Year: 1860

chamber next to the one in which you slept
last night-do me the favor to occupy it as
long as you please"


"You had better decline before it is too
late" M. Berret whispered in my ear.
fear you will not occupy it for more than
one night. If you do you will accomplish
what no person has yet done.''


"Sh0w me the room," calmly replied,
paying no attention to the anxious whispers
of the sub-agent.


There seemed nothing remarkable about
the room when we had first entered it. 1t
was trifle larger than the other chambers
of the house, and the furniture was of a
more antique pattern, especially the high
posted bedstead.


| think this will answer" said, after
surveying the apartment and its belongings.


"Will you lodge here tonight, then mon
sieur ?"


Certainly. The room suits me in every
particular" 5s


If the dark-browed host had entertained
any suspicious of my intentions, they were
certainly by this time entirely disspiated !;
and he left the room, have no doubt, graf
i6ed in the depth of his black heart that
another victim was to fall so easily into bis
trap.


"You are determined on this step, I per-
ceive," M. Berret remarked after he had
gone. swell, will not attempt to dis
suade you, since | know you cannot be
moved, but promise you, should you be
missing in the morning, 1 will burn the old
rookery to the ground, and hang the villain
GUS inn-keeper upon his sign post, so surely
as l shall myself live till them


"Take whatever steps you please when
you find me missing, M. Berret-until then
leave the matter in my hands. But there is
one material service which you must not
fail to render me. You will, if you please,
conceal yourself, with two or three trusty
men, in the room next to this, which oc-
cupied last night, and there await my sig
nal. When you hear from me, you will in-
stantly rush in and assist me to secure what
ever you may find"


These arrangements were, at the proper
time, put fully into operation. As evening
drew on, saw that the sub-agent and his
allies were properly secreted, aud, first en-
joining vigilance upon them, l entered the
mysterious and fatal guest-chamber. The
lamp which carried served to reveal every
part of it, and l quickly became aware that
there was nothing unusual about the ap-
pearance of the room. 1t was very much
such a bed-chamber as might be met with
in almost every village inn. Nevertheless,
rocnlyoI IN puf M faith in onpooranoo opd
Immediately l commenced a systematic ex-
animation. l searched everywhere-under
he bed, in the closet and behind the win
dow-curtains-but my search revealed moth
ing. 1t was certain that no one was con.
cealed in the room, and there, as certainly,
seemed no place of ingress save the door.
l was beginning to become anxious. l re>
fected that the danger might come upon
me Unexpectedly, and from an unexpected
source. sat down, and for an hour waited
waited in restless expectancy for the ap-
pearance of the assassn--but still l waited
in vain. Looking at my watch perceived
that it was nearly midnight. My nnaccus>
toned vigil had wearied me. and placing my
pistols beneath the pillow, l lay down upon
the bed without removing my clothes. l
was not long in discovering that this bed
was of somewhat singular construction-the
formation of the top being rather concave
than otherwise, and so adjusted that the
occupant could not possibly rest in any
other way than upon his back in the middle


Upon bis back! That seemed rather a
singular discovery to make just at that mo-
ment Had not every one of the murdered
men been stabbed through the back? Yes
and each one of them must have received
his death wound while lying in this very
bed, just as l.


Chck-c -click--click!


Three sharp distinct sounds, apparently
close at hand, interrupted my reflections, l
know their meaning in an instant-those
sounds needed no interpreter. l rose quick>
ly and silently, and grasping my pistol,
awaited the movement OF the unseen assas-
sin. Click--click. That noise again, and
now like the creakipg of hinge. Next
there was shuf1ng sound which made me
aware that there was a man beneath the
bed--and the next instant saw the blade
of dagger driven up through the thin
mattrass, in the very place where l had
Uecu IyiuS SoVc d low Siodu, "uiou }" 40
answered by chucke from beneath the
bed.


can easy death! Now for the spoils." I
heard the same voice say. And at the same
instant the head and shoulders of the inn
keeper we're thrust out from the bed hang
ings. Covering him with the muzzle of one
of my pistols, l said:


Come forth, sir, and deliver yourself up!
Your innocent guest is no other than
detective officer Don't attempt to es-
cape-I shall certainly fire il you do !"


But be did try. and speedily sent pis-
tol ball after him. The report was succeed
ed by deep groan, and instantly M. Ber
rett and his assistant rushed 10. A hasty
search was sufficient to discover the land
lord under the bed welteripg in his blood,
and the hostler was seized before he had an
opportunity to close the secret panel in the