Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-18

and drew her to me. There, leaning over
the gunwale, We saw Thomas Lies boat
moving after His SOULS lay ready. q
looked in her eyes and was answered with
wonder, perplexity and dawning intelli-
gence.
Il daren't let him carry you to Calais
1 whispered; I'VE should be helpless there
But you-it's YOU
LAS his tool and his fool'' 1 muttered.
Low as spoke, she heard me, and asked,
despairingly:
What then. Simon? What can We dor
IF go there, will you jump into my
arms. The distance is not far
Into the boat? Into your arms in the
| boat?"
"Yes. I can hold you There's a chance
| if we go now. before the mist lifts more"
IF were seen?'
Were no worse off,
Yes; I'll jump. Simon"
We were moving now, briskly enough
| though the wind came in fitful gusts. and
with no steady blast. and the mist now
| lifted, now again swathed us in close folds.
| l gripped Barbara's hands, whispering BE
ready" and throwing one leg the side.
| followed with the other. and dropped gently
into Thomas Lies boat. 1t swayed under
| me, but it was broad In the beam and rode
! high in the water; 40 harm happened Then
l stood square in the bows and whispered.
| Now For the beating of my heart l
scarcely heard my own words. but spoke
louder than 1 knew. At the same instant
| Barbara sDrang into my arms there a
| rush of feet across the deck. an oath rang
lOuu III FRENCH. ana anOlner inquire APP
| peared on the gunwale with one leg thrown
| over. Barbara was in my arms. l felt her
| trembling body cling TO mine, but olsen
gagged her grasp quickly and roughly-for
| none-and laid her down in the boat. Then
| L turned to the figure above me. y mo-
mentary glance showed me the face of
| King Louis. l paid no more heed. but drew
my knife and flung myself on the rope that
bound the boat to the ship.
Then the breeze dropped and the fog fell
| thick and enveloping. My knife was on
the rope and l severed the strands with
desperate strength. One by l felt them
| go. AS the last went l raised my head.
From the ship above flashed the fire of a
pistol, and a ball whistled by my ear. Will
with excitement. laughed derisively. The
| last strand was gone. Slowly the ship
| forged ahead. but then the man on the gun
vale gathered himself together and sprang
across the water between us. He came full
| on the top OF me. and we fell together on
| the floor of the boat. BY the narrowest
chance we escaped laundering. but the
sturdy boat proved true. L clutched my
aSSallant with all my strength, pinning him
arm to arm. breast to breast shoulder to
shoulder. His breath was hot my face.
l gasped. Row, row. From the ship
came a sudden alarmed cry, 1.-The boat the
boat. But already the ship grew dim and
indstinct.
Row, row. 1 muttered. Then I heard
the souls set in their holes. and with a
SLOW, faltcring stroke the boat was guided
away from the ship. moving nearly at a
right angle to it, l put out all my
strength. | was by far a bigger man than
the king, and did not spare him. l hug
ged him with a bears hug, and his
strength was squeezed out of him. Now l
was on the top and he below. l twisted his
pistol from his hand and flung it over
board. Tumultuous cries came from the
blurred mass that was in the ship but
the breeze had fallen. the fog was thick
they had no other boat. The king lay still.
Give NE the sculls,'' / whispered. Bar
vi LODI
death when they encountered mine. She
scrambled into the stern. i dragged the
king back-he like a log now-till he
| lay with the middle of his body under the
! seat on which l was, his face looking up
from between my feet Then fell to row
| ing, choosing no course, except that our
way should be from the ship, and ready al
any movement Of the still form below me-
TO drop my SOULS and set my pistol at his
mead Yet till that need came | bent lus-
thy to my work, and when | looked over
my shoulder the ship was not to be SEEM
but all around hung the white Vapor the
friendly accomplice of my enterprise
That leap of his was a gallant thing He
knew that i was his master in strength
ana that l stood where no motive of pru-
dence could reach and no fear restrain me-
IL L We're caught, the grave or French
prison would be my fate. To get clear off
ne might suppose that 1 could count even
the most august life in Christendom well
taken. Yet he had leaped. and before
heaven / feared that l had killed him.
III II We're so. l must set Barbara in safety
ana then follow him where he was gone
There would be no place for me among liv-
ing men, and l had better choose nv own
eEd than be hunted to death like a mao
deg. These thoughts spun through my
brain as my arms drove the blades into
the water on an aimless course through
! TIE mist till the mast Of the ship utterly
G.sappeared and we three We're alone on
the sea. Then the fear overcame me- |
rested on my oars, and leaning over TO
where Barbara sat in the stern. l shaped
VIZ, awestruck lips the question, rs he
dead? My God, is he dead?'
Go be continued)