r.
'1
OYNOPSIS.
The story oppns at Monto Cfirlo with
Col. Ternnco O'llourko, a military freo
lanco and Bomnthlntr of ft Ramblor, In Ills
liotol. Leaning on tho balcony ho nces tt
beautiful Rlrl who suddenly enters tha
olovator and rmnofl from BlRht. At the
Kaminsr table O'llourko notices two man
watclilnir him. One Is tho Hon. ilortlo
Glynn, while his companion Is Viscount
lies Trobos, ft dupllst. Tho viscount tells
him tho French government has directed
him to O'llourlyi as u man who would
undertake a secret mission. At his apart
mont. O'llourko, who had agreed to un
dcrtako tho mission, finds a mysterious
letter. Tho viscount arrives, hands a
sealed package to O'llourko, who Is not
to open It until on tho ocean. A pair of
dainty slippers nro scon protruding from
under a. doorway curtain. Tho Irishman
finds tho owner of tha mysterious feet to
bo his wlfo. Beatrix, from whom ho had
run away a year previous. Thoy nro
reconciled, and-openlnK tho letter ho finds
that a Rnngoon law firm offers Jilm
100.000 pounds for n. Jewel known as tiie
I'ool of Flame and left to him by a dy
ing friend, but now in keeping 'of one
named Chambrot In Algeria. O Uourko
worsts tho nobloman In a ducJ. Tho wlfo
bids O'llourko farewell and he promises
to soon return with tho reward. Ho dis
covers both Olynn and tho viscount on
board the shlp.
CHAPTER VII. (Continued.)
By dawn thoy woro ready to start;
and bo, Ini tho lovol rays of a sun that
semed a dazzling opboro of lntolor
fcblo light, poising itsolt in tho eastern
rim of tho world an If undecided
Whether or no to tnko up Its flight
across tho firmament, tho little cara
van rocked out Into tho faBtnesa of
tho desert, tho Irishman In tho van
Bitting a blooded moharl aa ono to tho
wlldomcBH born.
On tho sovonth night thoy bivouack
ed hard on tho heels of tho flying col
umn, having for soven days pursued
It thlB way and that, zigzagging Into
tho heart of tho parchod land.
Now, when they woro como within
Bix hours of their goal, reluctantly,
long after nightfall, O'llourko gavo
consent to halt, conceding tho ne
cessity; for weariness weighed upon
tholr shoulders a groat burden, and
tho camols had becomo unusually buI
Ion and ovll tomporcd; If rest wore
denied them presently thoy would
become obstlnuto and rcfuso to follow
tho road.
O'llourko closed his oyo3 and lost
consciousness with a sensation of fall
ing headlong Into a great pit of ob
livion, bottomless, oternal. Yot It
eoomod no moro than n moment oro
ho was sitting up and rubbing Bight
Into his eyes, shaken out of slumbor
by his guide.
Ho Btumblod to his foot and lurched
toward tho camols, still but half
awake. When IiIb Bonses cleared Ir
ritation posHosscd him. Mb' guldo had
boon ovorzcnlous. Ho turnod upon tho
man and seized him roughly by tho
arm.
"What tho dlvvlol" ho grumbled an
grily, botwoon a yawn nnd a chatter
of tooth for tho air was bitter cold.
"Tho moon's not yot up!"
"Hush, Sldll" Somotblng in tho
guide's tono stilled his wrath. "Tho
Touaregg aro all about us. Thoy havo
boon passing ua throughout tho
night"
"Yo kuow this and did not wako
me?'
1 "Thoro was no need; wo could not
havo moved ero thus without detection.
Now, thoy nro all a-stir, and wo In
the night, may pass for thorn until
moon-up."
Tho guldo turned away to rouso tho
anohara, prodding Uiom up, mutinous,
unnrllng and ugly. In another Ilvo
minutes they wero ngaln moving for--ward.
Dy tho tiino tho sliver rim of
the moon peered over tho edgo of tho
leaBt thoy woro pelting on at full apocd,
as yot, appurontly, undetected by tho
fTounregg.
i An hour passed, and tho chill in tho
air bocamo moro IntonBo; dawn was
tit hamh A bchbo of Bocurity, of dun
'gori Toft lioblud, camo to tho Irish
roan; he began to broatho moro free
ly, though still tho polished butt of a
repeating rlflo swinging from tho Bad-
dlo remained a comfort to hta palm.
Ho grow moro coufldo.nt, mentally at
eaeo, seeing the dosert take shupo
In tho moonlight and show Itself deso
late on every hand.
