r- l'.7'; jj'i
WmnLPt )lx?yrtra5
14
SYNOPSIS.
The story
onena nt Monte Carlo wiin
Col. Terenco O'ltourke, a military free
lance and nomcthlnff oil a gambler, In his
hotel. Leaning on the balcony ho sees n
beautiful girl who suddenly enters tho
elevator ana passes from Bigm. ai me
gaming table O'Uourko notices two men
watching him. One is the Hon. Bertlo
Olynn, while his companion Is Viscount
Des Trebes, n duelist. Tho viscount tells
him the French government has directed
him to O'Rourko ns a man who would
undertake a secret mission. At his apart
ment. O'Rourke, who had agreed to un
dertake tho mission, finds a mysterious
letter. Tho viscount arrives, hands a
sealed package to O'ltourke, who not
to open It until on tho ocean. A pair of
dainty slippers nro seen protruding from
under a doorway curtain. The Irlshmun
finds tho owner of tlwj mysterious feet to
bo his wife, Beatrix, from whom he had
run away a yenr previous. They are
reconciled, and opening the letter ho finds
that a Rangoon law Arm offers him
100,000 pounds for a Jewel known as the
Pool of Flame and left to him by a dy
ing friend, but now In keeping of one
named Chambret In Algeria. O'Rourke
worsts the nobleman In a duel. Tho wife
bids O'Rourke farewell and ho promises
to soon return with the reward. Ho dis
covers both Glynn and the viscount on
board the ship. As ho finds Chambret
there Is an attack by bandits and his
friend dies telling O'Rourko that he has
1-ft tho Pool of Flamo with the governor
t'eneral. who at sight of a signet ring
I iven tho colonel will deliver over tho
owel. Arriving at Algeria the Irishman
fnds tho governor goneral away. Des
v'rebes makes a mysterious nppolntment,
and tells O'Rourko that ho has gained
tossesslon of the Jewel by stealing It. In
ft duel O'Rourke masters the viscount,
secures possession of the Pool of Flame
Ind starts by ship for Rangoon. He finds
Ihe captain to be a smuggler who tries to
Heal the Jewel. It Is finally secured by
the captain nnd O'Rourko escapes to
land. With the aid of ono Danny and
his sweetheart, O'Rourko recovers the
Pool of Flame. On board ship once more,
bound for Rangoon, a mysterious lady
appears. O'Rourko comes upon a lascar
about to attack the lady, who Is a Mrs.
Prynne, and kicks the man Into tho hold.
Mrs. Prynne claims she Is en routu for
India on a mission for tho king.
CHAPTER XXIII. (Continued.)
Now Danny happened to have "off"
tho first afternoon watch. O'ltourke
Into tho messroom for his dinner, and
later emerge, picking his teeth and
grinning self-complacency until his
master could have kicked him, had
Mich a course been politic before tho
crew, or even consistent with the dig
nity of his office.
"A word to say to ye, sor, If I may
make so bold."
O'Rourko glanced at the helmsmnn,
and having lorn; since mado up his
mind that the man was competent,
left him in possession of tho bridge
for a space, and joined Danny below.
"What is it?"
Danny lowered his voice to a hoarse
whisper. "Kape yer eye on thot black
divvle up there, sor, for tho lovo of
HI veu, and don't look surprised at
anything "
I O'Rourke moved a few paces aft,
along the rnll, to a point whence he
could seo tho head and shoulders of
the helmsman. "Well?"
" Tl8 nawthin' I cud swear to, sor,
but 'tis meself Ihot's mortal leary av
these nnygurs rapspicts to ye and
and"
"Come, come! Out with it, Danny."
"Sure, sor, 'tis tho serang. Have
ye chanced to notice him, sor?"
O'Rourko glanced down to tho fore
deck, where the personage in question
was ntandlng at ease. "What of him?"
he inquired, running his eyo over the
fellow's superb proportions.
" 'Tia nawthin' I'd take mo oath to,
cor, but I'm thinkln' he's the man who
boarded the Panjnab at Suez, sor.
