Page 113 - Adventure Magazine, 1921, July 18th

108 Adventure

afternoon. He was sitting very stiffly on I told him that I did not care to read it,
the edge of a big padded armchair, and hold- since he had shown a trace of hesitancy
ing his tall glass firmly in both hands, and about having me do so; and I suggested that
using both hands to steady the glass as he he merely tell me what was in it that he
lifted it for an occasional sip. He was m wished me to know.
need of something to keep his nerves from "No, you read it."
flying to pieces. I did. It had evidently been written for
He began by saying that he was going to my eyes; that is, with the idea that it might
have it out with me, that he had no use for be given me to read. The hesitancy on his
me, that he was suspicious of me,. that he part probably came from the words:
knew I had some reasons to be susp1c10us on Mr . Everherd won't want to trust me, I
my part, too, but that he thought things know. But he will surely trust you.
over and we had come to the parting of the
ways. The letter said that Hurgronje, with the
I nodded appreciatively at his frankness. idea of terrifying his two negroes into telling
He swore, and, perhaps referring to the him the truth about what had been done in
fact that I had not shown excitement over Pittsburg, was...going to pretend to raise me
his introductory and blunt remarks, said- from the dead. It was a part of Hur-
"You're about as human as a totem-pole." gron je's method to keep some people around
Then he almost emptied his glass at a who actually believed in his "wizardry," as
gulp. it contributed to their faithfulness and fears.
"What is the trouble? Maybe I can ex- Negroes are susceptible toward that sort of
plain." thing, but a king's ransom in jewels might
I said it not friendlily, but sarcastically. have tempted them beyond their fears.
He stared at me contemptuously, then A dummy would be raised from the base-
did empty his glass, and reached to place it ment right through the floor. The dummy
on the table. His hand trembled so that would come on a pedestal right into Hur-
the bottom of the glass clicked rapidly gronje's presence. There would be-there
against the table top. always was-a body-guard of one or two
Then he fumbled in the pocket of his coat, persons in the room.
and, drawing out a letter of several pages, There was no other way that she could
selected one and started to hand it to me. think of in which I would be surely admitted
After some hesitation, however, he thrust to Hurgronje's presence. The precautions
out the complete letter. that he took to secure himself were elabo-
"Zoronna," he said at the same time, rate; they had become more elaborate of late.
"did take you to her room for a trap,--"
I waited quietly while he paused to see I WAS surprized, even pleased con-
how I would act. siderably relieved by the letter, par-
"-but-she thought you'd kill Hur- ticularly as I was sure that it had
gronje." been designed for my eyes. So; nearlv as I
I said nothing. could tell, it told the truth. Cantello had
Then he tried to justify her. She was mentioned the negroes and the proposal of
deadly afraid of Hurgronje , and she knew frightening them.
that he was just as afraid of me. By acci- The statement that there would be a
dent she had learned my identity. She had body-guard about Hurgronje was explicit
taken a desperate chance-and Hurgronje enough to make me exonerate Lord Bob
hadn't appeared. and her from the idea of treacherv. Had
I made no comment. He was not telling there been assurance of no body-guard, as I
me anything new. expected, I would have felt differently.
"You believe it, don't you?" he asked, The letter exp]ained that there would
obviously thinking that I did not believe it. probably be but one man in the basement,
I assured him that I did believe it. the engineer. That she would somehow get
That surprized him. He stared at me for me a duplicate key to the basement, with
some moments, then shook the letter to call which I could enter, overpower the engi-
my attention to it. neer, throw on the switch and take m
"Read this," he said. "Read all of it. place on the pedestal, which moved upward
From her." very slowly.