The Washington herald., 1906-11-13


walled, 7 dare not tell your excellenoy a
/ lie. ! know not where they are; swear
/ it
The fellow evidently spoke the truth.
and Cressingham was bitterly chagrined.
After moments thought he said. you
came here with "A message TO your mas
ter. is il not SOP
Yes, exceIlencyr
Give it 70 me, am your master now. -
Yes. exceilency, good. kind exccHency.
/ am glad that you are my master excel
/ lenCy. -
Cressingham cut his shivering protesta-
tlons short ''The message" he cried
sternIy.
"Excellency. the foreman Julius Octa-
vius Anthony discovered that one Of the
/ boats is missing. and he ordered me TO
hasten to my master-paTdcn, excellency.
my late master-with the tidings, he fear
/ ed" The man hesliated.
Feared what fool2"
"EXceiIency, he feared that one OF. some
4 OF the Turks might have survived the ex-
1 plosioH and escaped us while we slept
An! was not this boat secured as
usuai?"
"ExceIiency. 7 fastened it myself: the
| key has never since left my hands"
How, then, could the boat have been
taken by the Turk? Is the lock smashed 80
"N-no, excellency."
/ Has any one in the castle another
key?"
/ Yes. exceliencv: the prince and Signor
/ Desire each have a key
! Cresslngham remembered that Desire
/ had the previous night been striving TO
| escape the island IN a boat, a boat which
/ had been STAYED In and sunk after its
collision with hts launch. But moment =
reflection taught him that il could not
/ have been the craft in question. for each
/ OF the Count d'Attala's boats was as
strong and substantial as the launch It
/ SELF and, moreover, il could never have
| been propelled by a single person at the
| speed with which the girl had driven
/ hers.
He questioned further at hazard. in or
/ der 10 verify his thought. There was
I another boat on the beach last night?''
Yes. exceilencyi the Turkish yachts
skiff.
What has become OF it2"
The man trembled and shriveIed up rs
| though expecting humiliation, and whined
out piteousIy: Good, kind sXceHency, 1
do not know"
rs it not on the beach now"
mo, excellency."
Cressingham turned to his companions
and spoke in French. Gentlemen. II a
complete examination OF the island fails
/ 10 reveal the presence Of my hancee. Miss
ElIictt and Nine. Viyella, we shall know
that they have escaped the island I'm that
boat
"Histr' cried one of the men, interrupt
Ing suddenly.
In the silence that ensued a noise Of
footsteps and voices was heard on the
path without the great door. Instantly
all prepared themselves for a struggle,
one man to save time stunning the negro
with a violent blow from a revolver butt
Next moment the door opened. and the
| remaining servants Of the count. weary
and dirty from their toll, trooped unsus-
piciously into the hall, anxious probably
for their breakfast. When all had en-
tered. the gentlemen sprang from their
hiding. and threw themselves upon the
astonished negroes. Then followed a wild
melee Of oaths and blows and startled
screams, but before many minutes had
passed all were bound and helpless. many
having surrendered without Offering re-
sistance.
Gentlemen. cried CTessingham. rising.
excited and painting from his exertions,
I'VE have accomplished our mission. and
/
Three ringing cheers greeted his words
Cressingham tore from his pocket small
fiag-it was the union jack-and fastened
1t upon the scabbard Of his sword.
"A volunteer" he cried; "a volunteer
to wave this from the lookout, so that
the Sea Hawk may know and enter the
| harbor without fear"
a dozen hands were raised but the
nearest seized the trophy and hurried to
the door. Next second he returned and
said: My lord, the Sea Hawk is this mo-
ment rounding the point"
Then" said Cressingham Ito work.
Before We breakfast, our prisoners must
all be shipped, for that is our first duty;
and only then can we eat IN safety. The
count is now bound and gagged but he IS
such a devil that until he is safe aboard
the Sea Hawk I shall continue TO fear
him.
Two hours afterward every living crea-
ture on the island had been transported
to the yacht; Attala was utterly aban-
doned, and Cressingham and his compan-
ions were feted in the cabin Of the Sea
Hawk with a magnificent disregard TO
the cost of Perigord's champagne
TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW.
Do You Give Table Board:
You'll reach the very class OF bosrdars