The Red Cloud chief., 1905-09-29

'Ac NiltAE. me W9fSIlp occupied neT
usual anchorage, and Il boat was low
"rCd TO taks Off the passengers.
The boat swung Off into the tidcway.
Her progress shoreward was watched
hy Il small knot Of people, mostly
%loungers and coolies. Among them,
hoWevar, wsre two persons who had
driven rapidly to the landing place
when the arrival Of the Orient was re-.
ported. One bore all the distinguishing
marks Of the army officer of high rank.
but the other was Enthusiastically Il
globe trotter. The older gentleman
made no pretense that he could hear
the east a-callln'." He swore impair
TALLY at the climate, the place and its
Inhabitants. At this instant he was
in n state of wild excitement. He was
very tall, very stout, exceedingly red
sacCi.
Producing a tremendous telescope he
vainly cndcavored to balance 1t on the
shoulder of Il native ervant.
cant you stand still, you blithering
IDIOT" he shouted, after futile attempts
20 focus the advancing boat, cor slal!
| steady you with a clout over the
carr"
His companion, the army man. WAS
looking through n pair of field glasses.
by .Jove," he cried. Il can see Sir
Arthur Deanc and Il girl who looks like
his daughter! There's that internal
scamp, Nentnor, too"
The big man brushed the servant out
Of his way and brandishel the tele-
scope as though it were Il bludgcon.
"Thc dirty bcggar! He drove my lad
to misery and death, yet, lie has come
back safe and sound. Wait till meet
him. Ill'-
Now, Anstruthcr. Remember your
promise. | will deal with Lord Vent
nor. My vengeance has first claim.
What! By the jumping Moses, do
believe Yes. 1t is. AnStruthcr!
Your nephew is sitting next to the
girl!'
The telescope fell on the stones with
a crash. The giants rubicund face
| suddenly blanched. He leaned on his
friend for support.
"You are not mistaken" he almost
whimpered. "Look again, for Gods
sake, man! Make sure before you
| speak. Tell me! Tell met!
"Calm yourself, A~nstruther. 1t is
Robert. as sure as I'm alive. Don't you
think I know him, my poor disgraced
friend, whom l, like the rest, cast off
in his hour of trouble? But l had some
excuse There! There! l didn't mean
that, old fellow. Robert himself will
be the last man to blame either Of is.
Who could have suspected that two
people-one of them, God help me-, my
~wife-would concoct such Il hellish
plot.''
The boat glided gracefully alongside
the steps Of the quay, and Playdon
sprang gracefully ashore to help Iris
to aliSht. What happened immediate
IL afterward can best be told in his
own words, as he retailed the story to
an appreciative audience in the ward
room.
"We had just landed" he said, "and
some of the crew were pushing the
coolies out Of the way when two men
jumped down the steps, and n most
ficndiSh row sprang up-that Is, there
was no dispute or wrangling, but one
chap, who, it turned out, IA Colonel
Costobell, grabbed Ventnor by the shirt
front and threatened to smash his face
in if he didn't listen then and there to
what he had to say. / really thought
about interfering until l heard Colonel
C~ostobell's opening words. After that
l would gladly have seen the beggar
chucked into the harbor. We never
liked him, did we"
ASK no questions, Pompey, but go
ahead with the yarn" growled the first
lieutenant.
well. it seems that Mrs. Costobell
is dead. She got enteric a week after
the Orient sailed and was q goner in
four days. Before she died she owned
up"
He paused, with a base eye to effect.
Not a man moved a muscle.
"All right" he cried. II will make
no more false starts. Mrs. Costobell
begged her husbands forgiveness for
her treatment Of him and confessed
that she and Lord Ventnor planned the
affair for which Anstruther was tried
by court martial. 1t must have been
n beastly business, for Costobell was
sweating with rage, though his words
were Icy enough. And you ought to
have seen Ventnor's face when he
heard of the dispositions, sworn to and
signed by Mrs. Costobell and by sever
al Chinese servants whom he bribed to
give false evidence. He promised to
marry Mrs. COstobell If her husband