The Lamar register., 1903-02-04
CHAPTER vi.

lowering around the offices of the
steamship company thirsting for a
word or hope for Maubikeck and
those who had left on board the ILL
fated Queen. But the only thing that
was really known was that four boats
left the Queen at the time of the col
lision. and ours was the only one
heard from. And as the boat we
were in was the last to leave. those
who remained on the steamer must
have shared her fate.
There was besides my anxiety on
Maubikeck's behalf. a motive of haste
in my resolve. If Maubikeck was re-
ally lost. as no one who had seen the
dark form of the sinking Queen melt
away in the fog as l had could doubt,
then l was wasting time in Liverpool
that should be spent on the trail of
Maligni. l felt a terrible yet almost
holy responsibility resting on me,
now that Maubikeck was gone. He
had given me my life at the cost Of
his own.
And in that last moment OF parting.
when l had but half realized the full
purpose of his heroic action, he had
blackness to find and rescue Nita
Barlotti IL | reached land alive. And
now those last words of my preserv-
er rang in my ears like an imperative
call to perform solemn duty. In
| obeying Maubikeck l was but further
| ing my own purposes. But l may say
truthfully that so heavily and solemn
| ly did that last cry of Maubikeck
weigh upon my soul, If the carrying
| out of his wishes involved the re-
| linquishing of my own, | would have
gone on his errand unhesitatingly,
| and let my own ambitions sink out of
sight until my debt to his memory
was fully paid.
Thus it was that, having given up
| all hope for Maubikeck. and having
provided myself with all the things
needful to replace those | had lost
on the Queen. was anxious to start
| at once for Sardinia in quest of Ma
| ligni and his slave, Nita.
On the deck of smoothly-gliding
steamer that was rapidly entering the
port of Cagliari, the chief southern
| seaport of the Island of Sardinia, l
stood, with my marine glass levelled,
tdkluS III Wltn lHteTeSL IHe SCENE tllat
was being opened up before me.
The city of Cagliari has a popula-
| tion closely approximating forty thou
sand. 1t is the most important city
| in fact, the capital-of Sardinia With
| the exception of what little trade and
| commerce goes to Sassari, on the
north, Cagliari is the emporium, of
trade of the island
Before leaving Genoa on the steam
| er l had performed two duties-one
| for Maubikeck and one for myself
| The one in behalf of Maubikeck was
simple. l had telegraphed to Liver
| pool to learn if any news had been
received of my ill-fated fellow-pas-
sengers. l received reply from the
president of the company that one of
the boats-a companion to the one
had been in-had been picked up,
and ten more unfortunates had been
saved from destruction. But nothing
whatever had been heard of the
Queen or any who had been left on
board, and 1t was finally concluded
that she had sunk. and the marine
insurance had been paid.
The duty to myself was the employ
ing of guide and interpreter.
Fortunately for me had recol-
lected that the banking house of Dorr
& Company of New York, with which
had had a long-standing friendship
had branch at Genoa, and | had
called upon them, made myself known,
and informed them that | was on my
way to Sardinia and wished to en-
gage the services of an honest guide
and interpreter. or course did not
tell them anything about the real
object of my excursion into the island.
l gave them to understand that l was
merely bent on pleasure-a hunting
trip after mouflon.
The moufion is a small animal of
the sheep tribe and thrives in wild
state on the Sandman mountains. 1t
is not unusual for French, German
or English sportsmen to go to Sar-
DINA to hunt them, and as a reason
for my voyage, the moufion served
very well.
Signor Branderi. the head of the
Genoa branch of Dorr & Co., was a
quiet, affable gentleman, very polite,
and spoke English well. He seemed
eager to do whatever he could for
me. and promised to furnish me with
just the person / needed.
Signor Branderi rang a bell in his
private office, where we had been sit
ting, and a clerk responded. The
banker spoke to him in Italian, and the
clerk bowed and went away. Shortly
thereafter another person came and
stood respectfully before us. 1t was
my interpreter.
"Mutterelli," said Signor Branderi,