CHAPTER XXIV
KISMET!
Words cannot paint the nauseating horror of that moment. Fear--cold,abject, awful fear--ran through my veins like a drug; my face wasclammy with the sweat of utter terror; my hands clutched wildly atsome drapery, which tore from its fastenings and came down in mygrasp....
Three shafts of lights swept across the floor, and almost at oncepicked up that horrid shape. It was coiled with head raised, ready tostrike, and I saw that one side of its hood had been shot away.
I have, more than once, referred to Simmonds as hard-headed andwanting in imagination--not always, I fear, in terms the mostrespectful. For that I ask his pardon; I shall not make that mistakeagain. For, in that nerve-racking moment, he never lost his coolness.Revolver in hand, he crept cautiously forward, while we others heldour breath; then the pistol spoke, one, twice, thrice, and the uglyhead fell forward to the floor.
At the same moment, Godfrey sprang to the door from which volumes ofheavy, scented smoke still eddied, and disappeared inside.
I scarcely noticed him; I was staring at that foul object on thefloor; and then I stared at Francisco Silva, motionless on the divan,his eyes fixed on the crystal sphere, undisturbed amid all this terrorand tumult. It is impossible for me to remember him, as he was in thatmoment, without admiration--yes, and a little awe.
But Godfrey's voice, shrill with excitement, brought me around with astart.
"Lester!" he shouted. "Lend a hand here!"
Wondering what new horror lay in wait, I fought my way into the otherroom, stumbled over the body of the Thug, barely saved myself, myscalp prickling with terror, from falling upon it, and pitched forwardto where Godfrey was bending above that huddled shape I had glimpsedthrough the smoke.
"Catch hold!" he panted; and choking, staggering, suffocating, wedragged it into the outer room. "Get a window open!" he gasped. "Get awindow open!"
And Simmonds, whom nothing seemed to shake, groped along the walluntil he found a window, pulled the hangings back, threw up the sash,and flung back the shutters.
"Quick!" said Godfrey. "Over there. Now hold the torch."
And as I took it and pressed the button with a trembling finger, thehalo of light fell upon a bloodless face--the face of Marjorie Vaughan.
Simmonds was supporting her, and Godfrey, with frantic fingers, wasloosening her robe at the throat. My terrified eyes, staring at thatthroat, half-expected to find a cruel mark there, but its smoothnesswas unsullied. The robe loosened, Godfrey snatched his cap from hishead and began to fan the fresh air in upon her.
"Pray heaven it is not too late!" he murmured, and kept on fanning,watching the white lips and delicate nostrils, so drawn and livid. "Wemust try artificial respiration," he said, after a moment. "But nothere--this atmosphere is stifling. Take her feet, Lester."
We staggered out with her, somehow, across the hall, into her room,and laid her on her bed. Godfrey, kneeling above her, began to raiseand lower her arms, with a steady, regular rhythm.
"Open the windows wide," he commanded, without looking up. "Wet atowel, or something, in cold water, and bring it here."
Simmonds threw open the windows, while I went mechanically to thebath-room, wet a towel, and slapped it against her face and neck asGodfrey directed. The moments passed, and at last the lips opened in afluttering sigh, the bosom rose with a full inhalation, and a spot ofcolour crept into either cheek.
"Thank God!" said Godfrey, in a voice that was almost a sob. "Now,Simmonds, go out and bring that Irish girl, and send one of your mento 'phone for Hinman."
Simmonds sent one of his men scurrying with a word, and himself dashedup the stairs to the other floor. He was back in a moment, almostdragging the frightened girl with him. Her teeth were chattering andshe started to scream when she saw that still form on the bed, butSimmonds shook her savagely.
"There's nothing to be afraid of," Godfrey assured her. "Your mistressisn't dead--she'll soon come around. But you must get her undressedand to bed. And then keep bathing her face with cold water till thedoctor comes. Understand?"
"Ye--yes, sir," faltered the girl. "But--oh!" and a burst ofhysterical sobbing choked her.
Simmonds shook her again.
"Don't be a fool, Annie Crogan!" he said. "Get hold of yourself!"
Godfrey stepped off the bed and picked up one of the limp wrists.
