_CHAPTER XI_
_The Night Walk_
Events were following each other rapidly at the Mansion. After leavingthe cellar, Oakes led us back through the grounds, around the south sideof the house. There was no entrance to the cellar there, apparently.
When we reached our rooms and I had deposited the mask and gown on mytable, Oakes turned to the care-taker, Cook, who accompanied us: "Youhave been several years here, have you not?"
"Yes, Mr. Clark."
"When did the first trouble begin?"
"About three years ago, sir, following some repairs that were made afterMr. Odell Mark bought the place from his brother."
"What do you know of those repairs?"
"Well, sir, as perhaps you have noticed, the door from the dining-roomto the parlor opens on a short hall about three feet deep. Now, sir, Mr.Odell Mark had the wall thickened between the rooms; he thought it wasweak, and this hall represents the thickness of the wall."
Oakes stood at the window, his hands in his pockets, looking out.
"Did you see that wall being built yourself, Cook?"
"I didn't notice particularly, sir."
"Well, Stone, we'll try the simplest theory first. Will you kindly gowith Cook up to the roof and look around carefully. I have an idea thatthe wall is double, and that you will find an opening up theresomewhere."
We went, and, as Oakes had surmised, soon found a small opening like achimney, grated in solidly and protected by a covering, and so reported.
"Good!" said Oakes. "The wall is double--in part at least--and theopening was carried into the cellar room and a door placed there."
"What for?" said I.
"Perhaps to ventilate it. We may find some other reason."
"We seem to be solving the mystery," was Moore's comment.
Oakes looked at him quizzically. "Are you satisfied, Doctor, that thereis a physical agent at work here?"
Moore grew red. "Certainly," he said. And Quintus smiled.
"I thought probably you would be convinced in time. A thorough lickingis an excellent argument. It is my belief that the escapes were madethrough that double wall, and that we shall find movable panels in thedining-room."
"But the motive! We are strangers; we gave no provocation," I cried.
"We have yet to learn the motive; also _why_ a man should wear a robe.The mask is sensible enough, but why he impeded himself with a robe isbeyond us as yet. It would hide his body, to be sure, as the mask wouldhide his face, but it would certainly greatly affect his chances ofescape, if pursued. Cook, why was no investigation ever made before?"
"I don't know, sir. Mr. Odell was very timid."
"Did you ever go through the tunnel to the well?"
"Yes, sir. I used to go before the mystery began, but never afterward."
"How about the place in the stairs where the robe was found?"
"That was always there, sir, and used for the gardener's tools."
"Then the gardener knew of it?"
"Maloney, the older one, did, I am sure; he has been here a long time."
"Was he here before the mysteries?"
"Yes, sir, he has been five years on the place."
"Cook, what do you think of the murder of Winthrop Mark?"
It was one of those sudden questions that sometimes bring results.
"I don't know, sir--it is terrible, sir, of course."
"Where was Maloney yesterday, Cook?"
The man looked long at us. "He was here when I got up at six o'clock,raking the leaves on the front walk."
"Indeed!" said Oakes. We could not tell whether the answer surprisedhim, or not.
"I suppose Mike worked all day?"
"Yes, sir, he was about on the place the entire time."
Oakes made no remark whatever at this, but dismissed Cook.
"We cannot go too far in presence of the servants," said he, "for I amonly Clark the agent here, you remember. The time is coming when we mayhave to declare ourselves and we may need police help to make arrests,but," he smiled, "we have Hallen as a friend, I guess."
Oakes was calmly sanguine, I could see, but of course he did not knowthat collateral events were brewing of grave importance to us all.
"Now for the robe and mask," said he.
I handed over the mask, an old affair and considerably worn from usage.A piece of it was missing, which Oakes replaced with the fragment ofpaper picked up in the cellar; it fitted exactly, settling the fact thatthe mask had been worn by the man who fought him in that place.
The detective looked it all over and said: "This is such as was sold inNew York years ago. It is ordinary, and offers no clue as to the owneror the place of purchase. I know the kind."
The robe was fairly long, and made of old velvet lined with satin, quiteshiny inside and out. The name of its maker had been carefully cut away.It was spotted with blood--Oakes's, no doubt--for it was fresh.
"It served a good purpose this time, anyway," said I; "saved the man'sclothes from being marked."
"Medium chest measure," said Oakes. "Try it on, Stone."
I did so, and it just met around me.
"Good! The fellow who wore it is not a giant in chest measure, at allevents, though larger than you, probably, since he wore it next to hisundershirt."
"How in the world do you know that, Oakes?" said the doctor.
"Look at the discoloration of the lining on the shoulders, and alsoacross the chest and back. The soil is old, but there is a moistureabout the front yet, the moisture of fresh perspiration--it has beenused quite recently. _That_ would not have come through a coat or avest. I should not be surprised if he had worn it over his naked chest."
"Where do you suppose the outfit came from?" I asked.