Even as he gained asBuranco from
this thought, tho guldo turned In his
saddle and cried a warning; "ThoTou.
arcggl" From that moment on bqth
wielded mercllosa whips. For out of
tho moonlit wastes behind thorn had
shrilled a voice, cruol and wild, an
nounclng discovery nnd tho incoptlon
of tho chaao. Tho fugitives had nood
of no nharper spur.
A rlflo Rhot rang sharp on tho echoes
of. that cry, but tho bullet must havo
fallen far short A moment later, In
deed, thoy opened a brisk, scattering
Are naturally Ineffectual, though tho
bullets dropping right and left in tho
sand proved that tho chaao had got
(Within range.
1 Even with that warning, tho end
Iwrs nearer w than he hud dreamed or
jh'opwl.. It came In a twinkling and as
unexpected an a bolt out' of a clear
POO
FLAME
by LOUIS JOSEPH YANC
ILLUSTRATIONSBY
ELLSWORTHYOTOG
COPYRIGHT 1909 y 0UIS-05EPH VANCE.
sky: a flash of flro ahead, a spltful
snnp and ptttl tho song of a bullet
speeding past his head.
Tho guldo pulled up, with a Jork.
O'llourke, reining In dosporatoly,
swung his enmol wide to avert tho
threatened collision. Simultaneously
tho sharp "Qui vivo?" of a French
sentry rang out, loud and swoot to
hoar.
"Thank God!" said tho adventurer
in his heart. And aloud, "Friends!"
ho cried, driving past tho sentry In a
cloud of dust.
By a blessed mlraclo tho man was
quick of wit, and swift to grasp tho
oltuatlon of which, however, ho
must havo had some warning from
tho rattlo of firing. Ho Bcrcamed
somothlng In O'Hourko's car as tho
latter passed, and turning thrpw him
solf flat and began to pump tho trig
ger of his carbine, emptying tho maga
zine at tho on-swoeplng lino of Tou
aregg. Tho alarm was hardly needed;
O'llourko nnd tho guide swept on
over tho slip of a depression In tho
desert nnd halted in tho midst of a
camp already quickened and allvo
with shadowy figures running method
ically to tholr posts, carblno and ac
coutrement gleaming in tho moon
light: mon of tho camol crops, hard
ened to and familiar with their work.
Thoy bucklod down to It in a bust-ncss-llko
way that thrilled tho heart
of O'llourke. In a trlco they woro
doubling out past lines of tethered
mehnra, past tho whlto hillocks of
tho ofllcers' sholtor-tcnta nnd, like tho
Bontry, throwing themselves down
upon tho ground to tako shelter of
whatever Inequalities tho faco of tho
desert offered; and tholr firing ringed
the bivouac with a frlngo of flamo.
O'llourko slipped from his camel
and turned to watch the skirmish.
Massed, tho Touaregg, in strength
grcntor than tho advonturor had be
Moved Bomcthlng llko two hundred
mounted men, In all charged down
upon tho camp as if to ovor-run and
stampodo it.
Yot at tho critical moment, when
It seemed thnt of a surety thoro waa
no stopping them, thoy divided, and
swung round tho camp in two wldo
circles, Bcattorlng Into open order and
firing as thoy scattered. Hero and
thoro a horso foil, a rldor throw out
Jils hands and toppled from his sad
dle, u camol Bocmed to bucklo at full
tilt llko a fuulty piece of raachlnory;
nnd bo gaps appeared in tho flying
wings.
For tho mon of tho flying column
wero picked shots. Thoy had nood to
bo, who had such tasks as this to copo
with.
Nor for that matter woro tho Tou
aregg tho only sufferers. Hero and
thoro in tho camp a man plunged for
wurd In mld-strldo, and on tho firing
lino beyond tho tents now and again
a sharpshooter shuddered nnd lay still
upon his arms. Kvon at O'ltourko's
sldo an ofllcer was shot as ho ran to
tho front, and would havo fallon had
not tho Irishman caught him with
if ady nrma and let him .easily to tho
earth. Aa ho did so tho stricken man
rolled an ngonlzed oyo 'upward.
"O'llourko!" ho said botwoon a
groan and a sigh.
And O'Rourko, kneeling at his sldo
and peering into his faco, gave a bit
tor cry. For ho had found Chambrot
CHAPTER VIM.
Preparations for broakfaat wero to
ward; an aroma of coffeo and bacon
hung in tho still, crisp air. Tho troop
ers woro bustling about as if noth
ing had happened, laughing nnd Jok
ing, cleaning rlllos, feeding tho mo
hara, Btrlklng tents, drawing water
from tho palm-ringed well round
which tho camp had beon made.
