Show h lion d 0 B by y GERALDINE BONNER service copyright by the th bebb merrill co e I 1 CHAPTER XI continued Con linued 15 16 not hot a thing answered rawson mai but we were at a not 1 enough I J ingli ila anil and its a good size 1 I place aluce well comb lt it over tomorrow morning by daylight ot of course lo 10 li could have sot got out on the island ilund all that kitchen wings kept open I 1 lie I 1 e might hae been lying low nit there all I 1 yesterday yest iday elday and hae bae come down last night all quite possible but well well mell hilow tomorrow lie he balked to t tile hie window A and looked out dark as a POL poi ket ile he turned to lo Da dassett when the tides full fall out atit could a per sou son get across that hut channel except by tile ahe causeway there are places where they might baila the stream in ili tile hie middle its a deep strong stron curlent tint but a good swimmer could to do it lie ha might try it lip he must tie be pretty keen about getting ort off here you know tills ellis suppose you go 0 o down and take up n R station below the boathouse swung among choie juniper bushes a place it a person might use ube as a sheltered stait for a getaway get away you cant see but you can lit buur air take williams gun am and if theres a sound challenge if thebes no answer shoot ill coule come down with you I 1 want to uke a look at patrick and ill stay round myself tor for it while title ue he stepped to the sill of the window but williams feeling tor for his revolver stopped him hold on oil a minute I 1 got an idea that I 1 help a bit ive been thinking of Itt atall liall day and it if im not nol mistaken land your man mail or boue ou woman neater and easier than lying in wait for then outside where illch they know by this time weve got a guard turned back into the room lets hear it we want to clear this up tonight rut but 11 sir bassett 1 aou ou go on stop and tell patrick what youre doing and fee that lies liea on the job ob ill be down with him later unless williams idea opens up some thing new bassett took the revolver anil and stepped out of the window ile he reached tile the boathouse and groped ills way about it to lind find pat rick co coming ming round lite hie angle where the man mail was stationed lie pronounced LIs name aud and was surprised to get no answer lie he stretched a feeling hand which came in contact with a large warm bulk immovable under alj touch laid and gh ing forth a sound or of heavy reg ular breathing ills his o own on n bren thin stifled sill led tits liis movements noiseless as a cuts cats lie he struck a match and shelter ing it with lis his curved land hand held il out in ili its glow he saw patrick hu eliud iad allied on oil the bench tits liis braced against the wall his head dropped forward in profound sleep pressed ed u against adist tile wall lie calca tle distances about him tin tilt approach to the lie causeway was to lii iii right nit an incline of rocky steps anil and in tile the stillness silliness lie he could hoar hear thi foot descending them on RL iu lb h a night joe anig ht venture again would venture if tits ills nerve nere still hold held I 1 tie lie did it would ile be within the next I 1 our and if patrick slept bleat und and rawson did nol 1101 come lie he would go by anthal ledged A fitful lareece rrose arose carrying sr sp odors ile he heard the 0 01 the tide lide growing lower fa fil luter mr ill ell they sunk mink to silence and lie knew th led of the channel was CHAPTER XII williams thought highly of his addi toil it had come to him that morri morning ln will fiill thinking of the person lie hall heart the stairs the lerhun lit in liv insisted Aisted aas mrs stokes it was it t and praet practicable leable plan elal a watch belot for the ret reit of tin tilt night on an the stairs and certain cert lilli point of exi exit L in the face of positive order two people had come coine from the ippei floor libor the night flight before hilss tracy tancy oi 01 an errand ahat 10 sur rus lillious lil cious mrs stokes lit in williame william olit opinion nion to communicate with her huband aven it both lite ircle onie ionie i powerful incentive was wai mii lilii thein take lake such r ik 4 find it wits was na iia arul arat to that incent incentive he amigh lir lie strengthened ufler twenty foll bom hours of strain tin tile tili lit try it and in t catch theitis lit it surprise them lit in the llie fact act if they break d n on oil till depot a little would do till job rawson looked ut lit ins its assistant with an ampro approving finx ea eve P the idea was gool und land kahte vt of that they arranged uie the distribution of tilt watch atch Will williams Ianis would take the front stairs his particular prey was i as there und and lie ir had already located tile the petition or of lite electric llala button 1 gwim awon would station himself in tile llie chen with its two doors one to the llie one to the hall the living room would assign to shine less important than either of tho the other ambushes but the entrance to tile the bide ild elii nul aud the pith path to the llie crual way 0 aru dock anyone deNcen dint 7 ilio ile stalls to tanke HII an exit front froni tile boube would either turn to ohp kitchen or go through 11 tin the ih living ing room aud and whichever way they took look would rui rue tulo luto it a trial trap the men a ere fiatte btttle hed ench one was det detailed to the spot where tic be might expect to op the he anje object ct of his suspicion the living room central and exposed might safely he be left to shine they found shrine in the butlers room soundly on tile the outside of 0 tile I 1 lie bed lie ile was made fill the lie plan and stumbling and heavy ped followed them in the hall left them taking LN way to ills hiding filding place thel the other two faring on to the hie seme scene of shines duties here lie received ills instructions being laid on lie door that led to the lite wing and the bock back stairs shine look looked ed from the llie door to williams with a perplexed frown lie ho did if not like to admit no aft more thun than lie he land liked to display the healthy vigor of his appetite that lie was so flecty it wits doubtful whether lie hr could keep awake lu in this embar rass rii laig position posit lou when lie desired to acquit himself creditably isad an feared the uc weakness