Omaha daily bee., 1898-07-24

arm, he could have stabbed Mortier-if Nor
tier had been alone.
Buckhurst, pale-faced calm, bent his
colorless eyes on Mortier, and spoke in the
passionless voice that always struck a hill
TO the Mouse's marrow
IN. Mortier. you misunderstood me, l am
not in this city for my health, nor am l
here to preach the There is but
one thing / am looking for-money-and I
don't care how l get It or where l get Il.
Prussian thalers or French francs, it's all
one to me"
Mortier raised his hideous head and fixed
his little green eyes on the bloodless face
before him.
"One minute" said Buckhurst. "then I've
finished. Not to waste words, the situation
Is this: Captain Stauffer has arranged to
open the Nanterre fort to the Prussians; I
have agreed to run n tunnel from this cellar
under the street to the bAstion where the
Prophet isl think its bastion No. 73.
Powder exploded in the tunnel opens a
breach in the ramparts directly behind the
Nanterre fort. DO you comprehend?'
He paused a moment, then added: "For
this we divide 500, 900 thalers."
Stauffer began to speak eagerly, his weak
face lighting up as he proceeded.
ut was Speyer's plan; he had 1t in view
before war was declared last July. He and
l lodged in this house and planned IL all
out-even to excavating the tunnel to bas-
ticn No. 73-d-n the man who knocked
him on the head! But we can do it alone
all we want of you is to help with the
tunnel. 1t will be worth your while-re-
ally it Wilt
Mortier's eyes seemed to grow incandes-
cent; the great veins swelled out on his
bald dome-shaped head, his throat, under
! the red flannel rags. moved convulsively.
AS he spoke he rose. Buckhurst, with
the easy grace of a panther, rose too.
Stauffer numbered to his feet and began TO
speak again, but Mortier silenced him and
turned on Buckhurst like a wild beast.
81 refuse!' he shouted. 81 am an an
archist, not a traitor! 1 kill, l destroy,
l burn, l murder if necessary; but l will
not betray-no, not for all the thalers in
the kingdom Of Prussia!'
His eyes g%littered with the light of in
sanity. His misshapen hands menaced
Buckhurst.
"Judas!' he shrieked. 1.-THE ommun
| shall rise and live to judge you! Cursed son
of a free people! Renegade! Thief"
There was a flash, a report, and Mortier
clapped his hands to his face, which the
blood suddenly covered. The next moment
he was at Buckhurst's throat, bore him
down, twined him closer in his long, miss
happen arms and fastened his teeth in his
throat, and Buckhurst shot him again and
again through the body. They swayed and
fell together, the deadly light died in Buck
bursts glazing eyes. After a minute neither
moved again.
Stauffer had gone, fleeing like one dis
tracted, when the Mouse crawled out into
the lantern light and gazed down at the
dead.
Presently he picked up the lantern,
grubbed a hole in the ground, deposited his
forks with the rest of his booty, rose,
glanced at the dead again and picked up
the lantern. He spat on the ground-for
Buckhurst' had tricked him once-so he in
suited the corpse with a contemptuous ges-
ture, and went out, swinging his lantern
and sneering.
"Give up the Nanterre fort, eh?' he re-
peated, mimicking Stauffer's effeminate
voice; ooh, ma souer! o, la, la! a nous
deux monsieur pipelet-a demain!'
The Prophet was firing up as he left the
city by the Porte Rouge; he looked up at
the great cannon and Knocked it: "Tiens!
| boum! boum, o, la, la! oh. Signeur Dieu!
que la guerre est ridicule tout dmeme!'