The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-07

~ niscx, lmpattently. for ono so sedate ana
worth a shipload OF conjecture. / think that
Ihe safest course is to send the monoy-ex.
chanRc ~ Tor tho confession. Lot us carry out
the contract. That, moreover In fact, is what
1nf ,.chent wishos-silcnt compliance and no
Brightsmith, having fuller confidence in my
skill, took my view, and after much debate Il
was decided that Prince Casimir should be con-
rather limp old gentleman. to whom this was
a browning bitterness in . life of disappoint.
h% iSn, "a ah ID we s, had some difficulty in pSrsnsding
hayo been glad to save tho 81 500 biackmaIi.
SHOULD, await my orders at tp COOKS Bank in Al:
giGFs, lsft London for Biskra on Nov, 2, and,
Msrsssill ,@o and most ph fiihiPsGIitioq rsae cSss0' the sss So, sis
Town on the evening OF ihe third day, NOV. ..
GLOWING three clear days for the roturn, jour;
must be on the evening OF Nov. 22, / had just
sixteen days before me.
which had been named in the,ietter from MN.
dc Fiyas and Mirabcl, believing l should be
SAFEST in the heart Of tho cnomy's country. AZ
upon both tho French commandment and the
naia, or Arab Governor. as an English sports,
to escape importunate curiosity. In support
OF TINS character, l rode out twice with the
nSiSs t falcons 9,,.a and spent a night in tho desert
A. tho Same time ] prosecuted my inquiries
with the utmost caution. II it got wind that
U.s. ITlntt SdBlH11T WIS III
my mission might fail at the very Outset, and
the worst would happen. l was satisfied the
h ilRss day Where sS ! T SIs s .h5SpFTh .d sns R tas sr Ss Ia plate Sc,
OF La Ramie, Notary" at the door Of his OF.
dee or etude. ascertained, too, that 9 club
But as yet ! could hear Of no DO Fiyas."no
siding at the Hotel DIES Zibaus, tho very place
from which they wrote making the dcmsndsl
OF course, people might. and do, make use of an
IN hap ihe thought ansi T. ,6 ooFrS sSesa' S Sis snSpe Ts soa aS@lSas
were not persons. very well known.
tai nfe'n no ! p GGnIe P ssan nsa sn Dc S Mssa e%a,nSS had ' re-:
Gently solourncd In Biskra. This was also
sst'i %%sS Store SO f sy f Il, i, s we Princes zee. .df fG ali ca nc.
might DO good reasons why Prince stanislas
name. ! had his photograph with me, re-
pnted a good likeness, and always carried 1t
against the original ri in some odd corner. But
not only did l never meet him, but | could hear
Of no one answering to his description at any
My first substantial move was made when 1
was ad Omitted as a member of the FL Salahin
N vain for the names DE Fivas' and "Mirabei,"
They were not members. that was clear.
-, This to my mind Knocked the bottom put Of
occurred in the club it would surely have been
dealt with by the members, not outsiders; GER
pcrsonages, of whom. after five days inquiry, l
could hear nothing in Biskra. But there was
that ia ff'l Was a m rensSn + I was aSu in a tp POSITION itHsS to H asE'
cautiously, about tho case.
No one had heard Of it at all. 1t was pure
Prince Stanislas in the club.
This conclusion, relieved me of all anxiety
mallers were not to DC greatly dreaded. Their
plot was thin and COMMONPLACE. Their threats
might be disregardled. and the money must
But found myself in the presence of a much
more serious question. 1t was perfectly clear to
P Pr Sas' So plot Of this this K diPdd' could i have haS yP beeR
i let c on rop1 %ii n II M as R being S aeriye aS q or Rbo,her
ment l wondered whether it was the last. Had
this young scapegrace sought thus to mulct a
'as No. / pS could uHd not Bring ne'n myself yss h" 70 believe this
quite. 1t was so much more likely that he had
some means or other had recognized, him in
Biskra, penetrated his %incognito, and turned
their knowledge to their own nefarious ends.
They might even'have made away with him in
this far.of; semi-barbarous land. At, least.
prisoner, until they had achieved their purpose
the extortion Of hush money for a social Of
l saw now that 1t was my duty to apply to the
authorities. The police at Biskra were semi.
military in character, and under the orders Of
d'Hautrine. whose acquaintance I had already
made.
he was n Str1kllR parsonage IN MS way, TAIL,
of commanding presence, "a soldier before
everything. a military dandy in the best sense.
cnys sns sp sasr ssd s sna m in the psr Thi tot,t,i of shirt hIft
form. He was also a man Of the world. Con-
signed now by the chances of a military ser.
vice to this remote. but important post, he kept
deed, in Europe. For the English he expressed
days ys'M spent aN' sGdui Pleasant ilaans' f 3fe1d fd sien made
when military attache to the French Embassy
Now he received ma with preat cordi,I;,r.
but when he had heard my whole story he
shook his head with grave disapproval and
fdence sooner, my dear comrade. We are late;
we have lost valuable time. II this young
Prince hasnwho Sc father | knew in Vienna,
MONTH"; Prince Stanislas has really been here.
and if he has fallen among thieves in the way
He is probably beyond our help"
.,Kifledi Murderedf' ! asked bluntly.
He shrugged his shoulders.
ut is a poor confession to make, but out here,
in these wilds, such things have been. Strange
things; The strangest Is. perhaps, this story.
at the very beginning. We do not even know
that Prince stanislas has ever been in Biskra.
l question that, even;'
"Should you have known
A a matter Of course ! think he would have
come to me; ! think he would have allowed me
would Certainly have told me. No Prince dc
at Biskra, believe me; l should have heard"
But II he was incognito, for reasons Of his
ownf'
I'VE will have the registers. Let US see if
there IS any one like him. on the lists. But you
l fear this will lead us no further..'
The li.ts were brought, but. as the Baron
proplhesied. they told us nothins.
ground anywhere, a point from which possibly
we may travel in the right direction
.'The notary. publicl'
Exactly. NJ. La Ramie is n real, tangible
fact-the only notary public in Biskra. know
him personally a little. by reputation still bet
ter. as an honorable. straightforward function.
airy. who would hardly lend himself to anything
deservedly high character; We had better see
truth about the confession. A record of the
copy, made and attested, will be kept in his
office, II 1t ever was made, which l doubt"
We walked down without delay to the Place
de la Sahara. and were shown in at once.
All doors opened before tho commandant OF
the garrison.
slippers and wore a black skull cap, was most
any INFORMATION in his power But he knew
islas de Medca, Nothing. of the sort had
been brought to his etude; he had never heard
Of Dc Fiyas or Mirabel