And as for tho naygur I run against
on tho s'loon deck, yer honor, he's his
mortal twin."
"Ah," commented O'Rourke. "Thank
you, Danny."
He continued to watch the serang
until the lattor, as if influenced by tho
fixity of tho Irishman's regard, turned
and stared directly into O'Rourke's
eyes. For a full ralnuto ho gave him
look for look, dark eyes steadfast and
unyielding above his fine aquiline
nose, then calmly turned his back, re
suming his contemplation of the tur
bulent horizon.
An instant later Quick camo up to
relieve O'Rourko, and, eight bells
sounding, Danny dived below to take
Dravos' place. O'Rourko, unpleasant
ly impressed by the incident, still for
bore to mention it to either of the
ship's owners; he retired to think it
over, and spent a long hour consum
ing an indifferent cigar and studying
the cracks in the bulkhead between
his room and tho cabin.
Without profit, however. Lacking
more substantial proof than Danny's
Auspicious, bo could arrivo at no defi
nite conclusion.
The -night passed without lncldontj
tho second day dawned tho counter
part of its predecessor, and wore
awny quietly enough.
It fell to O'Rourke to stand the first
dog-watch, from four to six In tho
evening. Shortly after ho ascended
the bridge, it was his happiness to bo
Joined by Mrs. Prynne, who improved
the moment to express her gratifica
tion with tho propitious tide in nor af
afePOOL
by LOUIS JOSEPH YANC
ILLUSTRATIONS.
ELLSWORXBYOUNG
COPYRIGHT 1909 By OUIOSEPH VANCE.
fairs. Tho King's courier was pleased
to declare hersolf very well pleased
indeed, though she admitted, udcr
Jocular pressure, that she considered
she wns roughing it. Captain Quick's
quarters were by no moans palatial,
and tho bill of faro, while substantial
ly composed, lacked something of va
riety; but that was all a part of tho
great and fascinating gatno she played
the game of secret service to Ills
Majesty, Edward VII.
Not that alono, but she was com
forted by tho assurance that hor voy
age would soon bo over, her mission
discharged, her responsibility a thing
of tho past. She would be glad to seo
Bombay.
"Ono never knows, you know, Colo
nel O'Rourke," she said with a llttlo
gesture expressive of her allowance
for tho unforeseen.
O'Rourko divined she had somothlng
on her mind which she hesitated to
voice, though they were practically
alone; the man at the wheel was a
nonentity bronzo statuo in a faded
shirt, ragged turban and soiled cum
merbund. "Then 'tis yourself will be glad, I
gather, to bo rid of us, madam?"
Sho smiled, deprecatory. "What
would you?" sho askod in French,
with a significant glance up into
O'Rourke's eyes.
"It's not precisely pleasant to bo
constantly apprehensive," the woman
continued in the same tongue, "even
when one has a Colonel O'Rourko to
look to for protection."
"Ah, madame!" expostulated tho
wanderer. "But what makes ye so
positive I'd not turn tall and run away
from any real danger?"
Sho gave him a look that brimmed
with mirth. A man who Is a cow
ard," sho said slowly, "doesn't stand
still and draw n revolver when a
heavy knife Is thrown at his head."
"Quick told ye, madam?"
"No, I saw heard tho quarrelling
on the forward deck and got to the
companlonway in time to seo what
happened. Had you not been so in
tent on your search for tho knife, you
would have seen mo. As it was, I
slipped below again without attracting
attention."
"But why?"
"To get my revolver, monsieur le
colonel."
" 'Twas naught but an accident "
"You do not believe that yourself,
colonel dear; for my part, I "
"Well?"
"Someone tried my door last night,
after you'd retired."
"Ye aro sure?" doubted O'Rourke,
disturbed.
"Quite. I was awake thinking; I
heard you como below and close your
door at eight bells; long after there
were footsteps someono walking in
his bare feet In tho saloon. Then
tho knob was turned, very gently.
Fortunately, tho door was bolted;
someone put a shoulder to It, but it
held fast. I caught up my revolver
indeed ahd I am very reckless with It,
sir! and opened the door myself. The
saloon wns quite empty."
