the woman in the alcove-第31节

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in　climbing　up　to　the　window；　which　was　the　sole　eye　to　the　interior；

Mr。　Grey　sat　far　back　in　his　buggy；　watching　every　movement。

There　were　no　shades　at　the　window；　as　I　have　before　said；　and；　once　Sweetwater's　eye　had　reached　the　level　of　the　sill；　he　could　see　the　interior　without　the　least　difficulty。　There　was　nobody　there。　The　lamp　burned　on　a　great　table　littered　with　papers；　but　the　rude　cane…chair　before　it　was　empty；　and　so　was　the　room。　He　could　see　into　every　corner　of　it　and　there　was　not　even　a　hiding…place　where　anybody　could　remain　concealed。　Sweetwater　was　still　looking；　when　the　lamp；　which　had　been　burning　with　considerable　smoke；　flared　up　and　went　out。　Sweetwater　uttered　an　ejaculation；　and；　finding　himself　face　to　face　with　utter　darkness；　slid　from　his　perch　to　the　ground。

Approaching　Mr。　Grey　for　the　second　time；　he　said：

〃I　can　not　understand　it。　The　fellow　is　either　lying　low；　or　he's　gone　out；　leaving　his　lamp　to　go　out；　too。　But　whose　is　the　horsejust　excuse　me　while　I　tie　him　up　again。　It　looks　like　the　one　he　was　driving　to…day。　It　is　the　one。　Well；　he　won't　leave　him　here　all　night。　Shall　we　lie　low　and　wait　for　him　to　come　and　unhitch　this　animal？　Or　do　you　prefer　to　return　to　the　hotel？〃

Mr。　Grey　was　slow　in　answering。　Finally　he　said：

〃The　man　may　suspect　our　intention。　You　can　never　tell　anything　about　such　fellows　as　he。　He　may　have　caught　some　unexpected　glimpse　of　me　or　simply　heard　that　I　was　in　town。　If　he's　the　man　I　think　him；　he　has　reasons　for　avoiding　me　which　I　can　very　well　understand。　Let　us　go　back；not　to　the　hotel；　I　must　see　this　adventure　through　tonight；but　far　enough　for　him　to　think　we　have　given　up　all　idea　of　routing　him　out　to…night。　Perhaps　that　is　all　he　is　waiting　for。　You　can　steal　back〃

〃Excuse　me；〃　said　Sweetwater；　〃but　I　know　a　better　dodge　than　that。　We'll　circumvent　him。　We　passed　a　boat…house　on　our　way　down　here。　I'll　just　drive　you　up；　procure　a　boat；　and　bring　you　back　here　by　water。　I　don't　believe　that　he　will　expect　that；　and　if　he　is　in　the　house　we　shall　see　him　or　his　light。〃

〃Meanwhile　he　can　escape　by　the　road。〃

〃Escape？　Do　you　think　he　is　planning　to　escape？〃

The　detective　spoke　with　becoming　surprise　and　Mr。　Grey　answered　without　apparent　suspicion。

〃It　is　possible　if　he　suspects　my　presence　in　the　neighborhood。〃

〃Do　you　want　to　stop　him？〃

〃I　want　to　see　him。〃

〃Oh；　I　remember。　Well；　sir；　we　will　drive　on；that　is；　after　a　moment。〃

〃What　are　you　going　to　do？〃

〃Oh；　nothing。　You　said　you　wanted　to　see　the　man　before　he　escaped。〃

〃Yes；　but〃

〃And　that　he　might　escape　by　the　road。〃

〃Yes〃

〃Well；　I　was　just　making　that　a　little　bit　impracticable。　A　small　pebble　in　the　keyhole　andwhy；　see　now；　his　horse　is　walking　off！　Gee！　I　must　have　fastened　him　badly。　I　shouldn't　wonder　if　he　trotted　all　the　way　to　town。　But　it　can't　be　helped。　I　can　not　be　supposed　to　race　after　him。　Are　you　ready　now；　sir？　I'll　give　another　shout；　then　I'll　get　in。〃　And　once　more　the　lonely　region　about　echoed　with　the　cry：　〃Wellgood！　I　say；　Wellgood！〃

