Omaha daily bee., 1899-08-20
CHAPTER XIV.
A QuestiOn of Two MOralities.

The road toward the blockhouse ran along
The river bank past the Kofn ford. They
went slowly on together through the starry,
windy night, Hollywood with his hands on
the bride and the wounded man holding
Imply to the saddle.
Counsellor, with an unaccustomed warfare
in his h~eart-rage and the pity Of 1t work.
ing to~gether-stared into space across the
leaping river.
AS the two men drew near the ford they
saw the dim figure of a horseman riding
down the bank on the opposite side, with
the evident intention of crossing. The ap-
proaches to the ford were flooded. for the
angry water fretted out its banks at such
times and deepened into dangerous swirls
over the crossing place.
Hollywood checked the horse to shout and
signal to the man that the ford was impas-
sable, but his voice was drowned by the
harsh-throated noises of the night. Weak
as was the starlight, something of the loose,
reckless swing in the saddle told Hollywood
that the rider was Anthony Unfair.
1t was now evident that Uniziar saw Raj
lywood for in answer to the ~latter's signs
that he must make for the shadows lower
down. Unfair waved some object over his
head as If to call attention to 1t. The suck
of the current was fast drawing him away,
but with another strong effort he got the
horses head round; they heard his faint
shout upon the wind, then the words came
more clearly:
Garry them on-Selpdorfl" He flung
something forward; the gale caught and
hurled 1t ON the rocks at Rallywood's feet.
When they looked again Unfair had dis
appeared.
Hurrying TO the blockhouse, Hollywood
sent off some troopers to UnZiar's assistance;
a. ~. IA 4. - Il -.
who was stiff and dizzy, on his feet and sup
ported him to the room where Nine. de
Sagan and Valerie had rested on the night
of the snow storm.
But he scarcely yet knew the worst. Pres
emily Counsellor spoke.
'This thing has gone beyond a Joke" he
said. "What does 1t mean" The glance
from under the overhanging gray brows had
r~egained its fire.
"My orders are simple enough. I am to
keep you here until tomorrow afternoon at 3
o'clock"
'By doing so you will ruin Nassau as a
free state and bring a most serious defeat
upon British policy" Counsellor's voice
was rasping, Are you prepared for that"
Both men were strenuous, and bred deep
into the bone of each were the same domi-
nant qualities.
81 am prepared to carry out my orders,'
answered Hollywood: 81 had them practi-
cally from the duke himself"
"The duke is of the same mind in which I
found him at the castle. though he may be
forced to dissemble,' asserted Counsellor;
then with a twist he sat up as his glance fell
upon the square dark object lying on the
table between them. John Rallywood, do
you know what that is?"
1.-THE dispatches thrown to me by Unfair"
THAT case Is mine; 1t contains my private
instructions; you can guess something of
their importance from the fact that ! have
been robbed of them. You must give them
back TO me! AS an Englishman and an
honest man / call upon you to give them
back to me-"
~Rallywood's long. nervous fingers closed
over the packet,
at is impossible!" he said. AS an Eng
lishman, yes. but as an honest man. well,
tit is hard to say"
Are you made" cried Counsellor.
81 have not had long to think II out and
1t is a tangled question: replied Hollywood
YEARLY.
"a tangled question? / take It you are
first of all an Englishman?"
I'm my private capacity, and that deals
with my private honor; but | have under
taken another responsibility from which l
cannot withdraw at pleasure. | am a sworn