Page:Chesterton - The Club of Queer Trades.djvu/37

Adventures of Major Brown On returning he found the lady in green trembling.

"It is the end," she cried, with shaking lips; "it may be death for both of us. Whenever—"

But even as she spoke her speech was cloven by another hoarse proclamation from the dark street, again horribly articulate.

"Major Brown, Major Brown, how did the jackal die?"

Brown dashed out of the door and down the steps, but again he was frustrated; there was no figure in sight, and the street was far too long and empty for the shouter to have run away. Even the rational major was a little shaken as he returned at a certain time to the drawing-room. Scarcely had he done so than the terrific voice came:

"Major Brown, Major Brown, where did—"

Brown was in the street almost at a bound, and he was in time—in time to see some thing which at first glance froze the blood. The cries appeared to come from a decapitated head resting on the pavement. 23