= A . C O N A N D O YLE C H A P T E R X X I I I . — (Continued.) The voicei and the footstepe sounded louder and louder, until they were just at the other aide o f the boundary. They seemed to come from several people walk­ ing slowly and heavily. There was the shrill rasping o f a key and the wooden door swung hack on its rusty hinges, while three dark figures passed out who appeared to bear some burden between them. The party in the shadow crouched closer still, and peered through the dark­ ness with eager anxious eyes. They could discern little save the vague outlines of the moving men, and yet as they gazed at them an unaccountable and overpowering horror crept into the hearts o f every one o f them. They breathed an atmosphere o f death. The newcomers tramped across the road, and pushing through the thin hedge, ascended the railway embankment upon the other side. It was evident that their burden was a heavy one, fo r they stopped more than once while ascending the steeji grassy slope, and once, when near the top. one o f the party slipped, and there was a sound as though he had fallen upon his knees, together with a stifled oath. They r* ached the top, however, and their fig­ ures, which had disappeared from view, came into sight again standing out dimly against the murky aky. They bent down over the railway line, and placed the in­ distinguishable mass which they bore care­ fully upon it. " W e must have the light,” said a voice. “ No, n o ; there’s no need,” another ex­ postulated. “ W e can’t work in the dark,” said the third, loudly and harshly. “ W here’s the lantern, guv'nor? I ’ve got a lucifer.” “ We must manage that the train passes over right,” the first voice remarked. “ Here. Burt, you light it.” There was the sharp sound of the strik­ ing o f a match, and a feeble glimmer ap- ptared in the darkness. It flickered and waned, as though the wind would extin­ guish it, but next instant the wick o f tha lantern had caught, and threw a strong yellow glare upon the scene. The light fell upon the major and his comrades, who had sprung into the road, and it lit up the group on the railway line. Yet it was not upon the rescuing party that murder­ ers fixed their terror-stricken eyes, and the major and his friends had lost all thought o f the miscreants above them— for there standing in the center o f the roadway, there with the light flickering over pale aweet face, like a spirit from the tomb, stood no other than the much-enduring, cruelly-treated girl for whom Burt's mur­ derous blow had been intended. F or a few seconds she stood there with­ out either party moving a foot or uttering a sound. Then there came from the rail­ way a cry so wild that it w iiLrin g forever in the ears o f those who heard it. Burt dropped upon bis knees and put his hands over his eyes to keep out the sight. John Girdlestone caught his son by the wrist and dashed'away in the darkness, flying wildly, madly, with white face and staring - «yea, as men who have looked upon that which is not o f this world. In the mean­ time, Tom had sprung down from his perch, and had clasped K ate in his arms, and there she lay. sobbiug and laughing, with many pretty feminine ejaculations and exclamations and questions, saved at last from the net o f death, which had been 'dosing upon her so long. C H A P T E R X X IV . The ruffian Burt was so horror-stricken at the sight o f the girl whom he imagined that he had murdered, that he lay grovel­ ing on the railway line by the aide o f bis victim, moaning with terror, and incapa­ ble o f any resistance. H e was promptly seized by the major’s party, and the N i­ hilist secured his hands with a handker­ chief so quickly and effectively that it was clearly not the first time that he had performed the feat. H e then calmly drew a very long and bright knife from the recesses o f his frock coat, and haring pressed it against B a rt’s nose to insure his attention, he brandished it in front o f him in a menacing way, aa a hint that an attempt at escape might be dangerous. “ And who Is d isT ’ asked Baumser. lift ­ ing up the dead woman's head, and rest­ ing it upon his knee. “ Poor g ir l! She w ill never speak again, whoever she may have been.” the major said, holding the lantern to her cold, pale face. "H e re ’s where the cow­ ards struck her. Death must have been instantaneous and painless. I could bars sworn it was the young lady we came after, if it were not that we have her safe down there, thank the L o r d !” “ W here are those oders?” asked Von Paumser, peering about through the dark­ ness. " I f there is justice in the country, 'h ey w ill hing fo r the work o f dis night.” "T h e y are off,” the major answered, laying the g irl’s head reverently down again. " I t ’s hopeless to follow them, as we know nothing o f the countbry, nor which