"Ye shouldn't have risked that"
"I had to know, with so much at
stake," sho said simply.
O'Rourko endeavored to manufac
ture a plausible and reassuring explan
ation to tho fact. "Quick, Danny, or
Dravos, mistaking their rooms "
"It was none of them. Captain
Quick was on deck; I heard his voice
almost simultaneously. suroly I
couldn't mistake that." She laughed.
"Nor would your man or Mr. Dravos
have been so stealthy, so Instant to
escape."
"But but "
"My theory, if you will havo it, Is
that mlno enemy of tho Panjnab is
one of the -crow of tho Ranee, mon
sieur." Mrs. Prynno made this statement as
quietly as though sho were comment
ing on the weather. But her belief
chimed so exactly with his own that
O'Rourko was stricken witless nnd at
a loss to frame a satisfactory refuta
tion. He was silent for some mo
ments, his lips a thin hard lino, a
crinkle of anxiety between his brows.
"If yo'd only permitted mo to attend
to him " ho growled at length.
"You aro right," sho admitted, "but
I am dcaolatod tho mischiefs
done."
"Faith, yes!" ho sighed dejectedly.
His gaze roved the deck and fastened
upon tho serang. "It might bo any
ono of them," ho considered aloud.
"Any ono. For instance, though
the serang?"
"Why d'ye suspect him more than
another?" ho demanded, startled.
"Call it feminine intuition, if you
like. Tho man looks capable of any
thing." "Yea. But Bure, t hero's no telling
at all."
"No telling," she concurred quietly.
MfX tKeBW
iJ?aB&y'::
"Wo can but wait, watch, hope that I
imagined tho hand at my door."
"Thcro might bo something
that."
"I am neither nervous nor an
in
im-
aginative woman."
"At all events, I'll go bnll 'twill not
happen a second time."
"How do you propose to
prevent ,
It?"
"Sure, the simplest way in tho
world. I myself will stnnd guard in
tho saloon, madam."
"But no, monsieur; I can better nf
ford to loso a little sleep thnn havo
you forfeit your rest. Besides, I havo
Cecllo "
There ensued an argument without
termination; he remained obdurate,
sho insistent. Only the appearance of
Quick on tho stroko of four bells
forced them to shelve the subject.
It was resumed at the dinner table
and carried out in a light manner of
banter for a time, dropped and for
gotten, apparently by all but O'Rourko.
CHAPTER XXIV.
Tho night fell clear as crystal nnd
wonderfully bright with stars; tho
wind went down with the sun, then
rose again refreshed nnd waxed to
half n gale. At midnight O'Rourko,
leaving tho bridge, loft tho Ranee driv-
A Cry of Horror, Despair and
Ing steadily through a racing sea,
through a world noisy with tho crisp
rattle and crash of breaking crests.
Fortifying himself with strong cof
feo, the adventurer settled himself In
a chair by the foot of the companion
way steps lending up from tho tiny
saloon that served as dining-room for
all but tho crow of the tramp. From
this position ho commanded both en
trances, port and starboard, from tho
upper deck, as well as tho doors that
flanked them on either hand, to the
quarters occupied by Mrs. Prynne and
to Dravos' stateroom, which was emp
ty und would be bo until the next
change of watch.
Tho succeeding hours drngged Inter
minably, quiet nnd unevent
ful About six bells the moon got up,
and its rays, filtering through tho
heavy-ribbed glass of tho skylight,
filled tho saloon with an opalescent
shimmer that assorted incongruously
with tho dull glow of tho electric
bulbs dull, because there was some
thing wrong with tho dynamo, accord
ing to Dravos.
O'Rourko, weary and yawning, watch
ed tho milky rainbow danco upon tho
half-opnquo glass overhead for several
momenta boforo It convoyed to him a
warning. Then immediately ho aban
doned his seat and stretched himself
out upon a transom against the after
bulkhead, whenco he could Bee somo
thlng less of the upper gangway, but
sufficient for bis purposes. For bis
chair had been beneath the skylight,
Yoyf.6
and tho wings of Hint wcro open for
ventilation.
