The Minneapolis journal., 1901-06-24
THE ATTACHE.
By P. Y. BLACK.

Cannon cried again ''Why aid that French
man grin in that measly way. as if-as IL he
owned you? Speak, you little lump Of bronze
What mischief did you have the nerve to get
into without Powers and me to haul you out
again?'
In the corner of the colonels broad We
randall that night Count D'Eisenbas spoke in
French briefly and coldly to the little Japan
ese.
II cornered you here on purpose" he said.
II have given you year and you are not
ready. Well tomorrow you must make good
your promise or l shall hand these notes in
my breast pocket to your chief"
Kico Mabuchi went home to his bunk
hastily fitted up in Cannon's room. and slept
not at all.
In the morning, when his chums came in
from stable and early company drills, they
found the attache sealing letters, on which
he had been very busy, and which he now
put in his pocket.
He was very amiable, very cheerful and
very calm. 1t is something to have had an
cestors Of oriental blood and oriental faith
1t is something to be able to say, when the
hour has come, 'Is it then time? Goodl Just
minute and I shall be ready!" to finish
the cigarette calmly, to nod to friends a
smiling adieu, and then to perform the hari-
kari decently and with regard to other peo-
ples sensibilities
The hour before sundown Is admirable for
target shooting. The four went down to the
range late in the afternoon. The count had
been Dragging little Of his skill with a rife,
and Cannon and Powers had coaxed the Jap
anese into making match with him. D Ell
senbas Knocked at that. He seemed to have
great contempt for the attache.
'Mais-Mabuchi?" he laughed at shall
beat him at the r-range. as l beat him at
ecarte in Paris. What are the-en Anglais-
stakes?"
Kidos eyes involuntarily flashed on the
Frenchmans breast pockets, and the count
grinned in way which Cannon and Powers
resented, but could not understand.
Powers and ID Eisenbas were to mark
for KIDD, and Cannon and Mabuchi for
D'Eiseubas.
1T is very simple said Cannon for the
counts benefit. while you mark, Count
D'Eisenbas, bullscye, four, three, whatever
the shot Is, the targets revolve and Powers
will paste the hole on the lower one. Re-
member, be careful to wiggle- waggle the
danger flag distinctly If you want to exam
I inc closely
Then KIDD saw the gates open before hin
and was content. This matter OF suicide
might be very simply arranged Powers
would be in the pit with him, stooping down
with his pastors at the lowered target The
count was a fair shot at least. At three
hundred yards he could hardly miss. What
so simple as to leap up in the nick OF time
and receive the bullet? 1t was not hari-kari
| to be sure, but in matters OF suicide one
should accommodate oneself to place and
other circumstances
| D'Eisanbas won the toss and elected to have
KIDD shoot first. He and Powers went to the
butt to mark KIDD began to shoot at 300
yards, mechanically, and behold, the gates
| closed. Fate laughs at schemes. The plan
Of KIDD was shattered. D'Eisanbas, wrathful
at the Jap's good shots, forgetting where he
was, forgetting the danger signal, leaped up
with an oath to challenge bullseye and fell
back again in the pit, shot through his plot
! ting brain.
KIDD rushed into Cannon's arms, with
strange mad eyes
1T is the gods!" he screeched. "It was no
murder. l meant it the other way. because
I could not perform hari-kari on myself in
your honorable room. Look, then, look!"
| Cannon clutched the letter KIDD had written
! in the morning. In it the attache told his
| tale-the untold tale OF many another in the
| clutches Of the "secret service" Of unscrupu-
lous European governments. D'Eisenbas had
| failed to corrupt the secretary by bribe or
promise, but in Paris he had seduced him to
cards and women, and the women had got
from the lad few OF Japan's plans for forti-
| fications and army organization. Threatened
with disclosure by the spy, who also held
over his head notes Of hand for debts OF
honor" KIDD saw but one way to escape.
disclosure and disgrace But the gods had
| forbidden it. The count, instead, was dead
II shot him." he said over and over again.
but it was not murder. meant him to
shoot me-"
we understand" said his chums TITS
all right, and the gods have more horse sense
l to-day than usual. Wen take these papers
| from his pockets and destroy them and re-
port the circumstances-sad accident-promI-
nent men-you know"
| And he's really dead?"
Sure dead" said Powers. but try to look
| decently regretful, KIDD"