The Red Cloud chief., 1902-06-20
Cspyrish, 1901. Street and smith. New Yo..,
CHAPTER Y.

Charlie, wlfih%abroad. had seen
something that gave him quite . start
This was nothing more nor less than
a lovely woman with golden hair and
blue eyes In a carriage, taking an air
ing. white at her side. stiff and stern
looking. the baron sat.
Charlie bowed politely. The coun
tess gave him a look of curiosity and
n OF her ravishing smiles.
So she passed u Of his lifc-lucky
man. 90
The sight Of Charlie recalled to the
baron's mind the promise he had made
with regard to Capt. Brand.
Accordingly he took advantage of
his first hour of to set the wires in
motion, and learn certain facts regard
ing the worthy captain.
Charlie, relying on the baron to cor.
raj the captain, had made arrange
ments for sailing upon the next trans.
Atlantic steamer.
He had engaged passage for Airline,
her companion. Artemus and himself.
The captain. having paid a man to
keep upon Stuart's track, found out
what was in the wind.
He learned that the crisis had ar
rived. Whatever he proposed doing
must be put through with all possible
speed, since. ere many hours elapsed,
those against whom his schemes were
directed would be upon the sea-, and,
mayhap, beyond his reach.
Artemus had heard enough to know
the three schemers were planning to
do his friend an evil turn. but, strain
his ears as he would. he had not been
able to catch the particulars of the
game. owing to certain sounds in the
hotel that mufled ever the bold voices
of Captain Brands champagne.bibbing
friends.
All he could do was to war Stuart
on general principles, and 1t can be set
down as an assured fact that he car
ried out this dramatic little episode
quite to the queens taste.
II would not have been Artemus 9th.
erwise.
Charlie promised to kecl his wealth
or eye open for squalls.
He hoped his early departure from
Antwerp would serve TO entirely dis
concert the beggarly plans of his enc
mics, and leave the fellow in the
lurCh.
About this time there was consider.
able hustling being done among the
various forces circling around Airline
Brand. just as the planets whirl about
their central sun.
The baron tried to drive from his
mind the startling phantoms that had
been conjured into being by the mys-
terious power OF Isolde, Countess OF
Brabant, and, as this could only be
done by means of work, he gave him.
self up to the mission of the hour
with r%edoubled zeal.
1t was really q question what the
scramble would result in-whether
Charlie or the ~redoubtable captain
would come out Of it in Creditable
shape, and how Artemus might fare in
the shuttle.
Lady Airline had an interview with
her alleged papa. during which she an
nounced her determination of crossing
the Atlantic on business, and that she
had provided literally for him during
her absence, as he would find upon APP
plying in person to her banker in Lon
don.
The interview was possibly not de-
void of dramatic features. Artemus
was on guard near by, and heard the
old sea dog clustering more or less in
his usual way.
Dn,A r.. hnl axtvat1x, 1ngt p,tnh NJ
the power he formerly possessed over
Lady Airline. He came forth from the
rooms looking like an enraged hyena,
because diplomacy had forced him to
bottle up his wrath.
To Artemus Charlie delegated the
task OF seeing Lady Airline and her
maid aboard the ocean greyhound,
where he would join them Letter.
1t was night again.
Time and tide wait for no man. and
ocean steamers have to put out very
frequently at unreasonable hours, in
order to cross the bar on the food.
The baron and Captain Brand played
a game of cross purposes, as 1t We're,
for, while the eN-sailor Swallowed Char
lie with intentions that were both dark
and desperate. he was, at the same
time, under the surveillance of Peter
hoff's emissary-the baron himself De-
ing too busily employed catering to
the comfort Of his fair prisoner-in
his captor-lto personally inject
his individuality into the game.
Captain Brand knew he was fol
and perhaps could give a rough
guess as to the why and wherefore.
But it was not his nature to be de-
spondent.
He believed in utilizing whatever
came in his way as one of the f.. -
that might bring success.
When a man can thus twist threat
ening disasters into favoring factors
he is indeed hard to beat in the game
of life.
Charlie was feeling unusually bold
and. light.hearted. on this night, which
supposed would be his last on Flu.
ropean soil.