" 'TIs safer horo," ho considered
"Thoro'll bo no dropping ono of those
long knives on mo now, bo premedi
tated inadvertence, I'm thinking."
Ho gnpod tremendously. Tho peace
of tho night, tho Blnglng of tho waves
against tho Rnneo's sides, tho deep
J throb and unbroken Btirgo of hor en
gines, nnd tho sustained, clear note
of tho monsoon In her wlro rigging
these combined with physical fotlguo
to Bootho tho man, to lull him Into
fantastic borderland of dreams. Yet
such was his command of self thnt ho
would not yield to tho caressing touch
of drowsiness, but merely lay motion
less und nt rest, communing with his
fancy. And thnt led him out of tho
sordid saloon of tho Rnnco acrosB tho
seas that lay ahead of that ship's
prow, to tho fair land whither ho wna
to convey the Pool of Flame. . . .
Abruptly he leapt to his foot, wldo
awake and raging.
A blow wns still sounding through
the saloon a dull crash. Burled half
way to tho hilt In tho bulkhead back
of the transom a knlfo quivered. In
stinctively tho wanderer's fingers had
closed upon tho grip of his revolvor.
He pulled tho trigger almost before
ho realized what had happened nnd
sent a bullet winging toward a spot
Rago Stuck In the Wanderer's Throat.
on tho gangway nbovo whero a pair
of long brown legs had been but now
were not. On tho heels of that fruit
less shot ho sent another, this timo
with no murderous intent, but to
warn tho captain on the bridge. Here
at last was an Issue forced, animus
proven, assassination Indisputably at
tempted. He sprang for tho compnnlonwny,
wan half way up It In a thought, his
heart hot within him, mouth dry with
thirst for that lascar's blood. Not a
third time should tho man escape his
Judgment at tho hands of O'Rourko,
ho swore.
A stentorian roar saluted him as he
gained tho deck a bellow choked and
ending in a sickening gurgle.
O'Rourko In a flnsh Bwung on his
heel. Simultaneously he camo face to
face with Quick. Ho could have cried
aloud in pity.
Tho captain swayed beforo him, a
massively built flgiuu clothed all In
white, huge arniH trembling toward
his head, revolvor dropping from a
nerveless hand, his chin fallen for
ward on hla chest, a stupid, weary
smllo on his face, and a dark and hid
eous Binenr spreading Bwlftly over the
bosom of his shirt.
A cry of horror, despair nnd rago
Btuck in tho wanderer's throat. Quick,
who had hailed his appearance on tho
Raneo at Aden as a harbinger of good
luck, had been foully murderod. His
dominant emotion of tho moment, an
intense and pitiful solicitude for the
dying man, threw blm oft his guard.
Under Its Influonco ho forgot tho don
pornto ease of which tills trngody
brought all aboard tho Raneo, put out
his nrms, received tho falling body,
and lot it gontly to tho deck.
But in n trlco ho was nllvo again to
his own peril. In tho twinkling of an
eye ho aaw a flush of light gliding to
wards him with resistless Impetus,
Intuitively ho swung to ono side, to
tho right, and leapt to his feet. At
that tho knlfo, a kris sinuous nnd
keen, ran cold upon 'tho flesh of his
chest, slit through his shirt, caught
In the thong that held tho Pool of
Flamo,and lore out, lenvlng a flnpplng
hole and scraping a hand's breadth
of skin from his forearm. Heedless
of this, only In fact subconsciously
aware thnt the chamois bag had fallen
to tho deck, ho cnugbt at tho hnnd
that had wielded the kris; his fingers
closed about tho wrist, nnd, bracing
himself,, ho swung tho assassin off his
feet. So doing, his fingers slipped on
tho mnn'B greasy Bkln nnd ho stum
bled off his bnlnncc.
His object, however, had been ac
complished. Tho murderer, hurled a
yard or moro through the air, fell nnd
slid along tho deck Into a group of
lascars, ono of whom, llko a nino-pln,
wns knocked over and fell ntop of
him.
