Blindfolded

ght and left; a confused mass of buildings coming to the water's edge on the flat; a forest of masts, ships swinging in the stream, and the streaked, yellow, gray-green water of the bay

reasted it from the forward deck of the ferry steamer, El Capitan. As I drank in the air and was silent

t catching his death of cold, and then lays it on to the climate instead of his own lack of common sen

returned, as he took me by the a

few years of residence in California, and sported all the airs of a pioneer. We had been close friends thro

woman exclaim, as we entered t

had been cast in the mold of some common ancestor. We were so nearly alike in form and feature as to perplex al

To my surprise, it appeared to bring him ann

said, more to himself than to me, I thought; and he glan

seat. "Is the business ready for me? You wrote that y

rd, but, as I wrote you, it needs a man of pluck and discretion. It's delicate business, you understan

rying to do anything ag

with an odd smile. "In fact, it's a little matter

and Henry chuckled as he saw the consternat

boat is g

t to know-

en we get to my room. Give me that valise. Come along now." And as the boat entered the slip we found ourselves at the

eye of a snake. It was gone in an instant, but I had time to trace effect to cause. The warning came this time from the eyes of a man, a lithe, keen-faced man who flashed a look of triumphant malice on u

swore softl

he matter

und," he said.

ake-eye

is tone was troubled. "I thought I had given him the s

r a hiding-place?"

ect to my room. Now we are going to a hotel w

ther moment we were in the lumbering coach, and as soon as the last lingering passenger had come from the boat we were wh

g in the windows along Kearny Street as we stepped from th

d Henry, as we entered the hot

sleep with you?"

es

ll which is which in the morning," said

and we were shown to our room. After removing the t

ght," he continued, "it's just as well to leave the door locked. There might be some inquisitive callers

over a melancholy piece of pie, and laid down my fork. "We

in a back hall which led into another building. I became confused after a little, and lost all idea of the direction in which we were going. We mo

the street before we ve

along in the shadow till we came to Montgomery Street, and after a brie

collection of old show-bills ornamenting the dirty windows testified that it was vacant. The liquor business appeared to be overdone in that quarter, for across t

o, there of a wheezy accordion, and, beyond, of a half-drunken man singing or shouting a ribald song. Elsewhere it was su

g friends," said Henry, with a visible relief from hi

" I said, magnanimousl

ted Henry as we stumbled up the second flight, "but

as a creaking, rasping sou

ned, peering into th

ight have been a tomb for any si

rhaps-" Then he checked himself. "Well, you'll know later," he conc

tently. The obscurity of the hall gave back nothing to eye or ear, a

ere were two windows, one looking to the west, the

" said Henry, half as an intr

six days of railr

then," he said, "for there may be trouble ahead.

I exclaimed with some temper. "You're

smiled

nize that this is seri

nderstand

There's mischief afoo

hom? Fr

ss-not mine, you understand-and I can't explain un

t I came fo

m to be overly ple

he first idea what it is, except that it

about it, I know of another jo

tly. "But I want to see the noo

stant bookkeeper's plac

the way he was playing on me. "Assistant bookkeeper be hanged! I'm

need to know. Too muc

d of a cautious step outside. Then Henry sprang to the door, flung it open, and bolted down the passage. There was the gleam

ds again. I can have th

I h

t isn't likely that they will try to do anything before midnight. If they do-we

d listened to his footsteps as they descended the stairs and at last