Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-05
HAPPIER XVI
CHAMBER OF THE NIHtLIsTs.

welRhty carpet bags, which they lad
upon the table, then instantly retired. The Count
d'Attaa with some difficulty emptied their CON
tents on the board and Cressingham watched
him arrange in heaps of twenty and count out
with all the care and avarice of miser the sum
of four thousand pounds amidst a silence broken
only by the chinking Of the coins. When this
was done, he pushed fifty of those glittering
heaps over to the Prince, who took and placed
them in his pockets until all were full to bulg
ing, and then arose.
"I am at liberty to go?" he asked
"Why certainly, dear Prince, conference is
finished; you are weary, perhaps?" The Counts
voice full of honeyed sweetness. He seemed
to have completely banished from his mind the
late dispute
eyes, l am tired. Good-night!" said the
Prince curtly
me Turk also arose. "I too am weary" he
said "If you will allow me 1 shall sleep here
tonight" Goodnight to you dear Count. Sleep
deeply, dream not, and may you wake each morn
decade younger" Smiling and bowling the
Turk backed out of the room and left the Count
alone.
The Chief of the Nihsts for the next few min
utes appeared to experience great pleasure in ing-
ering the gold, and he displayed himself in a
new aspect to the unseen watcher. Cresing
ham smiled to observe the loving manner in
which the old gentleman stroked and patted with
his bony and wrinkled hands the yellow treasures
piled before him. and later the tender care with
which he replaced those heaps by one within
the carpet bags.
When all DONE he stood up and gave an
astonishing exhibition of physical strength.
Without apparent effort he took up the bags
efter another and hid them underneath the table.
Painting heavily from the exertIons he resumed
his chair and drained glass of wine which ap-
peared to restore his strength completely He
then gave three sharp raps on the table with
wine flask door almost opposite Cressingham
opened a little at the signal, and Madame Kath-
erin cautiously peeped through, but finding her
father solitary she boldly entered the apartment,
closely accompanied by the Counts dumb man
acled attendants.
The old man did not turn his head, but asked:
''Is that you, Katherin"
eyes, father She crossed the room and stood
to face him.
"You heard?"
Eyes I heard"
"The fool is obstinate; he is getting out of
hand. You were wrong to arouse his Jealousy
with Yussef."
'Father, the scheme is hopeless; he loves me,
but he will never admit the marriage. He has
been all this evening painting the advantages OF
morganatic unions, and vows that he can do no
more fer me than that"
"Unsafe, my dear, utterly unsafe The man is
NOT TO be trusted unless securely bound. He
hates me like the devil, and would betray us to-
morrow to Perigord only he wishes to handle his
share of the Sultans gold. Well, when he comes
TO claim that share Of his"
Eyes fatherY
"If in the meantime he has not acknowledged
you"
"Yes father?"
The Count laughed grimly.
"Why, then my sweet daughter, we must in
troduce him to the place of graves"
Madame sighed
81 suppose there is no other course possible.
The fellow can still be made of use; with his help
we shall dispatch Perigord within the week. per
hans the very day of his return from Anarchos.
Ha! hal ha! A pretty goose chase that"
When the door had changed behind Madame,
the Count got up and moved quietly around the
room. barred and bolted eevry means of entrance
to the chamber with the greatest care. Then he
made some signs to his slaves, who dragged the
bags of gold from underneath the table, and tax
ing one between them carried it,staggering slight
ly under the weight, towards the staircase leading
to the gallery.
C]ressingham felt that it was time for him to 60
Wrggling backwards he got into the tunnel and
closed the door, then hurried swiftly as pos
sible towards where he had left the stone Be
fore he had traversed fifty PAGES, however, he
heard the secret door open with sharp click
and then thud, as>of some falling body, followed
quickly by a smothered chinking sound. He
stopped. and glanced backwards but saw moth
ing The slaves had evidently returned to fetch
the second bag of coins.
Cressingham hastily struck a match and picked
up the twine which to guide him on his re-
turn journey to the cavern. Reaching at length
the staircase he saw that he must be caught if
he followed the straight path, and the Counts
slaves took that road too, for the steps were
steep and dangerously echoed the slightest sound.
Not daring to risk it, he chose the less of two
evils. and pulled sharply at the cord. 1t snapped
far down below him, and with the sped of
thought he drew up the broken strands and hur-
ried with outstretched hands into one OF the
three dark crossroads.
A few seconds afterward there followed him a
faint CLEAN of light and he realized that he had
made a horrible mistake. The slaves had taken
the path he had chosen a refuge and were
treading swiftly on his heels, but now putting
and panting like steam engines. For a wild
second Cressin0ham thought of waiting for his
enemies and risking everything in the hazard
of a personal encounter but he had no weapon,
he was physically not strong man, and the odds
were at least two-perhaps three-to one
Judging discretion the better part Of valor, he
hurried in advance, following with difficulty the
t,yistings and tuTnings of the tunnel This went
on for perhaps hundred PAGES, when of a sud
den he thankfully observed that he had distanced
his pursuers and that the light was no longer
visible. Hating abruptly he found he could still
hear footballs, and was about TO recommence ms
aight when they ceased. He waited still as
death. his every sense strained TO listen
For ten seconds deep silence, then voies
cried angrily; "saprsti the catch is rustedl +
and he heard the sound of rapid hammering Of
steel on steel