"Probably a relic of some masquerade ball of many years ago. This houseused to be a popular place for entertainments."
"What did you pick up in the cellar when you stooped for the match?"
"Oh, you noticed that? See for yourselves," and he showed us anold-fashioned heavy-calibre cartridge.
"And how about the closet in the steps, from which you took the robe?" Ipursued.
"I happened to see the door, although both of you missed it. The personwho hid the disguise there is quite familiar with that exit, evidently.That narrows the search considerably," said Oakes. "But the robe is amystery; it is a senseless thing to use under such circumstances."
"Yes--senseless; that is the word," spoke up Moore.
Oakes's eyes searched the physician's, but the latter made no furtherremark. I thought Oakes was sizing him up as pretty far from "senseless"himself.
We now examined the robe more carefully, and saw that it was soiled withwhat appeared to me to be soot. Oakes shook his head. "No, it seems tobe wood ash of some kind; see how light some of it is," he said.
He ran his hand along the inside of the robe, and found a small,well-worn slit--an opening to a deep pocket. Instantly he turned itinside out, and a small roll of paper dropped from it. He carefullyunfolded it and spread it on the table.
"It is a piece of an old newspaper," said he, "and has been read much.It has been thumbed till it is ready to fall apart. Read it, Stone. Youreyes are best."
I studied a while, and then began:
"DAILY NEWS, _October 30, 189-_.--The body was found face downward, on the main Highway, just below the crest of the Mona Hill. It was first seen by John Morney, who was going to the reservoir in advance of his gang of laborers. They were in sight when he discovered it; the time was therefore shortly before seven. The men were going to work at 6.30 from Mona. They recognized it instantly as the body of Orlando Smith, our beloved and esteemed citizen. Death had occurred only a short time before, and the murder must have been done about daybreak. It was evident that Mr. Smith was returning from his factory, where he had spent the night, the shift having been doubled recently, owing to the pressure of business. Later examinations showed that the bullet entered the che
st and was from a large revolver, a 44 or 45 calibre. The ball was not found.
"We are unable to give any more particulars now, before the time of going to press."
"That is all," I said.
We remained standing while we thought over the matter. There was asatisfied air about the detective that I could not quite fathom, and Dr.Moore seemed to be quite pleased also.
"Well, what is it?" I asked.
With a voice that betrayed traces of elation, Oakes answered me: "Theman in the cellar wore this robe; if he thumbed this paper, the murderof Smith interested him. The murder of Mark was similar, and I believeour Mansion affair is going to involve us in a peck of unexpectedtrouble. The clues are showing now, and we must know more about theSmith murder, as well as the Mark affair."
"Yes," put in Moore, "and all about the suspected motives in the Smithaffair."
Oakes smiled. "Don't be too previous, my boy. If Hallen looks for ourhelp, well and good. Otherwise, remember, I have given my word not tointerfere with his search at present. Meanwhile, we must get into townand look around."
"You must remain here," said Moore. "You cannot go out until that woundbegins to heal--in a day or so."
"That is so," said Oakes. "But perhaps Stone can find out what is goingon."
So it was arranged that I should call on Chief Hallen that evening andspend a few hours in Mona.
At supper, Oakes said that tomorrow he would have men from the city whowould make a complete search of the walls, and perhaps tear down somepartitions. "Masons, and other workmen, you know," said he; and I saw atwinkle in his eyes and realized that he was going to surround himselfwith men, in case of an emergency.
"Are you expecting trouble?" I asked.
"No," said he, grave again in a second, "but I believe in beingforearmed. This matter is capable of developing into a very seriousaffair for all hands, especially if we have a band of conspiratorsagainst us."
"_A band!_" said I.
"Yes, certainly. Has it never occurred to you that there may be severaldesperate characters in this affair and the murder? This is no boy'splay; we are facing unknown dangers. Now, Stone, go about towncarefully, and send this cipher to New York first thing. When you comeback, tell Chief Hallen that I want you escorted to the Mansion by twomen. Remember! He will understand, for he spoke to me of theadvisability of giving me aid."
It all seemed strange to me, but I was not fearful when I left just atseven for the town.
I took the short cut over the bridge, and up the hill beyond, and theywatched me as I crossed the rolling plains to Mona.
It was a clear night, and I could see well over the hills, thethree-quarters moon giving me excellent light. I could not help thinkinghow careful was this man Oakes, and what a peculiar nature was his;alert, severe even to austerity at times; then solicitous, friendly andeven fond of a joke. I was more than glad that I came, although Irealized that perhaps it was foolish to interfere in such affairs. Ofcourse, that murder of Mark had been cast upon our notice by curiouscircumstances, and unexpectedly.
As I walked over the rolling ground, I kept my eyes well upon mysurroundings; but not a living thing did I see except myself and thenight birds until I entered the town.
There was an air of subdued excitement about the place. As I walked tothe post-office to send my despatches the loungers seemed numerous, andsome were amiss in their greetings; others, whom I knew, approached inan affable manner enough, but there seemed no genuine friendliness.
