The morning times., 1896-09-20

ture was Greek to him That il was not
IN rench hr felt certain. for French formed
pdft OF nunald'S daily studies. The char
acters Were wholly unfamiliar
Puzzled, lie turned the envelope over.
and here his vigilance WAS rewarded.
HIS eyes fell upon a rough penciled
drawing, clearly an attempt TO reproduce
the Fort Buchlai Qualifications At the
fo"t of the rude map We're the hastily
SCrawlcd words: Cher ami, a minuit,
BEN sur. Par lie fenetre"
Laboriously Donald spelled ont he
French words, until he made clear their
nca ming Dear friend,'' said the note,
at midnight. for certain. BY the viii
dow"
When Col. Fraser paid his usual nightly
visit To his strong room that evening he
did not notice that two persons glided in
behind him and hid Themselves in tn.
dimly lighted apartment The cool colonel
was still laughing heartily over certain
happy icsts which the French guests had
told him at mess-a fact which may .ic-
count for his prcoccupation. Having sat
isfied himself that the precious plans were
in their place. lie locked the room door and
returned to the mess table
There was II cunning smile on the ba rol's
face. rs he twisted his shaggy mustaCle
and glanced stealthily around the room
Perhaps he might not have smiled SO
screnely had lie known that a keen pair OF
eyes were watching his every movement
The watching eyes belonged to Donald
Fraser, who had followed the ba ron even
as the baron had followed his father: ana
who now knelt. with ,hrobbing heart, not
feet AWAY from b,. IDr rul,r
The Baron de Bellot took a tiny dark
lantsrn from his pocket, lit it. aud at
once turned his. attention to the strong
box, which he had seen Colonel Fraser
inspect. The box was double locked, but
the baron was provided with tools for itS
opening. Long and deftIy he worked over
IL until at last the lid sprang up with a
cluck, and the pIans-the much wanted
plans, lay before him. Quickly he
grasped them. cast a hurried look over
their contents, To make certain, and then
with a deep-dra sigh of satisfaction
eNtinguished the light
In his corner Donald breathed Lightly
enough, but his heart thumped at such a
rate that he felt that he Bellot must
surely hear. he Bcilot, however, had no
Suspicion Of being watched and le-
SUles, MS every -S'lISt "dS oD tnt titTt
for SUMMONS from without.
Presently the summoBs c;.Ine. Donald
heard a low whistle; aud voice which
whispered something in Il language Ger
tainly not French. The baron answered,
and strobe toward the high, narrow VIII
dow which admitted light to the colonel's
room. With II wrench ne pulled away the
protecting bars-they had been filed in
advance. Then he began to no ist himself up
Iuthe window sill, the plans ciutchcd III his
teeth.
lie never reached the sill. Little Don
aid, seiZInG "A heavy Martin rifle which
leaned against the wall. brought its butt
end down with all his strength upon the
baron's head. .Straightway that pseudo
French nobleman dropped inscnsihle to the
floor. and Donald. seiZius the plans, leaped
lik" a mountain goat into the open window
That is why an empress and viceroy
have united in making much OF this red
checked public school boy: and that is why
the grim stronghold which guards the north
ern gate of the British empire in India has
ever since been known us Fort Fraser