There　was　no　answer；　and　the　young　detective；　masking　for　the　nonce　as　Mr。　Grey's　confidential　servant；　jumped　into　the　buggy；　and　turned　the　horse's　head　toward　C。



XIX

THE　FACE

The　moon　was　well　up　when　the　small　boat　in　which　our　young　detective　was　seated　with　Mr。　Grey　appeared　in　the　bay　approaching　the　so…called　manufactory　of　Wellgood。　The　looked…for　light　on　the　waterside　was　not　there。　All　was　dark　except　where　the　windows　reflected　the　light　of　the　moon。

This　was　a　decided　disappointment　to　Sweetwater；　if　not　to　Mr。　Grey。　He　had　expected　to　detect　signs　of　life　in　this　quarter；　and　this　additional　proof　of　Wellgood's　absence　from　home　made　it　look　as　if　they　had　come　out　on　a　fool's　errand　and　might　much　better　have　stuck　to　the　road。

〃No　promise　there；〃　came　in　a　mutter　from　his　lips。　〃Shall　I　row　in；　sir；　and　try　to　make　a　landing？〃

〃You　may　row　nearer。　I　should　like　a　closer　view。　I　don't　think　we　shall　attract　any　attention。　There　are　more　boats　than　ours　on　the　water。〃

Sweetwater　was　startled。　Looking　round；　he　saw　a　launch；　or　some　such　small　steamer；　riding　at　anchor　not　far　from　the　mouth　of　the　bay。　But　that　was　not　all。　Between　it　and　them　was　a　rowboat　like　their　own；　resting　quietly　in　the　wake　of　the　moon。

〃I　don't　like　so　much　company；〃　he　muttered。　〃Something's　brewing；　something　in　which　we　may　not　want　to　take　a　part。〃

〃Very　likely；〃　answered　Mr。　Grey　grimly。　〃But　we　must　not　be　deterrednot　till　I　have　seen〃　the　rest　Sweetwater　did　not　hear。　Mr。　Grey　seemed　to　remember　himself。　〃Row　nearer；〃　he　now　bade。　〃Get　under　the　shadow　of　the　rocks　if　you　can。　If　the　boat　is　for　him；　he　will　show　himself。　Yet　I　hardly　see　how　he　can　board　from　that　bank。〃

It　did　not　look　feasible。　Nevertheless；　they　waited　and　watched　with　much　patience　for　several　long　minutes。　The　boat　behind　them　did　not　advance；　nor　was　any　movement　discernible　in　the　direction　of　the　manufactory。　Another　short　period；　then　suddenly　a　light　flashed　from　a　window　high　up　in　the　central　gable；　sparkled　for　an　instant　and　was　gone。　Sweetwater　took　it　for　a　signal　and；　with　a　slight　motion　of　the　wrist；　began　to　work　his　way　in　toward　shore　till　they　lay　almost　at　the　edge　of　the　piles。

〃Hark！〃

It　was　Sweetwater　who　spoke。

Both　listened；　Mr。　Grey　with　his　head　turned　toward　the　launch　and　Sweetwater　with　his　eye　on　the　cavernous　space；　sharply　outlined　by　the　piles；　which　the　falling　tide　now　disclosed　under　each　contiguous　building。　Goods　had　been　directly　shipped　from　these　stores　in　the　old　days。　This　he　had　learned　in　the　village。　How　shipped　he　had　not　been　able　to　understand　from　his　previous　survey　of　the　building。　But　he　thought　he　could　see　now。　At　low　tide；　or　better；　at　half…tide；　access　could　be　got　to　the　floor　of　the　extension　and；　if　this　floor　held　a　trap；　the　mystery　would　be　explainable。　So　would　be　the　hovering　boatthe　signal…light　andyes！　this　sound　overheard　of　steps　on　a　rattling　planking。

〃I　hear　nothing；〃　whispered　Mr。　Grey　from　the　other　end。　〃The　boat　is　still　there；　but　not　a　man　has　dipped　an　oar。〃

