There he did nothing whatever. Jack Warford
stayed with him, but immensely bored, it must be confessed. Once he
suggested that if Darrow had nothing for him to do that afternoon, he
thought he would like to go out for a little exercise.
Darrow shook his head.
"You may go, if you want to, Jack," said he, "but if you do I'll have to
get some one else. This isn't much of a job, but I may need you any
moment."
"All right," agreed Jack cheerfully. "Only I wish you'd let a fellow know
what to expect."
Darrow shook his head. The two now practically lived in the office.
Neither had taken his clothes off for several days. They slept in their
chairs or on the lounge. Darrow read the various messages from the
Unknown, glanced over the newspapers, and dozed.
Thus there passed two days of the search. On the third day the
intermittent phenomena and the messages suddenly ceased. This fact was
hailed jubilantly by all the papers as indicating that at last the quarry
had become alarmed by the near-coming search. From the contracted district
still remaining to be combed over, nobody was permitted to depart; and so
closely was the cordon drawn by so large a posse that it was physically
impossible for any living being to slip by the line.
Thus even if Monsieur X, convinced that at last his discovery was
imminent, should destroy his apparatus or attempt to move it and himself
to a place of safety, he would find his escape cut off.
Pages:
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115