The Sign at Six

  CHAPTER XVII

  DRAWING THE NET

  The "zone of danger", as the _Bulletin_ named it, was immediately thescene of swarming activities. Besides the expedition immediatelydespatched by the interests backing the investigation, severalenterprising newspapers saw a fine chance for a big scoop, and sent outmuch-heralded parties of their own. The activities of these were wellreported, you may be sure. Public interest was at once focusedreassuringly on the chances of finding the annoying malefactor to-day orto-morrow; there no longer existed a doubt that he would be found. Theweight of dread was lifted, and in the reaction people made light of theinconveniences and fun of the menacing messages that now came in by thedozen.

  "Let Eldridge do his best."]

  It was necessary to take extraordinary precautions against thieves andfire; the people took them. It was needful to slacken business in orderthat the congestion of the rush hour might not again prove tragic;business was slackened. People were willing to undergo many things,because, after all, they were but temporary. The madman of the Catskillswould sooner or later be found; his pernicious activities brought to aconclusion. The country to be searched was tremendous, of course, but thesearch was thorough.

  The public delivered itself joyously to a debauch of rumors and of"extras". The insistent alarms of danger, trickling in slowly from theoutside world, dried up in the warmth of optimism. Only the morethoughtful, to a few of whom these warnings came, coupled them withMonsieur X's repeated threats, and walked uncertain and in humility.

  Percy Darrow did not interest himself in the search, nor did he desert hispost in the wireless office. There he did nothing whatever. Jack Warfordstayed with him, but immensely bored, it must be confessed. Once hesuggested that if Darrow had nothing for him to do that afternoon, hethought 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 toget some one else. This isn't much of a job, but I may need you anymoment."

  "All right," agreed Jack cheerfully. "Only I wish you'd let a fellow knowwhat 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 theirchairs or on the lounge. Darrow read the various messages from theUnknown, glanced over the newspapers, and dozed.

  Thus there passed two days of the search. On the third day theintermittent phenomena and the messages suddenly ceased. This fact washailed jubilantly by all the papers as indicating that at last the quarryhad become alarmed by the near-coming search. From the contracted districtstill remaining to be combed over, nobody was permitted to depart; and soclosely was the cordon drawn by so large a posse that it was physicallyimpossible for any living being to slip by the line.

  Thus even if Monsieur X, convinced that at last his discovery wasimminent, should destroy his apparatus or attempt to move it and himselfto a place of safety, he would find his escape cut off. Thousands of menwere employed, and thousands more drafted in as volunteers to render thisoutcome assured.

  It was an army deployed in an irregular circle and moving inward towardits center. Men of the highest executive ability commanded it, saw to itsnecessary deliberation, eliminated all possibility of a confusion throughwhich any man could slip. The occasion was serious, and it was takenseriously.

  Of the outcome no one in touch with the situation had a moment's doubt.The messages and the phenomena had continued to come from the danger zone.It was of course evident that they could not have been sent from anyportion of the zone actually searched and occupied by the searchers. Theremaining portion of the zone, from which they were still coming, had beencompletely surrounded. After that the manifestations had ceased.Therefore, Monsieur X must be within the beleaguered circle. To add to theprobabilities, as Eldridge pointed out, the remaining district compassedthe highest hills in the zone--a fact on all fours with his hypothesis.

  On the appointed morning the army moved toward the center. Men beat theground carefully, so close to one another that they could touch hands. Asthey closed in, the ranks became thicker. Animals of many kinds, confusedas the ranks closed in on them, tried to break through the cordon and werekilled. Captains held order in the front row, that the army might notbecome a crowd. Birds, alarmed by the shouting, rose and wheeled.

  In the city immense crowds watched the bulletins sent momently from thevery field itself by private wires strung hastily for the occasion.Enterprising journals had prepared huge rough maps, on which thecontracting circle was indicated by red lines, constantly redrawn. It wasdiscovery before a multitude. The imagination of the public, fired by itsrealization of this fact, stretched itself ahead of the distant beaters,bodying forth what they might find.

  As the circle narrowed excitement grew. All business ceased. The streetswere crowded; the windows of the buildings looking out on the numerousbulletin-boards were black with heads. Those who could not see demandedeagerly of those who could.

  In the Atlas Building the wireless operator hung out of his window. Besidehim was Jack Warford.

  Darrow declined to join them. "You tell me," said he.

  Jack therefore reported back over his shoulder the bulletins as theyappeared. The crowds below read them, their faces upturned. One ran:

  "Cordon now has surrounded the crest of the Knob. Station of Monsieur X determined among oak-trees. Men halted. Picket company surrounds."

  The crowd roared its appreciation and impatience. A long pause followed.Then came the next bulletin:

  "Search discovers nothing."

  A puzzled angry murmur arose, confused and chopped, like cross currents ina tideway. Finally this was hung out:

  "No traces of human occupancy."

  A moment's astonished pause ensued. Then, over the vast multitude, itsfaces upturned in incredulous amazement; over the city lying sparkling inthe noonday sun fell the pall of absolute darkness.

  In the wireless office of the Atlas Building Percy Darrow laughed.