O'Rourke recovered and stepped for
ward, revolver poised to administer
tho quietus to tho murderer an ami
nblo intention which wub, however,
doomed to frustration. With almost
inconceivable swiftness tho group of
lnscars had become a mere tanglo of
arms and legs, a mclango of strug
gling limbs and bodies. Whero ho
had thought to find a single proBtrato
form, there wero six struggling in con
fusion on tho deck.
For a thought ho stayed his finger
on the trlggor, waiting to pick out tho
undermost and Blay him first of all,
unwilling, furthermore, to wnsto ono
of tho four invnluablo cartridges re
maining in his revolvor. And then
unexpectedly the tragedy seemed over
nnd dono with altogether.
From tho bottom of tho heap of bod
ies a terrible cry of mortal anguish
shrilled loud; nnd nlraost at onco tho
mob scorned to resolve into its orig
inal elements. Five laBcars crawled,
nrose, or flung themsolves nwny from
the sixth, who lay Inert, prone, limbs
still twitching, a knlfo burled In hla
back. '
For a thought tho tableau hold,
there In the pure brilliance of tho
moonlight; tho half a dozen stnndlng
figures, O'Rourko n spaco apart from
the rest, and two bodies, tho ono face
down, Quick with a faco to tho stars,
each with Its dread background; a
black stain that grew and spread slow
ly upon tho white, dazzling
planks. . . .
Quietly tho tallest of tho loscnrs
moved forward, knelt und drow tho
knlfo from tho back of bis dead fel
low. Ho straightened up, facing
O'Rourko without a tremor, his eyes
afire, and wiped tho blado of tho kriH
on his cummerbund.
"Do not shoot, snhlb," ho Bald
smoothly in excellent English. "Do
not shoot, snhlb, for It Is I who havo
avenged. This dog," and with his too
ho stirred tho thing nt his feet, "ran
amok. Now ho is dead."
This was the serang who spoke.
O'Rourko eyed him coldly through a
prolonged silence At length, "That
scorns qulto evident," ho admitted
coolly. "Pick up that body nnd throw
it overboard!" ho commanded sharply.
In obedonco to a sign from tho so
rnng, two of the lascars seized tho
body,
A subsequent splash oversido
told tho Irishman that his order had
boon cnrrled out. But ho heard it
abstractedly, confronted as ho was
With a problem whose difficulty wub
not to 'ho underestimated, tho problom
embodied In tho statuesque, Impertur
bable Reran g.
It was hard to know what to do,
what to believe, what action to tako.
If he wcro right In his surmise, the se
rang should rightly bo ahot down in
stantly, without an Instant's respite.
Yet the heartless brutality upon which
his theory was based mndo him hesi
tate. It wub difficult to bellevo that
tho serang had been ablo to accom
plish what O'Rourko was Inclined to
credit him with; that he, tho wielder
of tho kris, tho murderer of Quick,
thrown off his feet by tho Irishman's
attack, had deliberately Involved his
fellows with hlni in his fnll and profit
ed by tho confusion to Blny otic upon
whom ho could throw the blnmo for
all that had happened.
Tho weapon quivered In O'Rourke'a
grasp. Moro than once In thnt brief
debate he was tempted to shoot tho
fellow on suspicion. Yet he held hla
hand; ho could not bo poBltlvo. With
every circumstance against him, he
might still bo tolling tho truth. Tho
whoio horrible nffulr might boll down
to nothing more than nn Insane crime
of n crazy Malay, ono who, as the Be
rang claimed, had "run nmok "
He had not made up his mind when
his thoughts were given n new turn
by a new complication, In tho shapo
of MrB. Prynno horBelf. Thnt lady
came up the companion steps with no
apparent hesitation, no fenr or appre
hension; quietly and confidently alert,
on tho other hand, sho was visibly
armed and prepared agakist danger In
whatever form sho might have to cn
counter It.
(TO HK CONTINUKD)
Prlntlno In China.
' If reports aro to bo rolled on, they
bad the art of printing In China "2,400
years ago." It was block printing,
however, though it Is said that thoy
had something very llko movnblo typo
In tho middle of the tenth century.