direction they took. They ran like madmen. H u llo ! W hat can this be?” The tight whach had attracted the vet­ eran’s attention was nothing leas than the appearance at tha end o f the lane o f three brilliant inmlnona discs moving along abreast o f ooe another. They came rap­ idly nearer, increasing in brilliancy as they approached. Then a voice rang out o f the darkness, "T h ere they are, officers! d o s e with them ! Don’t let ’em get a w a y !” and before the major and his party could quits grasp the situation they were valiantly charged by three o f those much-enduring, stout-hearted mortals known aa tha British police force. These three burly Hampshire police­ men, having baee placed upon our friends’ track by tbs optler o f tha H y in g Bull, sad t observed which could only be characterised aa sus­ picious, charged dowu with such sche­ me ice that in less time than it takes to tell |t, both Tom and the major and Von Baumser were In safe custody. The N ih il­ ist, who had an Inextinguishable«hatred o f the law, and who could never be brought to understand that it might un­ der any circumstances be on his side, pull­ ed himself very straight and held his knife down at his hip aa though he meant to use it, while Buiow, o f Kiel, likewise assumed an aggressive attitude. Fortu­ nately, however, the appearance o f their prisoners and a few hurried words o f the major made the inspector in charge un­ derstand how the land lay, and he trans­ ferred -bis attentions to Burt, on whose wrists he placed the handcuffs. H e then listened to a more detailed account o f the circumstances from the lips o f the major. "W h o ia this young lady?” he asked, {minting to Kate. “ Th is is the Miss Harston whom ws came to rescue, and fo r whom no doubt the blow was intended which killed thia unhappy girl.’* “ Perhaps, sir,” said the inspector to Tom, “ you had better take her up to the bouse.” “ Thank you,” said Tom, and went off through the wood w ith ' K ate upon hia arm. On their way she told him how, be­ ing unable to find her bonnet and cloak, which Rebecca had abstracted, she had de­ termined to keep her appointment without thorn. H er delay rendered her a little late, however; but on reaching the with­ ered oak she heard voices and steps in fion t o f her, which she had followed. These had led her to the open gate, and the lighting o f the lantern had revealed bet to friends and foes. Ere she con­ cluded her story Tom noticed that she leaned more and more heavily upon him, until by the time that they reached the Priory he was obliged to lift her up and carry her to prevent her from falling. The hardships o f the last few weeks, and this final terrible and yet more joyful incident o f ail, had broken down her strength. He bore her into the house, and laying her by the fire in the dining room, watched tenderly over her, and exhausted hia hum- bit stock o f medical knowledge in devising remedies for her condition. In the meantime the inspector having thoroughly grasped the major’s Iuctd nar­ rative, was taking prompt and energetic measures. "Y ou go down to the station, Constable Jones,” he ordered. “ W ire to London, John Girdlestone, aged sixty-one, and his son, aged twenty-eight, wanted for mur­ der. Address, Eccleston square and Fen- church street, City. Send • description o f them. Father, six feet one inch in height, hatchet-faced, grey hair and whis­ kers, deep-set eyes, heavy brows, round shoulders. Son, five feet ten, dark faced, black eyes, black curly hair, strongly made, well dressed.” “ Yes, that’s near enough,” observed the major. “ W ire to every station along the line to be on the lookout. Send a description to the chief constable o f Portsmouth, and have a watch kept on the shipping. That should catch them. L et us carry the poor ncul up to the house,” the inspector con­ tinued, after making careful examination o f the ground all round the body. The party assisted in raising the girl np, and in carrying her back along the path by which she had been brought. Burt tramped stolidly along behind v ith the remaining policeman beside him. The Nihilist brought up the rear with his keen eyes fixed upon the navvy, and hia knife still ready for use. When they reached the P riory the prisoner was safe­ ly locked away in one o f the numerous empty rooms, while Rebecca was carried uiwtairs and laid upon the very bed which had been hers. “ W e must search the house,” the in­ spector said, and Mrs. Jorrocks having been brought out of her room, and having forthwith fainted and been revived again, was ordered to accompany the police in their investigation, which she did in a very dazed and siupeftetT manner. Indeed, not a word could be got from her' until, entering the dining room, she perceived her bottle- o f Hollands upon the table, on which she raised up her voice