"He"s in it somewhere, or the devil is, but I don"t know where. He"s an awful man. He"s everywhere at once. He"s--oh Lord! What was that?"
I had become infected with her nervousness, and at a cracking or creaking sound turned around with half an expectation of seeing Doddridge Knapp himself coming in the door.
There was no one there--nothing to be seen but the flickering shadows, and no sound broke the stillness as we listened.
"It"s nothing," I said.
"I reckon I ain"t got no call to be scared at any crackings in this old house," said Mother Borton with a nervous giggle. "I"ve hearn "em long enough. But that man"s name gives me the shivers."
"What did he ever do to you?" I asked with some curiosity.
"He never did nothing," she said, "but I hearn tell dreadful things that"s gone on of nights,--how Doddridge Knapp or his ghost was seen killing a Chinaman over at North Beach, while Doddridge Knapp or his ghost,--whichever was the other one,--was speaking at a meeting, at the Pavilion. And I hearn of his drinkin" blood--"
"Nonsense!" said I; "where did you get such stories?"
"Well, they"re told me for true, and by ones I believe," she said stoutly. "Oh, there"s queer things goes on. Doddridge Knapp or the devil, it"s all one. But it"s ill saying things of them that can be in two places at once." And the old dame looked nervously about her.
"They"ve hushed things up in the papers, and fixed the police, but people have tongues."
I wondered what mystification had given rise to these absurd reports, but there was nothing to be gained by pursuing them. The killing of the Chinaman might have been something to my hand, but if Doddridge Knapp had such a perfect alibi it was a waste of time to look into it.
"And is this all you know?" I asked in disappointment.
Mother Borton tried to remember some other point.
"I don"t see how it"s going to keep a knife from between my ribs," I complained.
"You keep out of the way of Tom Terrill and his hounds, and you"ll be all right, I reckon."
"Am I supposed to be the head man in this business?"
"Yes."
"Who are my men?"
"There"s Wilson and Fitzhugh and Porter and Brown," and she named ten or a dozen more.
"And what is d.i.c.ky?"
"It"s a smart man as can put his finger on d.i.c.ky Nahl," said Mother Borton spitefully.
"Nahl is his name?"
"Yes. And I"ve seen him hobn.o.b with Henry Wilton, and I"ve seen him thick as thieves with Tom Terrill, and which he"s thickest with the devil himself couldn"t tell. I call him Slippery d.i.c.ky."
"Why did he bring me here to-night?"
"I hearn there"s orders come to change the place--the boy"s place, you know. You was to tell "em where the new one was to be, I reckon, but Tom Terrill spoiled things. He"s lightning, is Tom Terrill. But I guess he got it all out of d.i.c.ky, though where d.i.c.ky got it the Lord only knows."
This was all that was to be had from Mother Borton. Either she knew no more, or she was sharp enough to hide a knowledge that might be dangerous, even fatal, to reveal. She was willing to serve me, and I was forced to let it pa.s.s that she knew no more.
"Well, I"d better be going then," said I at last. "It"s nearly four o"clock, and everything seems to be quiet hereabouts. I"ll find my way to my room."
"You"ll do no such thing," said Mother Borton. "They"ve not given up the chase yet. Your men have gone home, I reckon, but I"ll bet the saloon that you"d have a surprise before you got to the corner."
"Not a pleasant prospect," said I grimly.
"No. You must stay here. The room next to this one is just the thing for you. See?"
She drew me into the adjoining room, shading the candle as we pa.s.sed through the hall that no gleam might fall where it would attract attention.
"You"ll be safe here," she said. "Now do as I say. Go to sleep and git some rest. You ain"t had much, I guess, since you got to San Francisco."
The room was cheerless, but in the circ.u.mstances the advice appeared good. I was probably safer here than in the street, and I needed the rest.
"Good night," said my strange protectress, "You needn"t git up till you git ready. This is a beautiful room--beautiful. I call it our bridal chamber, though we don"t get no brides down here. There won"t be no sun to bother your eyes in the mornin", for that window don"t open up outside. So there, can"t n.o.body git in unless he comes from inside the house. There, git to bed. Look out you don"t set fire to nothing. And put out the candle. Now good night, dearie."
Mother Borton closed the door behind her, and left me to the shadows.
Her departure did not leave me wholly at my ease. I had escaped from my foes, but I was no closer to being in touch with those who would be my friends; and before daylight I might be lying here with my throat slit.
At the reflection I hastily bolted the door, and tried the fastenings of the window. All seemed secure, but the sound of a footstep in the pa.s.sageway gave me a start for an instant.
"Only Mother Borton going down stairs," I thought, with a smile at my fears.
There was nothing to be gained by sitting up, and the candle was past its final inch. I felt that I could not sleep, but I would lie down on the bed and rest my tired limbs, that I might refresh myself for the demands of the day. I kicked off my boots, put my revolver under my hand, and lay down.
Heedless of Mother Borton"s warning I left the candle to burn to the socket, and watched the flickering shadows chase each other over walls and ceiling. The shadows grew larger and blacker, and took fantastic shapes of men and beasts. And then with a confused impression of deadly fear and of an effort to escape from peril, a blacker shadow swallowed up all that had gone before, and carried me with it.
CHAPTER VIII
IN WHICH I MEET A FEW SURPRISES
I awoke with the sense of threatened danger strong in my mind. For a moment I was unable to recall where I was, or on what errand I had come.
Then memory returned in a flood, and I sprang from the bed and peered about me.
A dim light struggled in from the darkened window, but no cause for apprehension could be seen. I was the only creature that breathed the air of that bleak and dingy room.
I drew aside the curtain, and threw up the window. It opened merely on a light-well, and the blank walls beyond gave back the cheery reflection of a patch of sunlight that fell at an angle from above.
The fresher air that crept in from the window cleared my mind, a dash of water refreshed my body, and I was ready once more to face whatever might befall.
I looked at my watch. It was eight o"clock, and I had slept four hours in this place. Truly I had been imprudent after my adventure below, but I had been right in trusting Mother Borton. Then I began to realize that I was outrageously hungry, and I remembered that I should be at the office by nine to receive the commands of Doddridge Knapp, should he choose to send them.
I threw back the bolt, but when I tried to swing the door open it resisted my efforts. The key had been missing when I closed it, but a sliding bolt had fastened it securely. Now I saw that the door was locked.
Here was a strange predicament. I had heard nothing of the noise of the key before I lost myself in slumber. Mother Borton must have turned it as an additional precaution as I slept. But how was I to get out? I hesitated to make a noise that could attract attention. It might bring some one less kindly disposed than my hostess of the night. But there was no other way. I was trapped, and must take the risk of summoning a.s.sistance.