Part 11 (2/2)

It amused her even in her anxiety that this slender scrap of fourteen should assume such an air of protection, but it touched her also, and she would not for worlds have let him fancy she could smile at him

Robertson hurried to the spot immediately, and when he saw the condition of the coverlet he looked utterly nonplussed

”Well, this is a queer state of things,” he said, rubbing his headto equal it”

Further exaht through, but the under clothes were scorched and crumbled like tinder at a touch

”It looks like the track of a shot,” Robertson said; ”but how could it come there?”

”I don't know,” Eustace said, ”unless so on the floor at the foot of the bed and tried to shoothis hand The shot sounded most awfully close”

Robertson took a quick survey of the situation, ending with an examination of the wall at the head of the bed

”No,” he said, ”that couldn't be The bullet would have gone into the pillow or lodged in the wall, but there isn't a sign of it

Seems to me it went the other way by the mark It is broadest in the middle of the bed”

He followed the line with his eye, then glanced across the roo over to the opposite wall, ”here is the mark of the bullet--here is the bullet itself, deep in the wood

That shot went off from the middle of your bed, lad”

Eustace looked incredulous, Mrs Orban horrified It ful to think that the boy had been in such danger Theshot was close to hi over hione off! The mother could picture it only too vividly, and she felt sick at the thought of the ghastly peril

”But what happened to the man?” questioned Eustace ”I ake in a minute, and must have seen hiested Mrs Orban ”He must have been there when you came to me, and made his escape the instant you were out of the way”

”Much ster on the head to silence hi with Mr Orban's revolver ”I don't think that story ash”

Quite suddenly the hed aloud

”I have it,” he said ”Eustace, you young rascal, what a scare you have given us!”

”I!” exclaination in his tone

”Yes, you,” was the reply ”Why, you fired that first shot yourself; I'll bet you anything you did You only shot once at the dingo--there are two chambers empty in this revolver Come, own up; where was the revolver when you went to sleep?”

Eustace flushed crimson as the realization flooded his mind

”It was in my hand when I jumped out of bed,” he said ”I--I do believe I went to sleep holding it I dropped off suddenly”

He remembered how inexplicably queer and shaken he had felt when he awoke Now he caely jarred A

”Well, that clears the wholeabout the house, and there hasn't been anything to be frightened about--except that you h, and laht have killed hierous thing to do”