Show r l irk Ji i t w r 4 1 r ri I 1 I I I I JP a I COPYRIGHT BY co 4 CHAPTER XI Continued XI-Continued Continued 15 15 Pharaoh was trying to find me stealing this way and that He had only to brush a against me touch me with the tips of his fingers ers and I should he cau be-cau be caught bt His deadly swiftness swiftness swiftness' of or of action would see to that Any moment this might hap pen Any moment the roar of or his pistol might make the last sound I should hear He might be but three feet off off now In Ia another Instant instant Instant In In- stant I might feel his breath on my cheek I 1 began to tremble my knees felt suddenly loose my cousins cousin's words came leering Into my mind I never liked buff It was the remembrance of or Helena Helena Hel Hel- ena enn that put put- putto put to shame my fear I J had heard her whip Pharaoh here Pharaoh here In this ery very room him before his ils fellows cut him across the face and the whip she had used was my coura courage e. e You fear him you fear fear- his hand For an an Instant I 1 thought upon her her- herand and strangely enough remembered the way she had pushed her hair from her temples temples tem tern ples pIes as though by that pretty gesture gesture ture to banish care Then I 1 turned refreshed to my duty which was to take Pharaohs Pharaoh's life liCe At once I set out to find him with my left hand stretched before e ore oreme me and my pistol all ready I truly believe that my action saved my life for Pharaoh pl passed me In the darkness and came upon Rush I knew this was so for he fired Ired upon the body supposing It Ito to o be beme me and the flame that leaped from his pistol gave e me a mark to aim at Instead of lighting my face In a flash I I had fired and had drawn his fire for tor before I could think a bullet had bad flicked the th sleeve of or my pistol arm This showed me once for all that so BO fur far as snap shots were concerned concerned concerned con con- I stood no chance whatever against such a man As I whipped to o one side I made up my mind I must not fire again until I knew for or certain that my bullet was going goIng goIng go- go Ing to kill In a word Ford If It I was was was' to win I must come to close quarters quarters quarters with Pharaoh If Ir not to grips I 1 had now no come back to the table and as I edged my way round It I 1 thought of the knee-hole knee belo below I 1 think It will be admitted that In n making you way to and fraIn fro fra froin fron In n a room that Is dark your tendency Is to skirt the furniture which you encounter keeping ID In in touch with Its edge because I suppose suppose suppose sup sup- pose you like to be able to 10 feel your way After all aU this Is natural natural natural nat nat- ural blind me men move mo move by the wall If It then I entered the knee hole and l let t Pharaoh move to and ald fro sooner of later he would ouId skirt the pedestal table and tho though gh I should sh ld not hear him I had bad put out out my myha my ms ha hands ds and I should feel the Uie slack of his trousers as h he went by An Instant later I 1 was crouching beneath Deneath the archway v with Ith my pis- pis f s M Mn n t ta l 41 e- e 1 f J J if My I Pistol l on the C pet Ca r pet et Before Me tol tal op on pie 11 he ci carpet caret t before beCore me mt and my empt hands empty hands oU outstretched upon either elther side 81 side 11 e. e l I had not long t to wait When I did dill not return his fire I Ifancy Ifancy Ifancy fancy the was man al WJ eth th er or not I Iwas was d dad ad He therefore sought the spot from which I Iliad had fired and finding finding finding- nobody there turned and cape came to to the fbi thole exactly exactly ex ex- ex as I had done And exactly as ns I had done he began to edge edg-e his way round It It J. J The Ile slack of or his trousers brushed my m hand band In a II flash I had him by the ankles and ripping his feet from beneath him had brought him down on his side Then I snatched m my pistol thrust It Into his bis stomach and pressed the trigger trIgger trIgger-In In vain The ma magazine was empty Slovenly Slovenly Slovenly I enly to the last Rush Hush had never troubled to replenish his clip Pharaoh had fallen on his right and so on his pistol arm While this was taking his weight he could not aim and thou though b In a flash he had thrown his weight to the left In that Instant my fingers ers had caught the tile wrist of his pistol For a moment he fought for his freedom then he be let himself fall fallon fallon fallon on his back but now my wits were working and before It could reach his pocket I had hold of or his other wrist And In fn that Instant the room was flooded with light For a moment I thought that someone had iad entered the chamber I And then I guessed that Pharaoh i had turned the sw switches when first lie he came Into the room and find the switchboard Itself might report the repair of the damage t l which he had lone done So far the first time that night I Isa sa saw v my eri enemy's mys my's face I I think he must must have known that I was his assailant but the sight of or me seemed to send him out of or his mind min t 1 He fought no more like likeas as a serpent but like the madman he his face convulsed w with Ith h pa passion l n n grid and eyes fes g put J r of qt his bead bead