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Show :: I ISsMSSsMSSsMSMSsl III I I ; """"""""""l I BLINDFOLDED I j I BY EARLE ASHLEY WALCOTT i ,i Oopyrlgtt, 1906, by ThBolt)8-Merrlll Company. , that I could hold my man. I feared a knife, but If he had one he had not drawn It, and I was able to keep his hand too .busy to aUow him to get possession pos-session of it now. Finding that he was able to accomplish nothing, he gave a short cry and called: "Connr I heard a confusion of steps outside, and a sound as of a muffled oath. Then the door opened, there was a rush of feet behind me, and the flash of a bull's-eye bull's-eye lantern. I released my enemy, and sprang back to the corner where I could defend myself at some advantage. It was a poor chance for an unarmed man. but I found a chair and set my teeth to give an account of myself to the first who advanced, and reproached the lack of foresight that had allowed me to- lay the revolver under the pillow Instead of putting it In my pocket. I could distinguish four dark figures of men; but instead of rushing upon me as I stood on the defensive, they seized upon my assailant. I looked on panting, and hardly able to regain my breath. It was not half a minute before my enemy was , securely bound and gagged and' carried out. One of the men lingered. (To Be Continued.) CHAPTER m. A Question In the Night. 4 I was stricken dumb at this end to the investigation, and half doubted the evidence or my eyes. . , "Well," said the policeman, with a sigh of relief, "there's nothing here." I suspected that his doubts of my sanity were returning. 'Here is where it was done." I asserted as-serted stoutly, pointing to the spot where I had seen the struggling group from the window. "There were surely five or Bix men in it" The policeman turned his lantern on the spot. The rough pavement had taken no mark, of the scuffle. "It's hard to make sure of things from above in this light," said the policeman, po-liceman, hinting once more his suspicion that I was confusing dreams with reality. real-ity. ..( ' "There was no mistaking that job,'? I said. "See here, the alley leads farther far-ther back. Bring your litfht.1' "Aisy, now,7' said the policeman. "IH lead the way. Maybe you want one yourself, as your friend has set the fashion." A few paces farther the alley turned at a rixrht anffle to the north, vfcwnine dark behind the grim and threatening buildings, and filled with noisome odors. We looked narrowly for a body, and then for traces that might give hint of the passage of a party. "Nothing here, " said the policeman, as we came out "on the other street. "Maybe they've carried. him into one of these back-door dens, and maybe they whisked him into a hack here, and are a mile or two away by now." . -"Bat we must follow them. He may re only wounded, and can be rescued. And these men can be caught." I was almost hysterical in my eagerness. ' "Aisy, aisy, now,?' said the policeman. police-man. "Go back to your room, now. 'That's ..the safest place for you, and you canH do nothiri'-..at all out here. I'll report the case to the head office, V.'we'U send out the alarm to tbe . .Now, here 's your door. Just rest r, and they'll let you know if any-' any-' ng'afound." ' ' And he nassed on. lea vine me dazed with dread and despair in the entrance of the fateful house. The sounds of drunken pleasure were lessening about me. The custom had fallen off in the saloon across ibstreet to such an extent that the proprietor was putting up the shutters. Tbfo' saloon on the corner of the. Alley was still waiting wait-ing for tsray customers and I crossed over to it with the thonthat the in- -mtMi jn,,ejk'jWt-ble clue. - A man" half -as. j.AeA;:back..in a chair -by the stove with his chin m his breast. Two rough-looking men at a table who were talking in low tones pretended pre-tended 'not' to notice my entrance, -but their furtive glances gave more eloquent evidence of their interfcBt.-tban the closest clos-est stare. A The. barkeeper eyed me with apparent openness. I called for a glass of wine, partly ss an excuse for my visit, and -J-fvjevive mv shaken api's. ---"Any trouble about here tonight!" I asked in my most affable tone. The barkeeper looked at me with cold suspicion. "No, sir." he said shortly. "This is the quietest neighborhood in town. T ah nil Id think there would be a disturbance every time liquor was sold," was my private comment, as I got the aftertaste of the dose. But I merely wished him good-night as I paid "for the drink and sauntered out. I promptly got Into my doorway before any one could reach the street to see whither I went, and listened to a growling comment and a mirthless laugh that followed my departure. Hardly had I gained my concealment when the swinging doors of the saloon opened cautiously, cau-tiously, and a face peered out into the semi-darkness. With a muttered curse It went back, and I heard the barkeepers voice In some Jest about a failure to be "quick enough to catch files." 4 One more In the room to wait till "lUfning should give me a chance to work. r vked about the dingy place with a jjkt sunk to the lowest depths. I was Vion In the face of this mystery. I had hot one friend In the city to whom I could appeal for sympathy, advice or money. Yet I should need all of these to follow this business to the end to learn the fate of my cousin, to rescue him, if alive and to avenge him, if dead. Then, In the hop that I might find something among Henry's effects to give me a clue to the men who had attacked him. I went carefully through his clothes and his papers. But I found that he did not leave memoranda of his business lying ly-ing about. The only scrap that could have a possible bearing on it was a sheet of paper In the coat he had changed with me. It bore a rough map, showing a road branching . thrice, with crosses warked her and there upon It. Underneath Under-neath was written: "Third road cockeyed barn Iron cow." Then followed some numerals mixed in a drunken dance with half the letters of the alphabet the explanation of the map. I supposed, in cipher, and as It might Frove the clue to this dreadful business, folded the sheet carefully In an envelope en-velope and placed It In an Inmost pocket. The search having failed of definite results, re-sults, I sat with chair tilted against the wall to consider the situation. Turn It as I would, I could make nothing good of It. There were desperate enterprises afoot of which I could see neither beginning nor end, purpose nor result. I repented of my consent to mix In these dangerous doings and resolved that when the morning morn-ing came I would find other quarters, take up the search for Henry, and look ' for such work as might be found. It was after midnight when I had come to this conclusion, and, barring door and window as well as I could, I flung myself my-self on the bed to rest. I did not expect to sleep after the exciting events through which I had passed; yet after a bit the train of mental pictures drawn out by th surging memories of the night became confused and faded away, and I sank Into an uneasy slumber. When I awoke it was with a start and an oppressive sense that somebody else was in the room. The gas light that I had left burning had been put out. Darkness Dark-ness was intense. The beating of my own heart was the only sound I could distinguish. dis-tinguish. I sat upright and felt for the matches that I had seen upon the stand. In another instant I was flung back up-i up-i on th bed. Wiry fingers gripped my -nat, and a voice hissed in my ear: Where 1 hT Where is the boy? Give your paper or I'll wring the life out vou!" was strong and vigorous, and, though en at a disadvantage, struggled desperately des-perately enough to break the grip on my throw t and get a hold upon my assailant "Where is the boy?" gasped the vole once more, and then, as I made no reply, re-ply, but twined my arms about him, 'my assailant saved all hi breath for the struggle. We rolled to the floor with a thud that ; shook th house, and in this change' of base X bad the luck to come out urper-, urper-, most. Than mr courage rose a 1 found |