Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-08-06
CHAPTER XVII.
A CHECK FOR sARCANY.


Toronthal lost his fear rs soon rs he
was seated ut the trente-et-quarante
table. There was no tlmidty now about
his play; he staked his money like
man in fury And Sarcany watched
his every movement deeply interested
in this supreme crisis, deeply interested
in the issue
For the first hour the alterations of
loss and gain almost balanced each other,
the advantage being on Toronthals
side. Sarcany and he imagined they
were sure of success. They grew
excited, and staked higher and higher
until they staked only the maximum.
But soon the luck returned TO the imper-
turable bank which, by this maximum
protects its interests in no inconsderable
measure, and which knows no transports
OF folly.
Then came blow after blow The
winnings during the afternoon wentheap
10y heap Toronthal was an awful spec
taclc his face became congested, his eyes
grew hnggard. he chung to the table, TO
his char, TO the rolls of notes, and the
rouleaux of gold that his hand would
hardly yield over with the twitchings
and commissions Ola drowning man! And
no one was there to stop him on the
brink of the chasm, Not hand was
stretched out 10 help him Not an
effort from Sarcany to tear him from the
place before he was lost, before he
finally sank beneath the wave of ruin
At ten o'clock Toronthal had risked
his last stake. his last maximum. He
won Then he staked again-and again
and lost. And then he rose. dazed
and scared and tiercely wishing that the
very walls would crumble and crush the
crowd around him; he had nothing left
nothing of oil the millions that had
been left in the bank when the millions
of Count Sandorf had poured in to its
aid
Toronthal, accompanied by Sarcany,
who acted as his jailer left the gaming
room. crossed the hall, and hurried out
of the Casino Then they fled across
the square to the footpaths leading to
La Turbie.
Point Pescade was already on their
traces, and as he passed had shaken up
Cape Nation rs he lay half asleep on
his bench, with n shout Of
Wake up ewes and legsl"
And Cape Matlfou had come along
with him, on trail it would not do TO
lose.
Sarcany and Toronthal continued to
hurry on, side by side, and gradually
mounted the paths which twist and
wind on the flank of the mountain
among the olive and orange gardens.
The capricious zig gags allowed Pescade
and Nation to keep them in view.
although they could not get near enough
TO hear them.
Come back to the hotel, Silas !"
Sarcany continued to repeat, in an impe-
rious tone; "come back, and be cool
again !"
g No! we are ruined Let us part l
do not want to see you again L do not
want"
Part? and why? You will follow
me, Silas! Tomorrow we will leave
Morocco! We have enough to take us
to Tetuan, and there we will finish our
work 20
No! no! Leave me. Sarcany leave
me-" said Toronthal
And he pushed him violently aside
rs he tried TO catch on; then he darted
off ut such speed that Sarcany had some
trouble in keeping up. Unconscious of
his acts, Toronthal at every step risked
falling into the eep ravincs above
which the winding footpaths lay unrolled.
Only one idea possessed him TO escape
from Sarcany whose couusels had led
him TO misery, to escape without caring
where he went or wha, became of him.
Sarcany felt that his accomplice was
nj last beyond him, that he was going to
escape him! Ali if the banker had
not known those secrets that might ruin
him, or Mt least irretrievably compro-
mise the third game he wished to play,
now little anxiety he would have felt
Tor the man he had dragged to the brink
Of destruction But, before he fell,
Toronthal might give last cry, and
that cry he must stfie Mt all hazards!
Then. from the thought of the crime
on which he had resolved, to its imme-
date execution, was only q step, and
this step Sarcany did not hesitate to
lake. That which he had intended to
10 on the road 10 Tctuan in the solitudes
Of Morocco, might be done here, this
gery night, on this very spot which
would soon be deserted
But just Mt present between Monte
Narlo and La Turbie few bclated way
iarers were along the slopes. A cry
from Silas might bring them to his
help and the murderer intended the
murder TO be committed in such n wav
that it would never he suspected. And
40 he had to wait Higher up, beyond
La Turbie and the frontier of Monaco,
along the Corniche clinging to the lower
buttresses of the Alps, 1000 feet above
he sea, Sarcany could strike far surcr
blow. Who could then come to his