Out of sight beyond tho edgo of tho
sunken oasis a detachment waB dig
ging shallow trenchos for tho dead.
In tho open Chambrot lay dying, a
stark grim flguro in tho growing
light O'llourko sat by his sldo, nonr
tho head of tho improvlso'd litter, el
bow In knoo, chin In hand, oyos fixed
on tho faco of his friend.
JtiBt boforo Bunrlso tho man on tho
Utter stirred, monnod, oponod his eyes
and turned his head to boo O'llourko.
Ho amllod wanly, "Mon ami," ho said
In tonos faint yot thick.
Tho Irishman rose. "Don't talk,"
said ho. "I'll bo calling the surgeon."
Hut Chambrot stayed him with a
gesture "Haa ho not told you, dear
friend?" ho aBked.
O'llourko hesitated. "Told ma
what?"
"That my wound was fatal mortal?
. . . Surely ho must havo told you.
It is bo. Presently I die . . Con
tont . , , Let him be this Bur
geon: I am boyond his aid. Attend
to mo, In my last moments, O'llourke,
my friend."
Tho advonturor vacillated, torn by
M7 v TBPPI
ii 1 . - -.. tlu, a i-
nn agony of compassion. "I must do
Bomcthlng for yo," ho said miserably.
. . ". "I must do enmcthlng. . . .
What can I do?"
"Comfort mo." Tho dying man
cloBcd his eyes and lay Btlll for a Ht
tlo. "You aro not gone, O'Jlourko?"
ho asked presently.
"I'm hero, bo your Bldo, mon ami."
"Tell mo . . . of madamo . .
. your wlfo. She is well?"
"Sho is very well, Chambrot"
"You havo seen her recently?"
"Within ton days."
"You havo . . . returned to
her?"
"No and yea. 'Twaa not for lack
of love for hor that 1 gavo hor up "
"Yes," said Chambrot impatiently.
"That I understand. ... I com
prehend utterly your feeling. . . .
But you owo her happiness, though
you sacrlflco your own everything
to glvo it hor. Sho lbves you . . .
as she might havo loved oven mo had
you not como into her life."
"True. . . ."
"You nro about to pockot your
scruplea that sho may havo her duo
portion of happiness?"
"I've promised, Chnmbret"
"I am glad. . . . But you what
has brought you hlthor?"
"I I wlshod to seo ye,"
But tho dying aro oftentimes and'
strangely endowed with curious In
sight into matters beyond tholr kon.
Without perceptible hesitation Cham
brot mndo this apparent
"You havo como for tho ruby," ho
said with conviction.
"How did yo know?"
"It is truo, then? ... I fancied
so; I know that some day you would
como to claim It. . . . Bend nearer
to me. ,. . . The Pool of Flamo is
in tho keeping of my good friend, the
Governor-General of Algeria. It is all
arranged. When I nra gono, tako my
signet ring, toll him your nnmo. and
demand tho package a small morocco
leather box. wrannod In Dlaln brown
paper and superscribed with my name
and yours. Ho knows nothing of Its
valuo, savo that It is great, and will
dellvor It to you and only you without
question. . . . That Is all."
Tho hand that clasped O'Hourko's
waa llko ico.
"Cllambret!"
"Beatrix. . . ."
Tho cold fingers relaxed. Gently
O'llourko disengaged his hand and put
it to tho pitiful, torn bosom of tho
,man who had died with hla wife's
name upon his lips.
, , -, ',
CHAPTER IX.
Shortly beforo midnight tho tri
woekly train from Constantino to Al
giors pullod up ovor an hour lato at
tho town of ElGuorrah. It took up a
slnglo passenger, discharged none, und
presently thundorcd on westwards,
rocking and Jarring over a road-bod
certainly no better than It should havo
beon. Such, at least, was the passon-,
ger'a " criticism, ns, groaning in am
tlclpatlon of tho long night of discom
fort nhoad of him, ho disposed himself
and his belongings about tho cushions
of the first-class compartment which
ho occupied In solitary grandeur.
O'Rourko had no Intention of leav
ing anything undono that might tond
to mltlgato tho terrors of tho Journey.
Fivo days had elapsed ainco that
morning In tho oasis. In tho interval
ho had again dared tho danger of tho
desert, returning to Biskra alono by a
route moro direct than that which had
brought him up with tho flying col
umn. Discharging tho guldo with a
gratuity larger than hla ebbing means
warrantod, ho had procccdod to El
Guorrah by tho first dally train, and
so now found himself on tho direct
lino of communication with Algiers
and tho Governor-General.
