Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1902-09-11

Al AAOnl otdblSo anu curry cOllpduy
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 ancestors of oriental blood
and oriental faith; it is something to
be able to say when the hour has come:
rs it, then, time? Good. Just min
ute, and I shall be ready to finish the
| cigarette calmly, to nod to friends 4
smiling adieu and then to perform the
harakiri decently and with regard to
other peoples sensibilities.
The hour before sundown is admira-
BILE for target shooting. The four went
down to the range late in the after
i noon. The count had been bragging a
little of his skill with a rifle, and Can
non and Powers had coaxed the Jap
anese into making a match with him
| D'Eisenbas Knocked at that. He seemed
to have great contempt for the at
! tache.
"Mais = Mabuchi?' he laughed. 81
shall beat him at the r-range, as / beat
|
-en Anglais-stakesY y
| Kido's eyes involuntarily flashed on
the Frenchman's breast pockets, and
the count grinned in a way which Can
non and Powers resented, but could
not understand.
Powers and D'Eisenbas were to
mark for KIDD, and Cannon and Ma
! buchi for D'Eisenbas.
''It is very simple" said Cannon for
the counts benefit. "While you mark.
Count d'Eisenbas, bullseye, four, three
whatever the shot is, the targets re-
yolve, and Powers will paste the hole
on the lower one. Remember, be care
full to wiggle waggle the danger flag
distinctly if you want to examine close
ly"
Then KIDD saw the gates open before
him and was content. This matter of
suicide might be very simply arranged.
Powers would be in the pit with him,
STOPPING down with his pastors at the
lowered target. The count was fair
shot at least. At 300 yards he could
hardly miss. What so simple as to
leap up in the nick Of time and receive
the bullet? 1t was not the harakiri,
to be sure, but in matters of suicide
one should accommodate oneself to
place and other circumstances.
D'Eisenbas won the toss and elected
to have KIDD shoot first. He and Pow
ers went to the butt to mark KIDD
began to shoot at 300 yards mechan-
ically, and, behold, the gates closed!
Fate laughs at schemes. The plan of
KIDD was shattered. D'Eisenbas,
wrathful at the Jap's good shots, for
getting 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.
"It is the gods!' he screeched. 'It
was no murder. | meant it the other
way because I could not perform hara-
kiri on myself in your honorable room.
Look, then, lookv'
Cannon clutched the letter KIDD had
written in the morning. In it the at
tache told his tale-the untold tale of
many another III the clutches of the
"secret service" of unscrupulous Euro
pean governments. D'Eisenbas had
failed to corrupt the secretary by bribe
or promise, but in Paris he had intro
duced him to cards and women, and
the women had got from the lad a few
of Japan's plans for fortifcation 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. l meant
him to shoot me-"
1--WE understand" said his chums.
"Its all right, and the gods have more
horse sense today than usual. Well
take these papers from his pockets and
destroy them and report the circum
stances-sad accident-pr prominent men
you know"
'And he's really deadY
"Sure dead" said Powers. "But try
to look decently regretful, kido."