The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1905-05-10
CHAPTER ~.
I LOSE A VALUABLE SWORD.

1913 - NfNAsA sAAfaeAs ~ 3ANtes
u was a club. I suppose. that
felled me. and when woke to CON
seiousness sunset wna near at hand.
II rs ever a fools mistake % under
rate even the meaneat enemy. and
nov bitterly discounted the vain
glorious impulse which had Induced
me 90 spare the life Of the Marquis
de scvrinEen.
One hasty glance gave me the
condition % affairs.
Ny lacqueY. pour beeNar. lay like
a truaHed fowl near me. gagged
firmly with q bloody kerchiof
The whole apartment was ran
sacked and horribly nhlpwrecked
The drawer 81 my cabinet aud It's
contents dashed rs one corner. Ny
desk smashed 20 fragments. my bed
haAn In pieces. The carpet up.
torn and bundled In heap. the
very chairs nnHerewed and their
parts scattered broadcast The
marquis stood gloAiing like the pl-
rate he MAS above the ruin
he had caused. while two
men. hla creatures. were hualiy
engaged In tearing up the floor al
his direction I could have wcpt
with rage. for ! bad taken q fside
in furnishing that room. and much
gold and self denial had lis elegant
fittings cost nae. / found that my
hands wcrc bound behind my back
but I vas not gagged. and with
some trouble ! raised myself 70 ms
elbow.
Well" cried nasslanately.
devil take me. bat az any rate yun
are earning q reputation fof thor
oughnesa."
The marquis stepped forward and
kicked me ia the mouth.
Hold your tongue. he com
manded.
Thank God his foot vas lightly
shod. but tasted blood all the
same and his kKk seat me half
stunned 90 the fignr again. think
thia waa the first occasion I had
ever Understood The proper mean
Ing % The verb to hate Hate. =
a. a substantive. l had experienced
before. but IN an abstract fashion.
and easily subject TO control. en-
tirely apart. Indeed. from the active
fury which possessed me now.
I lay sim and worked silently AZ
my bonds. I do not know N I have
previously stated that physically I
am a strong man. But such n the
/ fact. An ordinary iron poker I can
bend across my Knee without pain
I pennies ! can break between my
fingers. a pack Of cards I can to
this day tear IN halves az easily a.
a child may tear a single sheet Of
I paper. and At that time I waa in
\ the prime OF manhood. In the acme
OF strength and vigor.
In the course OF five minutes I
Huececded in l0osenlng the cords
that bound me. sufficiently, az all
eyents. 10 afford a point dappui
/ bnd | knew that when the time
tams l could burst them aaunder
with one great effort Meanwhile
the search went on. and from the
heavy breathing OF the marquis and
his running fire OF curses I could
/ Judge how anxious he vas that hla
quest should be rewarded. This set
me thinking To an important
agent Of the great Napoleon Il
seemed unlikely that even so large
. sum as ten thousand pounds
should be OF so much moment, con-
siderinK. too. how literally the en-
| peror was reported 10 be In the
habit Of supplying his trusted scr
I yantR by any chance could that
purse have contained q second
compartment Could the skull pos
aess some mystery OF IT, own I
had been so delighted with my
/ wlndtdl that / had but cursorlly
glanced az either before conaiKnlng
them 10 eoucealment I reflected
/ also that a man so coWardly as |
had proved Do Sevringen to be
would not have adopted that morn
ing's daring course without strong
urging. For a further half hour
the three aeuundrels continued
their work. watched all the while
BY me with unooneealod amusement
Twenty times they we're on IA,