His chtefost concern now lay with
tho future nnd tho Pool of Flame;
both bulked lnrgo upon tho horizon
and woro nt once tho architects and
tho nuclei of a thousand different
plans of action.
So far, tho affair had worked
smoothly; ho anticipated Uttlo trou
bio. 80 thinking ho drowsed, nnd in tho
courae of tlmo luffed by tho hammor
Ing of a flat-wheel at tho forward ond
of tho coach, foil asleop. Ho waken
ed suddenly nftor n nap of somo two
hours or so, to n confusion of lraprqs-
Blona: thnt tho train had stopped;
that somo ono had Invaded hla com
partmont; that a cold blast was blow
ing across hla wrists. Bowlldered and
not half master of hta senses, ho start
ed up and foil back with a thud, as
sisted to roaumo u rocumbent position
by a heavy blow upon his chest, deliv
ered by somo tjorson for tho roomont
unknown. Simultaneously he was
awaro of a clicking sound, followed by
tho sensation of being unablo to movo
his foot; and then, tho clouds clearing
from hla understanding, ho realized
-j IHBnBC
ixW in
J&zX. wKw x x. vzOHPiHH
rW.3T r ZLHUH
.&SZzfv- '
s -" v-v. rsinirjniL x -
thnt tho cold upon his wrists was that
of steel. With handcuffs also on hla
ankles, ho lay helpless, unnbld even
to protest because of a cloth wadded
tightly Into his mouth and a firm hand
that proventod ejection.
Other hands wero rifling hla pock
ets, swiftly but after a bungling fash
Ion. Tho train, having paused brlolly
at Sctlf (ho afterwards located tho
station by conjecture), began to
movo ngaln, was ' presently In
full thundering flight. Abruptly tho
examination of hla person which
waa bo thorough that it Included
tho opening of hla shirt to as
auro tho thieves that ho carried noth
ing In tho shapo of a money-bolt
was concluded and tho adventurer
was roughly Jerked Into a sitting po
sition. At tho eamo tlmo hla gag was
removed.
Ho gaBped, blinked, coughod, and
rolled a resentful oyo around the com
partment. "Bo tho powers!" ho said
huskily; and no moro. At first glance
It became apparent that ho had mis
calculated tho audacity and resource
of tho vlcomto and Mr. Glynn. They
had literally caught him napping.
Tho Honorable Bertlo, O'Rourko dis
covered kneeling In tho act of turning
tho adventurer's traveling gear lnsldo
out; at least ho seemed to bo try
ing to do so. Monsieur lo Vlcomto
des Trebes on tho contrary waa seat
ed at easo, facing O'Rourke, a revolver
on tho cuBhlon besldo him, hla in
terest concentrated not upon hla cap
tive, upon his collaborator. O'Rourko
remarked an expression on tho French
man's faco, a curiou8 compound of
eagernosa, triumph and apprehension.
Without noting the Irlshman'a ejec
ulatlon, ho addressed Glynn: "Find
It?"
"No worso luck!" grumbled tha
Englishman, rising nnd kicking tho
hand-bag savagely. "Thoro isn't so
much aa a scrap of paper anywhere
about him."
Tho Vlcomto favored O'Rourke with
a vicious glance, muttering something
about a thousand dovlls. The, Iriah
'man, quick to grasp tho situation and
They Had Literally
inwardly oxnltlng. acknowledged Des
Treboa' attention with a winning
smile.
"Good ovonlng," ho said, and nodded
amiably.
"Oh, shut up I" snapped tho Honor
ablo Bortlo, unhandsomoly. "Whore's
that lettor?"
O'Rourko chuckled. "Yo'ro a hard
loser, mo bright young friend," ho
commented. "I though Englishmen
always played tho gamo as it laid."
Glynn grunted and flushed, shame
faced, but tho Frenchman cut short
tho rotort on his lips by a curt repe
tition of Glynn's own question:
"Whoro'B that letter, monsieur?"
O'Rourko glnnced at him languidly,
yawned, and smiled an exasperating
strictly personal smile. Then slg-
nlflcantly bo clinked the feundcuffa US
UI they rang on wrist and anklo.
"Answer met" snarled tho vlcomte,
picking up his revolver.
"DI'vvlo a word," observed O'Rourke,
"will yo get from mo If yo shoot mo
dead, monslour lo vlcomto. Put down
jour pistol nnd be sensible."
Des Trebes' faco darkened, suf
fused with tho blood of his rago. Yet
tho man asserted that admlrablo con
trol of solf which ho was nblo to em
ploy when It suited his purposes. Evi
dently, too, ho recognized tho cold
common-aenso of tho wanderer's re
mark. At all events ho put nsldo tho
weapon!.
