Page:Randall Parrish - The Red Mist.djvu/256

 238 least the colonel was, although he struggled fiercely. The younger officer made no attempt, his thin lips drawn back in a cruel snarl. I was certain there was a swift gleam of amusement in the girl's eyes, but it passed quickly as her glance again met mine.

"But you! Tell me; I must understand in order to know what to do. How did you come here?"

"The explanation is simple enough, and these gentlemen will be interested also in hearing about it. No doubt they think I dropped from the sky. When my father was the judge of this court, I was free to play about the building, and in that way I learned all its secrets. They chose the old record room as my cell, and I was aware that the big central chimney composed the greater part of its inner wall. My only problem was to break through, and this I succeeded in doing. There was a dance in the courtroom, and the noise enabled me to work without discovery. I crept up through the chimney, and came out in the attic. There are stairs leading down into the sheriff's office, just beyond there. That was where I found these clothes, but the door into the corridor was locked, and so I came in here. I had no suspicion the room was occupied, until I came face to face with these men. But they were more surprised even than I. I got the guns first, and that ended it; but I cannot hold you up that way."