and cursed the whole company, from the inspector downwards, with the shrillest volubility o f invective. H aving satisfied her soul in this manner, she wound up by a per­ fect shriek o f profanity, and breaking away from her guardians, she regained tjie shelter o f her room and locked herself up there, after which they could hear by the drumming o f her heels that she went Into a violent hysterical attack upon the floor. K ate had, however, recovered sufficient­ ly to be able to show the police the differ­ ent rooms, and to explain to them which was which. The inspector examined the acanty furniture o f K a te’s apartment with gieat interest. "Y o u say you have been living here for three weeks,” he said. "N ea rly a month,” K ate answered. " N o wonder you look pale and ill. You have a fine prospect from the window." H e drew the blind aside and looked out into the darkness. A gleam o f moonlight lay upon the heaving ocean, and in the rio te r o f this silver streak was a single brown-sailed fishing boat running to the eastward before the wind. The inspector's keen eye rested upon it for an instant, and then he dropped the blind and turned away. It never flashed across his mind that the men whom he was hunting down could have chosen this means o f escape, and were already beyond his reach. CH APTER XXV. Ezra Girdlestone had given many indi­ cations during his life, both in A frica and elsewhere, o f being possessed o f the power o f grasping a situation and o f acting for I be best at the shortest notice. H e never showed this quality more conclusively than at that terrible moment, when be realized not only that the crime in which he had participated had failed, but that all was discovered, and that his father and he were hunted criminals. W ith the same intuitive quickness which made him a brilliant man o f business, be saw in­ stantly what were the only available naans o f escape, and proceeded at once to adopt them. I f they could but reach the vessel o f Captain Ham ilton Miggs they might defy the pursuit o f the law. He had hired a boat near Claxton. The Black Eagle had dropped down the Thames on the very Saturday which was so fruitful o f eventful episodes. Miggs would lie nt Gravesend, and Intended af­ terwards to beat round to the Downs, there to aw ait the final Instructions o f the firm. I f they could catch h ia before ‘TIG H Tm O BOB*’ IV AN S. h« left, there was very little chance that he would know anything of what had oc­ curred. It was a fortunate chance that the next day was Suuday, and there would be no morning paper to enlighten him as to the doings in Hampshire. They had only to invent some plausible excuse for their wish to accompany him. and get him to drop them upon the Spanish coast. Once out o f sight o f England, and on the bioad ocean, what detective could follow their track? They reached the ship. The early pan. o f the voyage o f the Black Eagle was extremely fortunate. The wind came round to the eastward and wafted them steadily down channel, until on the third day they saw the Isle o f Ushant lying low upon the skyline. N o inquisitive gun­ boat, or lurking police launch came w ith­ in sight o f them, though whenever any vessrl’s course brought ber in their direc-. tion the heart o f Exra Girdlestone sunk within him. On one occasion a small brig signalled to them, and the wretched fugi­ tives, when they saw the flags run ap, thought that all was lost. It proved, however, to be merely some trivial mes­ sage, and the two owners breathed again. The wind fell away on the day that they cleared the channel, and the whole surface o f the sea was like a great ex­ panse o f quicksilver which shimmered in the rays o f the wintry sun. There was still a considerable swell after the recent gale, and the Black Eagle lay rolling about as though she had learned habits o f inebriation from her skipper. The sky was very clear above, but all round the horizon a low haze lay upon the water. Bo silent Mas it that the creaking o f the boats as they swung at the davits, and the straining o f the shrouds as the ship rolled, sounded loud and clear, as did thè raucous cries o f a couple o f gulls who “ F ig h tin g B o b " E vans relinquished command Of the Am erican fleet and hovered round the poop. Every now and w ill go on the retired list. I t w as hoped the b rave old sea dog would be able then a rumbling noise ending in a thud to accom pany the fleet around the w orld, but ill health com pelled him to haul down below showed that the swing o f the dow n his flag. ship had caused something to come down with a run. Underlying all other sounds, R ob ley D ungilnson E vans w as born in 1846 and is a gradu ate o f the however, was a muffled clank, clank, N a v a l Academ y. H e received his first baptism o f fire at F o rt Fish er In 18*15; which might