〃They　will　soon；〃　returned　Sweetwater　as　a　smothered　sound　of　clanking　iron　reached　his　ears　from　the　hollow　spaces　before　him。　〃Duck　your　head；　sir；　I'm　going　to　row　in　under　this　portion　of　the　house。〃

Mr。　Grey　would　have　protested　and　with　very　good　reason。　There　was　scarcely　a　space　of　three　feet　between　them　and　the　boards　overhead。　But　Sweetwater　had　so　immediately　suited　action　to　word　that　he　had　no　choice。

They　were　now　in　utter　darkness；　and　Mr。　Grey's　thoughts　must　have　been　peculiar　as　he　crouched　over　the　stern；　hardly　knowing　what　to　expect　or　whether　this　sudden　launch　into　darkness　was　for　the　purpose　of　flight　or　pursuit。　But　enlightenment　came　soon。　The　sound　of　a　man's　tread　in　the　building　above　was　every　moment　becoming　more　perceptible；　and　while　wondering；　possibly；　at　his　position；　Mr。　Grey　naturally　turned　his　head　as　nearly　as　he　could　in　the　direction　of　these　sounds；　and　was　staring　with　blank　eyes　into　the　darkness；　when　Sweetwater；　leaning　toward　him；　whispered：

〃Look　up！　There's　a　trap。　In　a　minute　he'll　open　it。　Mark　him；　but　don't　breathe　a　word；　and　I'll　get　you　out　of　this　all　right。〃

Mr。　Grey　attempted　some　answer；　but　it　was　lost　in　the　prolonged　creak　of　slowly…moving　hinges　somewhere　over　their　heads。　Spaces；　which　had　looked　dark；　suddenly　looked　darker；　hearing　was　satisfied；　but　not　the　eye。　A　man's　breath　panting　with　exertion　testified　to　a　near…by　presence；　but　that　man　was　working　without　a　light　in　a　room　with　shuttered　windows；　and　Mr。　Grey　probably　felt　that　he　knew　very　little　more　than　before；　when　suddenly；　most　unexpectedly；　to　him　at　least；　a　face　started　out　of　that　overhead　darkness；　a　face　so　white；　with　every　feature　made　so　startlingly　distinct　by　the　strong　light　Sweetwater　had　thrown　upon　it；　that　it　seemed　the　only　thing　in　the　world　to　the　two　men　beneath。　In　another　moment　it　had　vanished；　or　rather　the　light　which　had　revealed　it。

〃What's　that？　Are　you　there？〃　came　down　from　above　in　hoarse　and　none　too　encouraging　tones。

There　was　none　to　answer；　Sweetwater；　with　a　quick　pull　on　the　oars；　had　already　shot　the　boat　out　of　its　dangerous　harbor。



XX

MOONLIGHTAND　A　CLUE

〃Are　you　satisfied？　Have　you　got　what　you　wanted？〃　asked　Sweetwater；　when　they　were　well　away　from　the　shore　and　the　voice　they　had　heard　calling　at　intervals　from　the　chasm　they　had　left。

〃Yes。　You're　a　good　fellow。　It　could　not　have　been　better　managed。〃　Then；　after　a　pause　too　prolonged　and　thoughtful　to　please　Sweetwater；　who　was　burning　with　curiosity　if　not　with　some　deeper　feeling：　〃What　was　that　light　you　burned？　A　match？〃

Sweetwater　did　not　answer。　He　dared　not。　How　speak　of　the　electric　torch　he　as　a　detective　carried　in　his　pocket？　That　would　be　to　give　himself　away。　He　therefore　let　this　question　slip　by　and　put　in　one　of　his　own。

〃Are　you　ready　to　go　back　now；　sir？　Are　we　all　done　here？〃　This　with　his　ear　turned　and　his　eye　bent　forward；　for　the　adventure　they　had　interrupted　was　not　at　an　end；　whether　their　part　in　it　was　or　not。

Mr。　Grey　hesitated；　hi