"Her pulse is getting stronger," he said, after a moment. "It willsoon--hello, what's this!"
Clasped tight in the slender fingers was something that looked like atorn and crumpled rubber glove. He tried to unclasp the fingers, butwhen he touched them, they contracted rigidly, and a low moan burstfrom the unconscious girl. So, after a moment, he desisted and laidthe hand down again.
"You understand what you're to do?" he asked the maid, and she noddedmutely. "Then come along, boys," he added, and led the way back to thehall. His face was dripping with perspiration and his hands wereshaking, but he managed to control them. "And now for Senor Silva," hesaid, in another tone, taking the torch from my hand. "I fear he willhave a rude awakening."
"He sat there like a statue, even when I shot the snake," remarkedSimmonds. "He's a wonder, he is."
"Yes," agreed Godfrey, as he stepped into the entry, "he's a wonder."Then he stopped, glanced around, and turned a stern face on Simmonds."Where's the man I left on guard here?" he asked.
"Why," faltered Simmonds, "I remember now--he helped us carry theyoung lady. But we were all right there in the hall--you don'tmean ..."
Godfrey stepped to the inner door and flashed his torch about theroom. The divan was empty.
Simmonds paused only for a single glance.
"He can't be far away!" he said. "He can't get away in that white robeof his. Come along, Tom!" and, followed by his assistant, he plungeddown the stairs.
I saw Godfrey half-turn to follow; then he stopped, ran his hand alongthe wall inside the door, found the button, and turned on the lights.His face was pale and angry.
"It's my fault as much as anyone's," he said savagely. "I might haveknown Silva would see the game was up, and try to slip away in theexcitement. I ought to have kept an eye on him."
"Your eyes were fairly busy as it was," I remarked. "Besides, maybe hehasn't got away."
Godfrey's face, as he glanced about the room, showed that he cherishedno such hope.
"Let's see what happened to Mahbub," he said. "Maybe he got away,too," and he crossed to the inner door.
The flame in the brazier had died away, and the smoke came only infitful puffs, heavy with deadening perfume. The Thug had not got away.He lay on the floor--a dreadful sight. He was lying on his back, hishands clenched, his body arched in a convulsion, his head drawn farback. The black lips were parted over the ugly teeth, and the eyeshad rolled upward till they gleamed, two vacant balls of white. At theside of his neck, just under the jaw, was a hideous swelling.
Godfrey's torch ran over the body from head to foot, and I sickened asI looked at it.
"I'm going out," I said. "I can't stand this!" and I hurried to theopen window.
Godfrey joined me there in a moment.
"I'm feeling pretty bad myself," he said, putting the torch in hispocket and mopping his shining forehead. "It's plain enough whathappened. I caught a glimpse of Miss Vaughan on the floor there,realised that we couldn't do anything with the snake in the way, andshot at it, but I only ripped away a portion of the hood, and thething, mad with rage, sprang upon the Hindu. Nothing on earth couldhave saved him after it got its fangs in his neck. Ugh!"
He shivered slightly, and stood gazing for a moment down into thegarden. Then he turned back to me with a smile.
"It's a good night's work, Lester," he said, "even if we don't catchSilva. I fancy Miss Vaughan will change her mind, now, about becominga priestess of Siva!"
"But, Godfrey," I asked, "what happened? What was she doing in there?What ..."
He stopped me with a hand upon my arm.
"I don't know. But she'll te
ll us when she comes around. I only hopethey'll get Silva. That would make the victory complete."
He paused, for the hum of a motor-car came up the drive, and aninstant later we caught the glare of the acetylenes. Then a voicehailed us.
"Hello, there," it called. "Shall I come up?"
"Is it you, doctor?" asked Godfrey, leaning out.
"Yes."
"Come right up, then, to Miss Vaughan's room."
We met him at the stair-head.
"Oh, it's you!" he said, recognising us. "What has happened now?"
"It's Miss Vaughan--she's been half-suffocated. But how did you getin?"
"The gates were open," Hinman answered, "so I drove right through. IsMiss Vaughan in here?" and when Godfrey nodded, he opened the door andclosed it softly behind him.
"Open!" repeated Godfrey, staring at me. "Open! Then that is the waySilva went!"