ad At last to my relief re relief ler r the tempe ten tempest Pest t blew Itself out an and helay ny back i spent and panting to take his rest but but- before I con could d think of or moving he had lifted his his' head beaU once once more and was staring Into my eyes I 1 looked back grimly enough He did not struggle he simply gazed upon me as though he would brand my Image upon his memory Then the fellow spat In my face So a nia madman Iman made a madman If he resisted I knew not but butI I used him as a lay figure from that time on I dashed his hand on the massive plinth of or the table to break his wrist and when his pistol had bad fallen I t I brought l his s han hands s together and got to my knees And then I 1 Iwas Iwas was clear of or the thc t table ble and had Jerked him up to his feet I let his brol cn n wrist go whipped out ont l his is second pistol and pitched It across the room Then I 1 seized his throat with b both th h hands turned him back to th the table bent him him across ss its c corner rn r and br broke ke his back on tb the oak a a e a a Sitting fitting on t the e bench by the fireplace fireplace fire fire- place I J wiped my face and my hands on Helena's black silk scarf Tills This had been wrung and creased cr sed and I I had no doubt that Ph Pharaoh ra h had used It to gag her before before- he had had carried h her r off Now that the business was over I I found It hard to belle believe I looked at my my watch The time was twenty minutes past last twelve Not an hour had gone by since Pharaoh had talked from front the ramparts ramparts and Dewdrop had read his m message s ge to Rush and Bugle and me And now they were all four d dead ad but ut I was alive The reflection brou brought ht me up to tomy tomy tomy my my feet Alive If you please but but butI I was stint In a chamber from which I could could see no way out For twenty minutes I sought that s secret et door I 1 shouted and beat upon the woodwork using H Helena's l nas na's name name all all In vain aln Helena was locked In the turret turret- my hand In my pocket fingered her master key which I 1 had taken from Rush b but t the turret no doubt had embrasures and she would be found and released so soon as she could make herself heard She had of of c course Urse heard the firing but If the thieves were fighting what did that matter to her Let Pharaoh revenge re en h her r escape upon Bugle and andRush Rush Hush or seek to blast his way yay out of the s secret cret room Here perhaps I sh should s say y that though Helena he heard the fifing the sound was so muffled that could not be bc sure what lt It was 15 as while so thick were the walls of of- that nobody else In lu the castle heard It Ii at till all Nor hen h Helena's release was erre effected t and GC Geoffrey and the warden warden warden war war- den were f found the three would tn taKe e c counsel t together geth r upon upon her report re reo port The position would be considered con con- hut but J. J but not for lon long Th The thing was clear To open pen the room would be he madness The The council coun coun- cil would surely decide that Pha- Pha and his companions must be bel l left ft to die wh where rc they were Somewhat Somewhat dazedly e ed my surroundings s. s No windows lows no doors How didone did didone didone one get out of or chambers that th t had neither windows nor Dor doors It was then that I thought of at the fireplace A grate must have a chimney and If It the chimney r was wl wide le I must have hn climbed forty Corty feet when my hand encountered a n rl ridge e and I felt a current of air And then I carne came to a fireplace As I crawled I out of that fireplace I knew v where I was I had come cometo to Helena's bedroom Roughly I wash washed cashed the filth from my head anti and my han hands ls but thol though h I did what I could to wipe the soot from my shoes I very soon saw that until I could change my clothing I should not be fit to move In a furnished furnished fur Cur room And what clothes I had were at Plumage At once to get Jet to the farm became became be be- came m ray my burning desire Before I did so I must set Helena free That was simple enough I J had her master key and there was washer washer washer her private stair to bring me down downto to the hall And yet I J dreaded the duty I t did not want to see sec her herat herat herat her her- at least not now I 1 dreaded the explanations which I should be forced to give Ive I did not want her herto herto herto to know that I had been there In that room that I had seen Pharaoh break brenk her that I had heard her purchase purchase pur pur- chase my safety for tor ten thousand pounds a n year I heard the whine of or a dog and then the scratch of ot claws on the thedoor thedoor thedoor door that led to the ramparts In a moment I 1 had It open and there to tomy tomy tomy my Joy was Sabre I 1 afterwards learned that perceivIng perceiving per per- the bustle above him the dog had declared by barking that he was wils down In the moat His rescue rescue res res- res- res cue cne was effected The great do dog seemed pleased to see me but none too pleased to see that I 1 was alone Come and find her Sabre I said I 1 know where she Is The Alsatian started and stared Then he bounded toward me put his great paws on my shoulders and