"Whore's tho letter?" he demanded
ngaln, moro pacifically.
Again O'llourko yawned with mal
ice prepense, yawned deliberately and
exhaustively nnd dlspaaslonatoly.
"Not a word,'' ho volunteered at
length, "until yo loose mo hands and
feet Which," ho added, "yo need not
hesitate to do, for I'll not atrlko back
unless yo crowd mo."
Tho vlcomto ecowlod darkly for a
moment, plainly dubious. Thon pre
sumably upon tho consideration that
ho could trust O'Rourko's word and
that most assuredly ho would learn
nothing from him until Ills request
was compiled with, ho growled nn or
der to Glynn to unlock and remove
tho handcuffs. Tho Englishman obey
ed. Freo, O'Rourko stretched hlmsoff,
rubbed his wrlsta,. nnd observed a
collection of his pocket hardware ly
ing upon tho scat by him, thrown
aside by Glynn In his disgust at not
finding what ho sought.
"Yo'll not bo wanting to deprive
mo of these few trlflos, mo gay high
waymen, I'm thinking?" ho, Inquired
placidly of tho pair. "If yo'vo no ob
jection I'll raako bo freo as to tako
back me own."
"Tako what you want," returned
Dea Trobes In an ugly tone. "But
I give you threo minutes to toll mo
whore you havo put that letter."
"Indeed? Your courtesy overpowers
me." Tho Irishman took up his watch
and calmly made a note of tho hour
hard upon three in the morning; then,
with eay nonchalanco stowed it away
with tho rest of the miscellaneous col
lection tho knives, coins and keys,
his wnllet, tlckots nnd so forth.
"Your time," tho voice of the vl
comto interrupted this occupation, "is
up." He Angered his revolver "Whore
is that letter? I am losing patience."
"Whero rust nor moth cannot cor
rupt nor thieves break in to steal,"
O'Rourko misquoted solemnly.
"Steady. Don't call names or I'll
forget meself. I mean that tho letter
Is In fragments, scattered to the' four
winds of heavon, destroyed. There yo
havo your answer. Yo fools, did ye
think I would carry it about me?"
"By God!" said Glynn tensely. "No
don't shoot him, Des Trebes! He's
telling tho truth. Make him tell what
was In the letter."
"I'm afraid 'tis useless," O'Rourke
mocked them. "I have forgotten the
contents. What uso to mo to re
member?" ho demanded, inspired.
Caught Him Napping.
"What made ye think I would have
It at all? Sure, and tho letter was
properly Chambrot's. Why would I
not turn It over to him?"
"Oh, cut it!" Glynn Interrupted im
patiently. "Wo kno'w he's dead. Tho
news was hellographed In from tho
column day beforo yesterday."
"Quito so. Yot, if yo know so much,
if bb I gather yo auspect that Cham
brot turned over this procious jewel
to me, why do yo not demand it as
well as tho letter? Not that I havo
either."
"Becauso wo Jolly well know you
haven't got tho ruby," blurted tho
Englishman.
"Bo quiet," snapped tho vlcomte.
(TO BE CONTINUED
HOW GIRLS
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The Experience of Two Girls
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Reading maketh a full man. So does
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For yoars Garfield Tua has been on tho raar
koU This must mean a remedy worth while.
Perhaps Lot's wlfo was turned to
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It Does.
"Do you find this presidential pref
erential primary puzzling?"
"Well, it makes you mind your p's."
The Worst of It.
"Do you keep a cook, Mrs. Subub "
. "Mndam, I not pnly keep tho cook,
but also her entire family."
Only Thinking.
"Whero are you thinking of going
this summer?"
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and Scotland, but I'll probably go to
Punk Beach."
How He Got Them.
"Dat feller 'Rastus Sklnah done
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"Sho! Ho doan' mean 'raisin' ho
means 'llf tin'." Catholic Standard'
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Tne Worm'B Way.
"Tho Hon. Stephen Colerldgo, tho
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"Mr. Colerldgo onco argued horo in
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" 'Oh,' his opponent said, 'tho mero
fact that a worm writhes and wrigglea
when impaled on a hook is no proof
that it is actually suffering pain.'
'"No, oh, no!' said Mr. Coleridge,
sarcastically. 'Beyoud doubt that la
Just tho worm's way of laughing at
being tickled.' "
r
In the Growth
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there's a period when the
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Post
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it
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tsiOTtrsrsswwrKTCT ",-
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