akness of ills his flesh flech he too had au an idon idea they just wanted to know knew who the person was they ile he have to catch them which would be nearly impossible lit in the dark and was unnecessary as no one could get off the land island it to see them ili IP able to fa 3 A rie in its glow clow he saw patrick huddled on the bench identify them get onto who was steal it ng round the llie house was the point if that was enough hed a way of dong in it tile surest and most way it could be done no aund the llie furniture no uncertainty led iel set ills small camera for a flash highl 1 dijt photograph holograph the materials wele 11 ill at hand all lie imd had to t do was to get them ready and if anyone eLit euterpie euter ered pil by the door lie he was to watch atch hed lave tbell number before they knew it Willi williams alus was interested frate rested it was a neat and tickled ills his fancy As lie ie was ignorant of if the lite process shine it 11 getting gelling tits his properties roin 1 tilt the cabinet as lie he spoke the lash las h light powder ponder in a saucer cancer on the table then a double wire extending i 1 rom it to a point above the door lite pull pair of antkers antlers would answer chere tile llie wire vire would bu be cut one half hanging don domi front from flat antaeus antlers ant lers leus tilt alie ither twisted round tile door handle bundle ts end standing out when the llie door vas as opened I 1 lic two severed ends would ome oine in ili contact and wale the cir nit which would set olt off the powder ac ic did not tell williams that the of 0 tile llie picture could be ach leed vh ether lie he was asleep or awake bill that the camera would make its record latmer ills man was an lut lur demae relief to ills his initial williams left nud and lie he quickly corn com feted lils its preparations brer I 1 conre tit in niile anide tits his final adjust of llie lite tel lo 10 vires lie the latch of 0 lit lie loor that it might opell el easily ally atilt ly nt at ali the first push of it wealthy liand hand rhon ClIn iera in lattice ilace lie he turned tilt tilt lights tho room was suddenly plunged into bagyi linn alan blackness lie had to feel for the chair lie he hall had pulled up am and gra grasping the tripod nearly upset JL it Swear swearing lm under ills ln s breath brent li he found the arnio of the chair nod and let hini himself elf down upon it carefully to avoid creaking creak in the silence nf lit the house hoube closed around blin a hence clience that was like oll llon the darkness showed no break ns as lit hi glance traveled over it A solid lin im wall it wits wag hard to look tle sit lite pe eie required something to ref rc t upon after lie li find stared ct ired into it for mist w hat it measureless stretch or of line lip lie felt lie mut limit shut his 1114 eyes for a moment of if respite up ile did so hii hi i head drooped droop pd nodded sunk and itlay a bl big crumpled figure held in tilt th embrace of the chair A bang in kimt silence as loud ui as it cannon hot a rending burst bunt of light waked titan him then from every tilde side of the house noise broke groans sc rennis slumming shamming of doors th thudding uddin footfalls Wil williams linins voice shouted tin the first intelligible word you got them good work the li I 1 are the lights that shook shine into consciousness and lie he called to the gallery whence a patter of bare feet and to female cries rose its all right dont be seared scared its only a flashlight male voices followed harsh and loud as the men came ruhff rushing in Raw lawsons sons from the left with tile the crash of the dour lung flung back against the well wall what are you doing here what was that bassetts bassetta Bas from the entrance his big body colliding with furniture ns as lie he ran blindly forward somewhere in the darkness behind stokes high and choked breaking into curses and over till all miss pinkness Pink riding the tumult like the war cry of the ries why dont some of you fools fool turn on the electricity the buttons on tile the right side of the door Bas bassetta bassetts hand found it and tho room wits was flooded with light the women in straight white night stood on the gallery hudd huddle lel 1 together the dreadful darkness lifted they leaned over the railing their faces pallid between hanging locks or of hair dropping a shower of questions on 0 the below one of them was hysterical art and gave forth a sobbing wall and williams shouted bli with angry authority keep quiet up there nothings nothing s tile the matter mailer you hear bear it was wag a flashlight someone cone strangled a scream wll wil Il llsms lillis thou thought ij it was wag floya flora but could not lie he surf sure then they made a simultaneous retreat to the bedrooms for negligees unil land fc tippers lippers while the men gathered galli ered round shine listened to his e explanation no hell hed been nothing noth ln and heard nothing but hed got thy the picture all right whoever it was he had them now lied hed go and develop it he could do that lit in a few minutes anil and there was tile the projector in the lie corner lie could use throw it onti ont something where all see A sheet over that flat screen by the desk would to do they urged him out attend to everything ever tiling hurry up lit with the picture williams was unable to little his ills idea augmented by bv Sh shines lDes was it 11 bullseye bulls eye lilt lift land and tits hiss voice showed an exultant excitement as lie culled called to miss kiss Ilin kney to bring brici it 11 sheet kalsons Kaw Raw sons satisfaction wa was 1 loss apparent hut but his pe cne wits alight anticipation if it was the lie hoy boy lie had biad run back upstairs for no exit had beet been through the kitchen with willi the whole house astir hed he bo to ill come doii land and they ther lind had him hill safe gaff as it a rut rat lu in it a trap lit iiii at it the walt wait for shines Sl iines rea roan n pea pearalee ranee lie he left the lie room saying lp lie was wa going si to the tor for it 11 word won with patrick tilt noise of the women 9 footsteps footstep on tilt the stairs came in it descending ruhh they first in ID their alces go ing hig before meal alit in it scattering of acied utterances cant you d 1 tl keep still stokes ground riu uil out between ln awen ills teeth TO UK CONTINUED |