The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-06-12
icHAPrER x (continued)
CONCLUSIVE spasm contract
ed my throat. fed out of the

II need your help"
1 felt it resting lightly on my bowed
head. She did not even ask me what
1 meant; as if the greatness of her
soul was omniscient. There was, in
that silence, a supreme unselfishness,
the unquestioned devotion of a woman.
Patience, patience" l kept on NUT
tering. 1 was losing confidence In my
self If only~I had been free to dash
my head against the rock. I had the
courage for that yet. But this was
situation from which there was no is
sue in death.
I'VE are saved" murmured dis
tractedly.
Patience" she breathed out Her
hand slipped languidly off my head.
And began to creep away from her
side. 1 am here to tell the truth. 1
began to creep away towards the flask.
/ did not confess this to myself; but 1
know now. There was a devilish
power in it. 1 have learned the nature
of feelings in man whom satan be-
guiles into selling his soul-the horror
of an irresistible and fatal longing for a
supreme felicity
1 saw, with indignation, my own
NANbSASO sell bSIuS duSlSu ike a
fish. And with all that, in my forlorn
state, 1 remained prudent. 1 did not
rush out blindly. No. I approached
the inner end of the passage, as though
l had been stalking a wild creature,
slowly, from the side. 1 crept along
the wall of the cavern, and protruded
my head far enough to look at the
fiendish temptation.
There it was, a small, dark object
suspended in the light, with the yellow
rock across the ravine for a back
ground. The silver top shivered the
sunbeams brilliantly. I had half hopes
they had taken it away by this time.
When 1 drew my head back lost sight
of it, but all my being went out to it
with an almost pitiful longing. 1 re-
membered Castro for the first time in
many hours. Was 1 nothing better
than Castro? He had been angled for
Witlsalted meat shuddered.
A darkness fell into the passage, I
put down my uplifted foot without adj
vancing. The unexpectedness of that
shadow saved me- 1 believe. Manuel
had: descended the cornice.
He was alone. Standing before the
outer opening, he darkened the pass
age. through which his talk to the peo-
pie above came loudly into my ears.
They could see, now, if he were not a
WORTHY Capataz. If the Inglez was in
tnere he was corpse. And yet, of
these living hearts above of these vail
entes of Rio Medic, there was not one
VINO would go alone to look upon a
dead body. He had contrived an in
falllble test, and yet they would not be-
heve him. Well, his valance should
prove 1t; his valance, afraid neither of
light nor of darkness.
L had the time to charge Seraphina
not TO move, on our liyes-on the
Wfetched remnant of our Hyes-when
MS. black shape stood in the frame of
the opening edged with a thread of
hght Following the contour of his hat.
OF MS shoulders, of his whole BODY
down to his feet-whence a Iongshad-
OW fell upon the pool of twilight on the
floor.
Would he have the courage TO ex-
pIore at least the immediate neighbor-
nood or the opening? Who could tell
ms complex motives? Who could tell
ms purpose or his fears? He had
Killed a man in there once But. then.
ne had not been alone. If he were onIv
showing, off before his unruIy band. he
need not stir step further. He did
not advance. He leaned hiseshouIders
gsSt4hstethe rock just clear of the open
mg.s., One-half of him was lighted
plainly; his long profile, part of his
raven locks, one listless hand. his
crossed legs, the buckle of one shoe.
NOBODY, ne pronounced slowly, in
a dead whisper.
A aFhA not conscious of having Stirred
limb; neither had Seraphina moved
am ready to swear; but plainly some-
tnlng, some sort of sound, startled him
He bounded out of his imfnobiJitv and
IN one leap had his shoulders against
tHe rock standing at bay before the
darkness, with his knife in his hand I
wonder he did not surprise mo into on
exclamation. l was as startled &c him
SER All this took place so nuiclxIv
lhdt L mad no time to make one move
meht towards receiving his attaok
when l saw him make a great Sio, nf
the cross in the air with the noint Of
his dagger. PUNT VI
he sheathed it slowly, and s;dlad
- along the few feet to the entrance 30
shoulders rubbing the wall. He hIocl<aS
OUT me light, and in a moment had
pacKed out of sight.
rd before ne got to the further end I
after az a-4 ieauy at the inner, creeping
aIter him. I had started at once as
II ms disappearance had removed q
speIl, as though he had drawn mo q e.
MIN Dy an invisible bond. Raisinp, nv
sen on my forearms, saw him from,
ms knees up, standing outside tbe sill
with his back to the precipice and h;s
face turned up. 0A10 MS
There is nobody in +horo,
shouted. ne
sank down and wriggled forward
On On my stomach, raising myself on nv
elbows, now and then to look. Man.
uei was looking upwards conversinee
Win the people above and holding the
mask In both his hands. He never once
glanced into the passage; he seemed
10 De trying to undo the cord knotted
10 the end of the thick rome Witch
hung In long blight before him Ths
mask captured my eyes, nv Thought
my energy. would tear it away from
MN directly. There was in me- thor
nelther rear nor intelligence: only tha
deslre Of possessing myself of The
thlng; but an instructive caution mr.
vented my rushing out Violently
proceeded with an animal-Iike stealth
mess, with which cool reason ba5
nothing to do. 41o'
come at once,' he cried to then,
without lifting his head.
L mad crept up almost near eno,,ot
to grab the flask. It never occurred 70
me that by finging myself on hin,
could nave pushed him off the sill. NV
only Idea was to get hold He did NOT
exist Tor me. The leather-coyered hot
tie was the only real thing in the
world. l was completely insane.
heard faint defamation and Manuel
got up quickly from the sill. The flask