almost make one forget that was in command o f tb e Y ork tow n In 1891, when th ere waa trouble w ith Chile, this was a sailing ship, it sounded so like and led the battleship Io w a at tbe b attle o f Santiago. H is sobriquet, “ F ig h t­ the chipping o f a propellar. ing Bob,” was honestly acquired, fo r he w as a lw a y s in the thickest o f the W hat is that noise, Captain M iggs?” fra y . A lth ou gh a s trict disciplinarian, he had a w a y o f g iv in g commands and asked John Girdlestone, as he stood lean­ en fo rcin g obedience that won fo r him the love and respect o f his men. ing over the quarter rail, while thg old I t w as a fittin g clim a x to the noble old a d m ira l’s career th at be w as sea-dog, sextant in hand, was taking his th e ranking officer o f the com bined fleets a t the Golden G ate, the most fo r ­ midday observations. The captain had been on his good behavior since the unex­ m idable a rra y o f battleships ev e r assembled. I l l s success in sa ilin g the six­ pected advent o f bis employers, and he teen A m erican battleships fro m H am pton R oads to M agdalena Bay, the end was now in a wonderful and unprecedent­ o f the voyage finding the ships in better condition than when th ey shipped ed state o f sobriety. anchor, won the w o rld ’s commendation. Those tw o events furnish a glorious Them’s the pumps agoin’,” Miggs an­ dlnnlo to “ F ig h tin g Bob’s” naval career, w hich A m ericans w ill hope Is but a swered, packing his sextant away in its prelude to m any years o f peaceful retirem ent. ease. ■ * ......................................................— - ------------ ------------------------ “ The pumps ! I thought they were only used when a ship was in danger?" (la r d ; and then fo r some reason this Ezra came along the deck at this moment, special lo t o f eggs was le ft on the and listened with interest to the conver- m an u factu rer’s h an d s But they w ere I ion. not wasted. “ Th is ship is in danger,” M iggs remark­ In the course o f tim e there cam e la ed calmly. a hatpin m anu factu rer w ho w anted to In danger !” cried Ezra, looking round lea ve an o rd er fo r a fe w thousand hat­ at the clear sky and placid sea. “ Where ia the danger? 1 did not think you were Messrs. H. P. C ady and D. F . Me- pin knobs, to be m ade In specified shape such sn old woman, Miggs. F a rla n d have found th e ra re elem ent and dimensions. Besides m aking regu­ W e w ill see about that,” the **a the |nnpr bow being some die- THE WEEKLY 1281— London founded. Fishmongers* company 11W— Spanish Arm ada sailed from rite Tagus for England. 194” - Royalists Stratton. victorloua at battle o f 1702— Commencement o f hostilities in Queen Anne's war, that o f tbs Span­ ish succession. 1703— F ort Sandusky, Ohio, taken by In ­ dians. 1703— One-fourth o f tbe city o f Montreal destroyed by fire. 1774— Charter o f Massachusetts annulled and people declared rebels by Par- ' liament. 1775— Declaration o f Independence adopt­ ed at Mecklenburg, N . G. 1797— An extra session o f Congress con­ vened to consider the strained rela­ tions between-the United States and France. 1802— Napoleon I. instituted the Legion o f Honor. 1803— England Bonaparte. declared w ar against 1801— Napoleon I. proclaimed Emperor o f the French. 1800— England took possession Island o f Anholt, Denmark. of the 1825— Rev. Antoinette Brown Blackwell, first woman ordained as a minister, born near Rochester, N. Y . 1829— Second cotton factory in South Carolina established at Pendleton. 1832— Election riots in Montreal. 1841— Tw enty-five lives lost by a fall o f rock from Cape Diamond, Quebec. 1843— The Free church o f Scotland es­ tablished. 1847— Daniel O ’Connell, the Liberator, died in Genoa, Italy. Born in Coun­ ty K erry, Ireland, Ang. 8, 1775. 1849-^Smltb O 'B rien expelled from tbs British House o f Commons. 1858— Capture o f the Peibo forts. 1859— French and Sardinians defeated the Austrians st Montebello. 1862— Fast day in Richmond, Va. 1864— First express trains run between New York and Buffalo. 1803— Jefferson Davis imprisoned la Fortress Montoe. .. , _ . ____ _ , . „ 1 ^ 1 - ' « ‘>o,ne Coiumn, erected by Na vic- |K)leon I., to commemorate hia vie -..........................- tories, pulled down by the Commun­ ists in Paris. 1875— Donald A. Macdonald entered office o f lieutenant governor o f On­ tario. 1879— St. Patrick’» cathedral. New York City, dedicated. 1882— The British expedition arrived at Alexandria, Egypt. 1885— Surrender o f Louis Riel, leader o f "R ie l's Rebellion.” 1880— British evacuation o f Suakim com­ p le te . 1889— Great loss o f property by fire in Quebec. 1893— United States Supreme Court sus­ tained the Chinese Exclusion act. 1894— The Manchester ship canal opened. 1900— British force under Gen. Butler occupied Dundee, South A frica. 