|
Main
- books.jibble.org
My Books
- IRC Hacks
Misc. Articles
- Meaning of Jibble
- M4 Su Doku
- Computer Scrapbooking
- Setting up Java
- Bootable Java
- Cookies in Java
- Dynamic Graphs
- Social Shakespeare
External Links
- Paul Mutton
- Jibble Photo Gallery
- Jibble Forums
- Google Landmarks
- Jibble Shop
- Free Books
- Intershot Ltd
|
books.jibble.org
Previous Page
| Next Page
Page 6
"A very hazy one. To-night, as I came to your office, I have
every reason to believe that someone followed me in a taxicab."
"You came in a car?"
"I did."
"And a cab followed you the whole way?"
"Practically the whole way, except that as my chauffeur turned
into Chancery Lane, the cab stopped at the corner of Fleet
Street."
"Your idea is that your pursuer followed on foot from this
point?"
"Such was my impression."
"H'm, quite impossible. And is this sort of thing constant, Sir
Charles?"
"It has been for some time past."
"Anything else?"
"One very notable thing, Mr. Harley. I was actually assaulted
less than a week ago within sight of my own house."
"Indeed! Tell me of this." Paul Harley became aware of an
awakening curiosity. Sir Charles Abingdon was not the type of man
who is lightly intimidated.
"I had been to visit a friend in the neighbourhood," Sir Charles
continued, "whom I am at present attending professionally,
although I am actually retired. I was returning across the
square, close to midnight, when, fortunately for myself, I
detected the sound of light, pattering footsteps immediately
behind me. The place was quite deserted at that hour, and
although I was so near home, the worst would have happened, I
fear, if my sense of hearing had been less acute. I turned in the
very instant that a man was about to spring upon me from behind.
He was holding in his hand what looked like a large silk
handkerchief. This encounter took place in the shadow of some
trees, and beyond the fact that my assailant was a small man, I
could form no impression of his identity."
"What did you do?"
"I turned and struck out with my stick."
"And then?"
"Then he made no attempt to contest the issue, but simply ran
swiftly off, always keeping in the shadows of the trees."
"Very strange," murmured Harley. "Do you think he had meant to
drug you?"
"Maybe," replied Sir Charles. "The handkerchief was perhaps
saturated with some drug, or he may even have designed to attempt
to strangle me."
"And you formed absolutely no impression of the man?"
"None whatever, Mr. Harley. When you see the spot at which the
encounter took place, if you care to do so, you will recognize
the difficulties. It is perfectly dark there after nightfall."
"H'm," mused Harley. "A very alarming occurrence, Sir Charles. It
must have shaken you very badly. But we must not overlook the
possibility that this may have been an ordinary footpad."
"His methods were scarcely those of a footpad," murmured Sir
Charles.
"I quite agree," said Harley. "They were rather Oriental, if I
may say so."
Sir Charles Abingdon started. "Oriental!" he whispered. "Yes, you
are right."
Previous Page
| Next Page
|
|