Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-10-01

HtguSa, replied tile Doctor; IN any
case he would not be ignorant that IN
that town ! was in communication with
the Bathory family. Besides, the exis-
tencc of Pierre was revealed 10 him
when Sava was carried off by Pescade
from the house of Sidi Hazam. In his
mind he would see the association. and
would have no doubt but that Pierre and
Sava had taken refuge in Antekirtta
he will, therefore, urge on us the whole
Senousistic horde, and we shall get no
quarter if he succeeds III getting posses
sion of our island.
The argument was quite plausible.
That Sarcany did not know that the
Doctor was Count Sandorf was certain,
but he did know enough to get away
from him the heiress of the Artenak
estate and there was nothing surpris-
undertake an expedition against the
Antekirttian colony.
However, they had reached the Bird OF
December and there had been no sign OF
an imminent attack.
Besides, the thought OF the approach
ing marriage of Pierre Bathory occupied
everybody. And the colonists tried To
persuade themselves that the evil days
had passed and would not return.
Point Pcscade and Cape Matifou
shared in the general sense of security.
They were SO happy in the happiness of
others that they lived III q state of per-
petual enchantment with everything.
- can hardly believe it," repeated
Point Pescade.
What can YOU hardly believe 2"
asked Cape Nation.
That you are to become big fat
annuitant my Cape! / must think of
marrying you.
Marrying me p
Yes, to some nice little womau!"
"Why little ?"
That would be only just A large,
an enormous fine woman Eth! Madame
Cape Matifou; we should have TO look
for you among the Patagonians
But pending the marriage of Cape
Nation, which would end we'll if he
could find n compa lion worthy of him,
Point Pescade busted himself about the
marriage of Pierre and Sava. With the
Doctors permission he was thinking of
organizing public festival, with foreign
games, songs and dances. discharges of
artillery, grand banquet in the open
air, serenade, and torch-light process
sion and fireworks. That just suited
him. He was in his elementl 1t would
be splendid They would talk of it for
long afterwards! They would talk of it
| for ever
All this excitement WI, nipped in the
bud.
During the night of the Bird and 4th of
| Deccmber-a calm night, but very
cloudy one electric bell sounded in
! Doctor Antokirtt's room in the Stadthaus.
1t was ten o'clock.
At the call the Doctor aud Pierre left
| the saloon in which they had passed
the evening with Madame Bathorv and
| Saya Sindorf. On entering the room
! they saw that the call was from the look
ont on the central cone. Questions and
answers imme iiatcly passed by means
of the telephone
Tie look-outs signalled the approach
OF flotilla to the southwest OF the
! island, the vessels appearing very con-
| fuscdlv in the thick mist.
We must summon the Council"
said the Doctor
In less than ten minutes afterwards
! the Doctor, Pierre, Luigi, Captains
Narsos and Kirtrik and the chiefs of
militia were at the Stadthaus, consider
ing the information sent down from the
cone. A quarter OF an hour afterwards
! they were down at the harbor, at the
end of the main jetty, on which the
bright light was burning
From THIS point, which was very little
above sea-level, it would be impossible
to distinguish the hotilla that the look
outs on the central cone could clearly
see. But III brightly Illuminating the
! horizon, towards the southwest, it
would doubtless I've possible TO make
out the number OF ships, and their plan
of attack.
Was il not unwlse to thus disclose the
/ position of the islandi The Doctor did
not think so. If it was the enemy
expected, that enemy was not coming as
blind man. He knew the position of
AntekirttaL and nothing could keen him
away from 1t.
The machinery was put in action.
and with the aid OF the two electric
beams projected into the ofling the
horizon was suddenly illuminated over
n vast sector
The look-outs were not mistaken.
Two hundred boats. at the least. were
advancing III line, zebecs, polaccas,
trabacolos, saccolevas and others of less
importance
There was 10 doubt that this was the
fotilla OF the Sonousists, recruited by
the pirates in every port of the coast.
The wind failing, they had had recourse
TO their sweeps. The passage between
! Antekirtt and the Cyrenaic was not a
long one. The calm might even help
them for it would allow of landing
taking place under favorable conditions
At the moment the fo.illa was about
four or five miles off in the southwest.
IL could not reach the coast before
sunrise