The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-11-08

lduuS III company with an ADVENTUROUS
American. While in Fec he receives let
tiers from Wenham, a brother physician,
and from his wife, which indicate to him
that his son is i'll, and causes him to be
gin his adventurous Journey home.
Chapter w, continued.
L was in a little court surrounded by
low whltewashed walls. Before me there
was an inner compartment rooted by a
rude dome. From the apex OF this dome
there foated tiny white flag. | was in
Saint's House. In the confusion of my
mind, and the agonising disarray of all
my senses, had stumbled into the sacred
place unawares.
The footsteps came nearer. They
seemed to be sounding on the back of my
neck. I struggled forward few PAGES.
By last mechanical resource of despair
1 tried to conceal myself in the inner
chamber. l WAS too late. A face ap-
peared in the opening at which I had en-
tered. 1t was Larby's face, contracted into
Rr1macing expression.
I read the thought of the mans face as
by flash of light. Good, Sid, good,
you have done my work as we'll as my
masters. You are dead man, no one
will know, and l need never to lift my
hand TO you"
At the next instant the face was gone,
In the moment following l lived life
time MY brain did not think; it
lightened. / remembered the death OF
this American in the streets of Fee. I re-
called the jeering crowd at the top of the
alley, | reflected that Larby was gone to
tell the mob that had dishonored one of
their sanctuaries. | saw myself dragged
out, trampled under foot, torn to pieces
and then smuggled away in the dusk on
III hon r,ff
My horses ready, my men waiting, my
boy dying for want of me, and myself
dead in dunghili.
Great Jehovah! Lend me Thy
strength" I cried, as l rushed out into
the alley. Larby was stealing away with
rapid steps. overlook him; [ laid hold
of him by the hood of his jelIab. He
turned upon me. There was q brief, but
terrible struggle. All my soul was
reused to uncomfortable fury. He was q
formidable creature, but he was no match
for me then. I was weakling, yes, but
was fighting for the life of my boy. My
fearful energy must have been too much
for any adversary. I took the man in
both my arms, threw him off his feet,
lifted him by one mighty effort high
above my shoulders and flung him to the
ground.
He began to cry out and I sprang upon
him again and laid hold of his throat. ]
knew where to grip, and not sound
could he utter. We were still in the alley,
and put my left hand into the neck of
his HAITIAN and dragged him back into
the Saints House. He drew his dagger
and lunged at me. l parried the thurst
with my foot and broke his arm with my
heel. Then there was moment of hor-
rible bedazzlement. He'd flames flashed
before me. My head grew dizzy. The
whole universe seemed to reel beneath
my feet. The man was doubled back
knife-I knew where to strickland "For
my boy, my boy" l cried i'll my heart.
1t was done. The man died without a
groan. His body collapsed in my hands,
rolled from my knee, and fell at my feet
doubled up, the head under the neck,
the broken arm under the trunk, in a
heap, heap
Then came an awful revulsion of feel
ing. For a moment stood looking down,
overwhelmed with the horror of my act.
In a sort of drunken stupor gazed at
the wide-open eyes, and the grimacing
face fixed in it's hideousness by the con-
vulslon Of death. 80 God, o God, what
had done, what had I done!''
But did not cry out. In that awful
moment an instinct of self preservation
saved me. I flung my fatal weapon away,
and crept out of the place. My great
strength was all gone now. I staggered
along, and at every step my limbs grew
more numb and stiff.
But in the alley I looked around. I
that way by which I came. Down the
other alley and through the crowd Of
idlers I must go. Would they be there
still? II So would they see in my face
what | had done?
[ was no criminal to mask my crime
In dull, stupid, drowsy, comatose state
tottered down the alley and through the
crowd. They saw me; they recognized
me; knew that they were jeering at me,
one, and "Skairi'' shouted another, and
as I staggered away they all shouted
"Skairi" together.
Father, they called me drunkard. I
was drunkard indeed, but was drunk
with blood.
The sun had set by this time. Its last
rays were rising off the gilded top of the
highest minaret in a golden mist that
looked like flame leaping out OF kiln. I
saw everything through a FACILITATING
haze.
When at length I reached the place
where I had left my people l found the
horses saddled, the mules with their bur-
dens packed on their panniers, the men
waiting. and everything ready. Full we'll
l knews that l ought to leap to my seat
instantly and be gone without delay; but
1 seemed to have lost ali power of prompt
action. was thinking of what wanted
to do, but could not do it. The men
spoke to me, and I know that looked
into their faces ami did not an
swer. One said to another, "Sidi is
grown deaf The other touched his
forehead and grinned.