper and behind
che logs till found eleven matches,
all burned down about the same
way. l lighted a match and timed
1t. Handled carefully, 1t burned
over half a minute. So eleven
matches would give some light, in
this cabin, for about six minutes:
A lot can be done in six minutes"
Mrs. Tope suggested: "You can't
do much with one hand II you're
holding a match in the otherl"
Tope nodded lin quick pride.
''That's right, ma'aml Adam, this
wife Of mine is keen. So whatever
was done here, there were two peo-
pie. One of them did it, and the
other held the matches, made
light"
Bruce said: IT can see that. Go
on"
And Tope explained, apologetical-
iy: $50 it seemed to me sure that
some one had done something here.
Either they came to get something,
or to hide something. I thought they
might have hid something; and I
wanted to-search the place, see
what I could find"
He looked at Mrs. Tope. "But-I
didn't want to bother you, or worry
you," he said to her; and then, to
Adam. $50 I let her 60 outside.
Then I started to look under the
beds. That was the only place where
much Of anything could be hidden.
You see how they're made"
Adam felt his pulses pounding
heavily.
81 found something under the
bed," Tope explained. The young
man tried to speak, to ask ques-
ton; but his voice died in a husky
whisper. Tope said gravely: cts
still there. It's dead man. I'll
show you'll"
But as he was about to draw the
coverlet away, some one knocked,
in a soft, furtive fashion, on the
door. That quiet knock was terrify-
ing! These three whirled as one;
and then knock sounded again, and
Bruce opened the door. Then he
said in a vast relief:
"Oh, hullo, Nedl Come in" He
drew the other man into the room.
"This is Ned Quill, Inspector" he
said. "You wanted him, and told
him to meet us here"
Tope extended his hand. ''I've
seen enough of MIR. Quill to know
he doesn't like violinsl"
Quill grinned, and took off his cap,
and shook hands with Tope and with
Mrs. Tope. "That fiddler makes me
tlredl" he agreed. He stood looking
at them, waiting. "Well?" he chal-
lenged. whats the matter? What's
all the shooting for?"
Tope, after a moment and with
out word, turned again toward the
bed. They came silently behind
him.
There's a dead man under
here" said Tope. He removed the
blankets and the sheets, and he took
hold Of the mattress at one end,
looked at Bruce. "You take the 9TH
er end" he directed.
They lifted the mattress, laid it
OH the floor. There was left on the
bed spring, made Of a square pat
tern Of heavy wire. The electric
light, shaded bulb, hung almost
directly overhead; and its rays
shone down unhindered, so that the
wire squares threw a network of
shadow on that which lay In the box
like space below.
This was, as Tope said, the body
Of a man. He lay little on one
side; yet not as though his body had
been arranged in this position, but
in twisted fashion vaguely disturb
ing, suggestive of some spasmodic
effort or movement in the moment
of his death. He was an old man.
his age manifest in thin gray hair,
scantily seen under a ragged cap
pulled down to his ears. There was
b prickling Of gray beard on his
chin and the upper part of his cheek.
But except for brow and cheek
3 9AAA SAA14s IAo COC1tCud1lCG was CON-
cealed by two strips of black adhe-
sive tape bound tight over his mouth
and over his eyes. Each band was
carried clear around his head, dou-
BILE and triple for full security. Also.
his hands were bound behind him.
with lengths Of insulated wire twist
ed around the wrists; and these
wires held In place around his hands
q thick fold Of blanket. His feet in
the same way had first been
wrapped in a blanket and then
bound with wires; his swaddled
hands were secured to a rope that
circled his body like belt.
As for his garments, he was
dressed in very old sweater, gray.
TOO large for him, stained and soiled;
md pair Of overalls, also too large,
md stained with grease and oil.