1904— Pool rooms in New York C ity shut off from telegraphic service. 1908— Four towns in northern Michigan destroyed by forest fires. O jiO O L S I t m akes a wom an ve ry proud to think bow sm art the children w ould be I f the school teachers on ly knew how to teach them. W h a t satisfaction a w om an gets o u t, o f her husband’s garden is how o f t e n ' .A ot 8 t- p * ul Aldermen ha* she can catch him pretending to know I “ iter •cho° l building» in the city »hall be things about it af fireproof construction. 8 t. O laf College o f Northfield defeated A M e m o r y T ee«. A professor o f mnemonics had gone Gnstavus Adolphus College o f St. Peter to lecture a t or near Canterbury. A f t ­ in debate. St. O la f had the negative o f er the lectu re w as finished he had to the municipal ownership question. Edwin A. Schnell o f La Porte, w a it fo r his London train. I t w as a , Rev. , most com fortless day. and he r e t ir e d ! nd ” h* * eleci ed f " * ident o f the to an Inn fo r sh elter and refreshm ent. T o pass the tim e he began to exh ib it his fe a ts o f m em ory to the yokels In the inn parlor, end one and all w ere thunderstruck except the w aiter. T h e re Is a lw a y s one skeptic In e v e ry com ­ munion, w h eth er o f sain ts o r sinners. Do w h at he w ould he could not m iti­ gate the acrid sm ile o f acid Incredulity , IMeagant, Iowa, and has accepted the po- ’ ,ition. | James A. Bull, for many years an ac- tive supporter o f the Minnesota Stats agricultural school, died suddenly at hia up In the air. Stance fro m the enn, the outer bow being home in Edina Mills, a suburb o f Min­ A sk er— G reat J u p ite r . Wha t kind o f ¿bout an equal distance from the in- neapolis. a club Is It? ner. A clear horizon showed no signs The Nebraska State University Senate T e lle r — Balloonist. lias requested the resignations o f D r. o f rain. N eith er the captalti nor any J. T . Lees an<| Dr. T . L. Bolton, faculty oth er soul on board had ev e r seen a H e a d in g H im OIT. o f that glo rified p o tm a n ! (n the m id s t ' „e m b e r, o f the university stkletic board, sim ila r phenomenon. T h e other bow o f one o f his most difficult fea ts the . Dr. Lees took a prominent part In re- B lo x — I w ant to g iv e you a piece o f fad ed gra d u a lly a w a y and then tbe In­ w h lstle sounded o f ttTe “ O nly tra in to j vising foot ball rules at the conferences good advice, old man. ner bow.” London to -n ig h t!” and he nished o ff to i held-In New York. Students objected to K n o x — A ll r ig h t ; but before you do, catch i t H e caught it at the s ta tio n ,' the method o f holding tbe athletic board let me g iv e you a piece. N o v e l U s e fo r W o o d en K g g s . and his reputation caught It In tbe inn election and th » two member» were ousted. B lo x — W h a t Is it? One o f the Innumerable things that parlor, fo r the w aiter, com ing in w ith The seminary building at Wemington K n o t — F o llo w the advice you a r t the m anufacturers o f turned wood some ordered refreshm ents and finding Springs, S. D., burned last winter, is to goin g to g iv e me. goods m ake Is the d arn in g egg, fo r use him gone, pointed to tbe corner where be replaced by a new granite and pressed C o m fo r t. In d arn in g stockings. Wee- be had been sittin g and exclaim ed, brick structure, costing $20,840. F irs t T ra m p — G e e ! but I ’d like to T b ess eggs a re com m only provided sington has also let tbe contract for a " S illy ’umbug, he’s fo rg o t bis um­ lir e In Alaska. public school building to cost $25,934. each w ith a handle o f th? same kind o f brella !” — You ng Man. .Second T ra m p — W h y? wood, which screw s Into one end, says In th » legal contest to decide whether F irs t T ram p — Jnst think o f sleeping tb e N ew Y ork Bun. A w h ile ago there o r not the Minpeapolis board o f educa­ D U a p p o la tr a e a t. six months on one stretch I tras received a t the N ew Y o rk office o f A m ateu r Sportsman ( a ft e r shooting tion can suspend a pupil who Is backward Sis studies Llndsley Pllkey won his a turned goods m anu factu ring concern heat fr ie n d )— T o o bad, too b a d ; hot I , In . ...... . . . _ . O ao T h i n g C ertain , an ord er fo r a couple o f cases, some thought yon w ere a dser. T b e V ictim 1 p0,nt lV h)* J ° d? gaplelgb— I ’v e got a cold or some­ i thousands In number, o f darn in g eggs - D o n t f r e t A m ateu r S p o r t s m a n - 1 , ^ gchool t0 „ m . u t e young thing In my heed, doncher know. . I to be supplied w ithou t handle and o f a Don’t fr s t I W h y man, I prom ised my oatU final argument on the point M ies G utting— W e ll, I f there’s size som ew hat m a i l e r than the stan- w ife a p a ir o f borna.— Illu s tra te d Bits. ^ ^ » ^ « 1 i. completed. th in g It must be a cold.