Thcro mny bo somo doubt na to tho ex
act period, but thero is no room for
questioning the fact that for many
centuries beforo it was known in Eu
rope tho art wan well known In China.
TOO MUCH.
I begged Loralno to smllo to mo,
For I with lovo was daft.
Sho smiled! Sho moro than smllod,
for sho '
Just held her sides nnd laughed!
FACE A SIGHT WITH TETTER
Moberly, Mo. "My troublo began,
with a email plmplo on tho left sido of
my faco nnd It spread nil ovor my
faco and to my nock. It would bo scar
let red when I got warm. My face
was n olght. It looked vory unplcas
ant, nnd It felt uncomfortable My
fnco was something awful; It Just kopt
mo In agony nil tho time. Somo said
It was totter, nnd somo Enid It waa
that awful eczema, but I rather think
it wna tottor. I had boon troubled
with It for about two yoars nnd tried
many remedies but got no relief until
I used Cutlcura Soap and Ointment.
"When I would wnBh my fnco with
tho Cutlcura Soap nnd npply tho Cutl
cura Ointment It would cool my skin
nnd draw great big drops of matter
out of tho skin. You would think 1
was Bwoatlng; It would run down my
fnco Just ns though I hnd washed It
It itched nnd smnrtod nnd I Buffered
In tho day timo most I used tho Cutl.
cura Soap nnd Cutlcura Ointment for
a month nnd I was cured of It" (Sign
od) Mrs. J. Brookshor, April 15, 1912.
Cutlcura Soap nnd Ointment sold
throughout tho world. Sample of each
free, with 32-p. Skin Book. Addroas
post-card "Cutlcura, Dopt L, Boston."
Telling Comment.
Ty Cobb of tho Tigers said at n
recent baseball banquet In Philadel
phia: "I admit that there Is too much
loud talk, too much arguing and
wrangling and chin music In a gamo
of baseball.
"I know a mnn who was scon tha
other day getting Into n tuxlcnb.
"'Whero aro you going?' thoy
asked him.
" 'I'm going to hear tho ball gamo,'
ho replied."
The New Sport.
"Tbeso horo New Yorkers la bound
to havo their sports, I boo," said Undo
Silas.
"In what wny?" asked tho boarder.
"Why," said Undo Silas, "senoo
they glvo up hosB-rncln' thoy'vo gono
in hoavy for tho turkey trot Don't
Boom to mo's If thet could bo vory,
cxcltin'." Harper's Weekly.
Important to Nlothoro
Examlno carefully every bottlo ol
CASTORIA, a safo and suro remedy for
Infanta nnd children, and eco that 1ft
Bears tho flff sfTj . 7-"
Slgnnturo of QzffTeUcMi
In Ubo For Ovor 30 Yenrs.
Children Cry for Fletcher's CastorJffl
Of the Bird Kind.
"Say, pa?'
"What Is it?"
"Is an aviary a hospital for avla
tors?" A Skeptic.
"Do you bollevo In ghosts, Willie?"
"No not unless I'm alono in tha
dark."
Rod Cross Hall Illue will wash doublo aa
many clothes as any other blue. Don't put
your money Into nny other.
How the averago married man
would llko to seo a tax on tho old
bachelors!
Pli II l"l
7BILIOUS7
I TRY A BOTTLE OF I
Hosteller's
Stomach
Bitters
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
It nets directly on
thoStomach, Liver
nndBowels stim
ulates them in tho
proper perform
nnceof their duties
keeps tho bow
els freo from Con
Gtipntion assists
digestion and
KEEPS YOU
11
THOMPSONS tsifSKS"
PUP IIMT Ph liy duit.
C I E. WHICH wfml. Ilookltit fr
lOUNL. THOMPSON bO.NSACO.. Trojr, W. Y.
All Bct'klnir MUnliiKl'rtunil kindred, eta.. a
mA.
dri-M AMttlllOAN TltAOINO AllHNUY.ItUVIUHT
AVKNUU, ., UKIjtYKIN, 1UXA, U, D.
W. N. U., OMAHA, NO. 32-1 01 A
REALLY
WELL