The telegraph manager took the cipher and smiled when he saw it. Then hesaid to me in a whisper: "Tell Mr. Clark there is trouble coming."
To my look of surprise he answered: "Oh, that's all right; I had a visitfrom your friend before he went to the Mansion."
Again I recognized the work of careful Oakes, and understood why he didnot hesitate to send the cipher--a thing unusual in a small town.
The indications of impending trouble in town were quite impressed uponme. The little hotel was the centre of a lounging crowd, large, andcomposed of representative men as well as the usual hangers-on. Therewere evidences of much interest around the police building also--muchmore than would occur under normal circumstances in a town of this size,and even more than was present the night before.
I noticed a couple of brawls, and considerable raising of voices; manymen were walking about as though watching the others. The prairie firehad been lighted; the sparks were burning near the roots of the grass;the air was uneasy--ready to rush in as wind, to fan and feed the firstflame.
I visited the Chief, who was with his subordinates. He invited me intothe private room, and then said:
"Mr. Stone, I am doing all I can to detect this murderer and to satisfythe public demand for his apprehension, but the clues are practicallyworthless. The populace is uneasy and suspicious."
Then he detailed to me all that he knew. I then told him how thepeople's actions had impressed me.
"I am going to have all I can do to keep order. I am going to ask yourfriend Oakes to take a hand."
"He will do it," I said, "for he is greatly interested."
"It is for the welfare of the town which I serve that I ask him to joinme in this matter. Go to him, and tell him I shall see him in themorning if possible."
I was glad that affairs were taking such a turn, for I knew the factsin our possession, and that Oakes's counsel would be valuable.
I then requested an escort of two men to accompany me on my return tothe Mansion, as Oakes had suggested.
"Certainly! I had no intention of letting you go back alone," he said;and then he summoned two of his men clad in citizen's clothes andintroduced them to me. "Now take a walk to the outskirts, and return thesame way by which you came. My men will follow you at a short distance."
Before I left I noticed my companions--fine-looking fellows both ofthem--and saw the tell-tale pouching of the hip pockets, and knew thatwe were all well armed.
"In order not to attract attention, we will walk some distance behindyou. We will keep you within sight and hearing. If we fire a shot,return to us."
I started across the rolling country, and saw the two figures behind me.Why were they so careful? Why did they not accompany me? They separated,and we advanced, I myself following the narrow path.
The night was still. I halted occasionally and looked back--a dim figurewould halt on my left and on my right. It was lonesome, but I felt I hadcompany.
I neared the slope to the pond, and looked down; there was nothingvisible, and I began to descend with an easy stride. Although nearingthe Mansion, I felt an unaccountable dread. This was the trying part ofthe journey, and my followers were now invisible to me, being on theplain above the crest of the hill. I gripped my revolver firmly, andstepped rapidly on to the bridge; but as I did so I heard a pistol shotfrom above, and knew instantly that I was in danger--that my companionshad signalled me to return.
I faced about, and commenced my ascent of the hill.
From somewhere near a voice came to me clearly. "Run for your life," itsaid.
I could see nothing, but retreated hurriedly, and was soon with theothers at the top of the hill.
"Why did you tell me to run?" I panted.
They looked at me. "We said nothing," was the answer; "we merelysignalled you to come back."
"Well, someone ordered me to run for my life."
"Ah!" said they. "We thought we heard a voice. We saw a figure at theother side of the pond. We came over the crest cautiously, and he didnot expect us. He was crossing in range of the light from the Mansiongate when we detected him. So much for following you!"
"Well, but who spoke to me? He could not have done so; his voice wouldnot have sounded so near."
"No, evidently someone near you was watching him; he was about to waylayyou, and the watcher knew it and warned you."
We heard a commotion and saw a figure dash from the bridge, away towardthe north end of the pond, and disappear.
Then another figure s
howed at the crest on the River Road and followedhim at breakneck speed.
"See--the man on the bridge was the fellow who warned you. The other isafter him. He won't catch him, however."
"Come!" I cried; and we darted down and over the bridge to the roadabove, but nothing was visible. Suddenly a couple of figures emergedfrom the darkness by the Mansion gate. We recognized Oakes and Moore,who had been awaiting us.
We related the circumstances of our return to the Mansion to them.
"Yes," said Oakes, "we were watching the man near the road. He had agun, and was evidently waiting for you. We were just going to make arush at him when we saw you run back at the signal."
"Who was he?" asked I.
"I will answer the question by asking: Who was the man who warned you?"
"I haven't the least idea," said I.
"You see, you were in great danger, and only that man's foresight savedyour life. But there are _two_ unknowns now--the friend and the enemy."
We watched my escorts descend and cross the bridge, mount the ascent anddisappear over the crest toward Mona. Then the moonlight silhouettedtheir figures for an instant, as they turned and waved a farewell.
Quintus Oakes: A Detective Story Page 11