licked my face One minute later we stood In the little hall ball With the master key In my hand I turned to the turret door For a moment I hesitated Then I 1 took a n adeep adeep deep breath fitted the key to the lock and pushed open the oak Helena was not to be seen Neither for tor that matter was Sa Sa- Sa bre He had gone to Join his mistress mIstress mistress mis mIs- tress at the head of or the turret stair I 1 was wondering whether to follow fol- fol low low or or whether to wait walt where I was when I 1 suddenly saw that my duty to the lady was done The appearance of ot Sabre would show her that she was released The way to her bedroom was open and she had no n need d of ot escort because because be be- cause the terror was laid With trembling fingers I whipped the key from the lock of the thc turret door Then I opened the door which gave to the winding staircase passed through h and locked It behind i me with all dispatch Five minutes later I 1 crossed the moat by the footbridge footbridge footbridge foot foot- bridge and entered the tunnel which would bring me Into the woods a a a a a a a aAs As I walked to Plumage I remembered remembered those terrible moments moments how how howIn In her pride she had flung my puny efforts In Pharaohs Pharaoh's face and how In her fear and trembling she had sought to buy my safety by committing committing com com- a breach of trust No queen could have done more for the king she loved a a a a a a a Although I 1 had come to regard with Increasing apprehension the opening of or Helena's eyes eyes to to the truth of or course that It was I rand and not Bugle that had stood In the secret chamber and listened to all nil She said saId saId-it It had never occurred to tome tome tome me that If only I held my tongue neither she nor anyone else need ever ev r suspect that I had entered castle that Friday nl night ht Yet before my cousin had spoken a dozen do words I saw that If Ir I 1 was careful my secret would keep Itself He found me finishing breakfast breal In his room at The Reaping Hook Well you have missed something something something some some- thing he saId aid Let that be your punishment for deceiving three simple simple simple sim sim- souls Not that I 1 blame jou you you- this time My lady had no rl right ht to treat yon you like that I told her heras heras heras as much In the coupe But she wouldn't listen to me But that's by the way Youve You've missed mIssed mIssed-In In Ina a way youve you've missed the most ost astounding show that ever er was seen Lady Helena saw a good bit more bit more than enough Im I'm afraid He ITe threw himself Into a chair Upon my mj soul I dont don't know v where to begin What do you yon know I I saidI said I r feel sure said my cousin that you will be glad lad to hear that your failure to arrive arrhe at the castle knocked the three of or us flat We couldn't assimilate the fact that simple simpie honest John Spencer had bad laid himself out to deceive us and us-and and done It so devilish well You certainly certainly got your own back Lady Indy Helena was wild Id Td never have ha believed It of hIm she ra raged edWell ed Well now that she was safe In Inthe Inthe inthe the castle I was only too glad of an excuse to get et out and so I announced announced an an- that Barley Burley and I 1 would seek seck you without dela delay She Insisted Insisted Insisted In In- that we wc should take Sabre and nd gave the dog don his orders before we left leCt Its It's right you should know that she was extremely worried My cousin paused to frown on his I hope In the merciful course of time to forget the way we employed the next two hours We Wl used Sabre exactly according to the Instructions on the tle box Should the dog display emotion release him at once Remain exactly where you were when he left you ou until he returns Then take hold of his collar and he will lead you jou OU to John I began to shake with laughter Quite so said Geoffrey Quite so After Arter about an hour the tho dog dig dis played ed emotion and andas was as released After another hour Barley and I displayed much more emotion and withdrew to survey suney the mouth of the entrance drive We hadn't been there ten minutes minutes min min- utes when we heard the Carlotta coming coming coming-coming coming from the castle all out By the use of our torches we stopped her to find that she was manned by a flying squad Watchmen Watch Watch- men porters grooms grooms all all of them armed to the teeth They were goIng goIng goIng go- go Ing to compass Yorick traveling east and the coupe was coming after to travel west The Countess Helena had been Yorick was plunged Into darkness and my lady Indy was gone Let down In a sheet from the ramparts Her handkerchief handkerchief chief had been found on the draw drawbridge V. rn bridge and Sabre had been found ID in inthe the moat I felt that It was time to say something But how I 1 began Dont Interrupt said my cousin cou cou- sin Listen to me Well Wen I T let the Carlotta c. go deciding that Barley and I l' l would do better on foot 1 I ii 7 1 7 r L. Y I I Il l r I IA I A Gag Was Cl Clapped Over Her Mouth sent him east and ran west yes west yes ran with my heart In my mouth The Idea was to find the Rolls If the Rolls Rons had not goneI gone I found her at a quarter to one up |