"Yes, yes," I agreed. "He had the key. It was he who let me out."
"And locked the gate after you?"
"Yes--I heard the key turn."
Without a word, Godfrey hurried down the stairs. At the foot we metSimmonds.
"We've searched the grounds," he said, "but haven't found anyone. I'veleft my men on guard. I 'phoned for some more men, and notifiedheadquarters."
"He's not in the grounds," said Godfrey. "He went out by the gate,"and he told of Hinman's discovery.
"I'll stretch a net over the whole Bronx," said Simmonds. "I don't seehow a fellow dressed as he is can get away," and he hastened off to dosome more telephoning.
"Well, we can't do anything," said Godfrey, "so we might as well restawhile," and he passed into the library and dropped into a chair.
I followed him, but as I sat down and glanced about the room I sawsomething that fairly jerked me to my feet.
A section of the shelving had been swung forward, and behind it thedoor of the safe stood open.
In an instant, I had flung myself on my knees before it, groped forthe locked drawer, pulled it out, and hurried with it to the table.
The five packets of money were gone.
"What is it, Lester?" asked Godfrey, at my side.
"There was--fifty thousand dollars--in money in--this drawer," Ianswered, trying to speak coherently.
Godfrey took the drawer from my hands and examined its contents.
"Well, it isn't there now," he said, and replaced the drawer in thesafe. "Sit down, Lester," and he pressed me back into my chair andflung himself into another. "I wish I knew where Vaughan kept hiswhiskey!" he murmured, and ran his fingers furiously through his hair."This is getting too strenuous, even for me!"
He fell silent for a moment, and sat looking at the open safe.
"What astonishes me," he mused, "is the nerve of the man, stopping atsuch a moment to work that combination. Think what that means, Lester;to work a combination, a man has to be cool and collected."
"A man who could sit without stirring through that scene upstairs," Isaid, "has nerve enough for anything. Nothing Silva does can surpriseme after that!"
"I wonder how he knew the combination?"
"I was sure he knew it. I had to stop Miss Vaughan to keep her fromtelling it to me."
"Well, he lessened his chance of escape by just that much. Everyminute he spent before that safe was a minute lost. Ah, here'sSimmonds. What do you think of that, Simmonds?" he added, and pointedto the safe. "Senor Silva stopped on his way out to gather up fiftythousand dollars in cash to pay his travelling expenses."
Simmonds walked over to the safe and looked at it.
"Fifty thousand?" he repeated. "But Vaughan must have been a fool tokeep that much money here."
"Oh, I don't know. It's a fireproof safe, and mighty well concealed."
"I'll tell you what I think," I said; "I think he intended to give themoney to Silva. He was going to give him a million--left him that inhis will, you know."
"So Silva was only taking what belonged to him, eh?" and Godfreylaughed. "Well, I hope you'll get him, Simmonds."
It was at this moment that Dr. Hinman entered, a curious, repressedexcitement in his face, and his eyes shining strangely.
"How is she, doctor?" Godfrey asked.
"She'll be all right in the morning. She is still pretty nervous, so Igave her a sleeping-draught and waited till it took effect."
Godfrey looked at him more closely.
"Did she tell you anything?" he asked.
"Not much," said Hinman; "I wouldn't let her talk. But she told meenough to let me guess one thing--she's the bravest girl I ever knewor heard of!"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean," cried Hinman, his eyes glowing more and more, "that shestayed in this house and faced the deadliest peril out of love forthat man Swain; I mean that, if he's cleared, as he's certain to benow, it will be she who clears him; I mean that, if the real murdereris brought to justice, it will be because of the evidence she stayedhere to get, and did get!"
His voice had mounted shrilly, and his face was working as though hecould scarcely keep back the tears.
"Wait a minute, doctor," broke in Godfrey. "Don't go too fast. Whatevidence?"
For answer, Hinman flipped something through the air to him. Godfreycaught it, and stared at it an instant in bewilderment; then, with astifled exclamation, he sprang to the light and held the object closeunder it.
"By all the gods!" he cried, in a voice as shrill as Hinman's own."The finger-prints!"
The Gloved Hand Page 24