snapped off the light. "Keep back!" he whispered to thegirl. He took her by the arm and ran with her toward the gate.
"Who was it?" she begged.
"It was a dog," he answered. "I think----"
He did not tell her what he thought.
"I've got to find out what the devil has happened to Fred!" he said."You go back to the car. Send your brother here on the run. Tell himthere's going to be a rough-house. You're not afraid to go?"
"No," said the girl.
A shadow blacker than the night rose suddenly before them, and a voiceasked sternly but quietly: "What are you doing here?"
The young man lifted his arm clear of the girl, and shoved her quicklyfrom him. In his hand she felt the pressure of the revolver.
"Well," he replied truculently, "and what are you doing here?"
"I am the night watchman," answered the voice. "Who are you?"
It struck Miss Forbes if the watchman knew that one of the trespasserswas a woman he would be at once reassured, and she broke in quickly:
"We have lost our way," she said pleasantly. "We came here----"
She found herself staring blindly down a shaft of light. For aninstant the torch held her, and then from her swept over the young man.
"Drop that gun!" cried the voice. It was no longer the same voice; itwas now savage and snarling. For answer the young man pressed thetorch in his left hand, and, held in the two circles of light, the mensurveyed each other. The newcomer was one of unusual bulk and height.The collar of his overcoat hid his mouth, and his derby hat was drawndown over his forehead, but what they saw showed an intelligent, strongface, although for the moment it wore a menacing scowl. The young mandropped his revolver into his pocket.
"My automobile ran dry," he said; "we came in here to get some water.My chauffeur is back there somewhere with a couple of buckets. This isMr. Carey's place, isn't it?"
"Take that light out of my eyes!" said the watchman.
"Take your light out of my eyes," returned the young man. "You can seewe're not--we don't mean any harm."
The two lights disappeared simultaneously, and then each, as thoughworked by the same hand, sprang forth again.
"What did you think I was going to do?" the young man asked. Helaughed and switched off his torch.
But the one the watchman held in his hand still moved from the face ofthe girl to that of the young man.
"How'd you know this was the Carey house?" he demanded. "Do you knowMr. Carey?"
"No, but I know this is his house." For a moment from behind his maskof light the watchman surveyed them in silence. Then he spoke quickly:
"I'll take you to him," he said, "if he thinks it's all right, it's allright."
The girl gave a protesting cry. The young man burst forth indignantly:
"You will NOT!" he cried. "Don't be an idiot! You talk like aTenderloin cop. Do we look like second-story workers?"
"I found you prowling around Mr. Carey's grounds at two in themorning," said the watchman sharply, "with a gun in your hand. My jobis to protect this place, and I am going to take you both to Mr. Carey."
Until this moment the young man could see nothing save the shaft oflight and the tiny glowing bulb at its base; now into the light thereprotruded a black revolver.
"Keep your hands up, and walk ahead of me to the house," commanded thewatchman. "The woman will go in front."
The young man did not move. Under his breath he muttered impotently,and bit at his lower lip.
"See here," he said, "I'll go with you, but you shan't take this ladyin front of that madman. Let her go to her car. It's only a hundredyards from here; you know perfectly well she----"
"I know where your car is, all right," said the watchman steadily, "andI'm not going to let you get away in it till Mr. Carey's seen you."The revolver motioned forward. Miss Forbes stepped in front of it andappealed eagerly to the young man.
"Do what he says," she urged. "It's only his duty. Please! Indeed, Idon't mind." She turned to the watchman. "Which way do you want us togo?" she asked.
"Keep in the light," he ordered.
The light showed the broad steps leading to the front entrance of thehouse, and in its shaft they climbed them, pushed open the unlockeddoor, and stood in a small hallway. It led into a greater hall beyond.By the electric lights still burning they noted that the interior ofthe house was as rich and well cared for as the outside was miserable.With a gesture for silence the watchman motioned them into a small roomon the right of the hallway. It had the look of an office, and wasapparently the place in which were conducted the affairs of the estate.
In an open grate was a dying fire; in front of it a flat desk coveredwith papers and japanned tin boxes.
"You stay here till I fetch Mr. Carey, and the servants," commanded thewatchman. "Don't try to get out, and," he added menacingly, "don'tmake no noise." With his revolver he pointed at the two windows. Theywere heavily barred. "Those bars keep Mr. Carey in," he said, "and Iguess they can keep you in, too. The other watchman," he added, "willbe just outside this door." But still he hesitated, glowering withsuspicion; unwilling to trust them alone. His face lit with an uglysmile.
"Mr. Carey's very bad to-night," he said; "he won't keep his bed andhe's wandering about the house. If he found you by yourselves, hemight----"
The young man, who had been staring at the fire, swung sharply on hisheel.
"Get-to-hell-out-of-here!" he said. The watchman stepped into the halland was cautiously closing the door when a man sprang lightly up thefront steps. Through the inch crack left by the open door thetrespassers heard the newcomers eager greeting.
"I can't get him right!" he panted. "He's snoring like a hog."
The watchman exclaimed savagely:
"He's fooling you." He gasped. "I didn't mor' nor slap him. Did youthrow water on him?"
"I drowned him!" returned the other. "He never winked. I tell You wegotta walk, and damn quick!"
"Walk!" The watchman cursed him foully. "How far could we walk? I'LLbring him to," he swore. "He's scared of us, and he's shamming." Hegave a sudden start of alarm. "That's it, he's shamming. You fool!You shouldn't have left him."
There was the swift patter of retreating footsteps, and then a suddenhalt, and they heard the watchman command: "Go back, and keep theother two till I come."
The next instant from the outside the door was softly closed upon them.
It had no more than shut when to the surprise of Miss Forbes the youngman, with a delighted and vindictive chuckle, sprang to the desk andbegan to drum upon it with his fingers. It were as though he werepractising upon a typewriter.
"He missed THESE," he muttered jubilantly. The girl leaned forward.Beneath his fingers she saw, flush with the table, a roll of littleivory buttons. She read the words "Stables," "Servants' hall." Sheraised a pair of very beautiful and very bewildered eyes.
"But if he wanted the servants, why didn't the watchman do that?" sheasked.
"Because he isn't a watchman," answered the young man. "Because he'srobbing this house."
He took the revolver from his encumbering greatcoat, slipped it in hispocket, and threw the coat from him. He motioned the girl into acorner. "Keep out of the line of the door," he ordered.
"I don't understand," begged the girl.
"They came in a car," whispered the young man. "It's broken down, andthey can't get away. When the big fellow stopped us and I flashed mytorch, I saw their car behind him in the road with the front off andthe lights out. He'd seen the lamps of our car, and now they want itto escape in. That's why he brought us here--to keep us away from ourcar."
"And Fred!" gasped the girl. "Fred's hurt!"
"I guess Fred stumbled into the big fellow," assented the young man,"and the big fellow put him out; then he saw Fred was a chauffeur, andnow they are trying to bring him to, so that he can run the car forthem. You needn't worry about Fred. He's been in four smash-ups."
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The young man bent forward to listen, but from no part of the greathouse came any sign. He exclaimed angrily.
"They must be drugged," he growled. He ran to the desk and madevicious jabs at the ivory buttons.
"Suppose they're out of order!" he whispered.
There was the