Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-26

ms black servants emerge from their hiding
alIer I the explosion she heard her grandfathers
wlld laugh of triumph and the orders that he
gave Tor the disposal of the wreckage as soon
! as daylight came; she watched him depart car
i Iieu upwards in his palanquin by the two dumb
saves accompanied by the other servants
Leit lonely then, Desire thought of what the
counts rage would be when he knew that his
precious boat had been destroyed, the boat
Wmch ne had helped to construct by long hours
OF painful toll the boat that constituted his one
ardent ardent hobby the only pleasure of his existence
WIncn was not evil. She asked herself the ques-
t,oh, ana its answer was in her heart She knew
that he would kill her as remorselessly as he
would an offending slave, more still she feared
onsC ne would torture her before she died in
oruer 10 wreak on her vengeance fit and prom
er IN his estimation for her crime.
IL IL was then that her eyes rested on the Yachts
SKIN which still idly hoated beside the beach
its resting place marked by the bodies of the
four slain sailors
Inc Counts servants had vanished with the
count torgetful in their excitement of the boat.
Desire still possessed by the panic which had
seized her In the cavern, ran like sprte across
tne sands and leaping into the little craft pushed
from the shore, only half conscious of her ulti-
mate intention, but wildly anxious to Ay the
dreadful place where she had witnessed so many
horrors and where death seemed to wait for her
Suuuehly she neard mans voice sharply hail
ing her' STEADY there, my hearty. Drop your
oars, ana hands up or you a dead man"
In very CONSERVATION she obeved The dsrk
ness was profound, but at the distance of twelve
teet she dlmly discerned the outline of large
duckshaped launch whose sides were studded
with the figures of men. Next moment her own
boat crashed into the stranger and the shock
hured her into the thwarts. Though half stun
ned, she felt herself seized by rough hands and
lifted bodily on board the launch, then voice
said sternly:
What was the meaning of the thunderous ex-
ploslon that we heard while ago?"
Desire listened dreamily, only half comprehend
ing the question, for the voice appeared marvel
ously familiar.
Lord Francis!" she gasped
are you?"
"Desirel'
My God, can it be-" he pressed his face
close TO hers and passed an arm around her. "It
isl" he cried, excitedly What of Miss Elliott,
is she well?''
Yes, my Lord, but in dreadful trouble-at
least, she was"
And then Desire broke down utterly, and sob
bed, and cried and laughed, in the manner that
women the wide world over have always done
and will always do under stress of circumstance
Cressingham did his best to comfort her, at last
succeeding partially and he extracted something
of the story she had to tell in broken fragments
from her tear-wet lips
While still conversng, he sent the launch at
full speed towards the boat-bcuse, where arrived
having first obtained from Desire the KEY. he
landed fifteen and Immediately dispatched
the little vessel back to the Sea Hawk, giving
the girl in charge of an officer whom he also
bade tell Oeltjen to bring the yacht to the har-
Dor of Attala with all possible speed
Crouching on the sand, he watched the launch
until it had passed from sight, then, accompanied
by his silent company, noiselessly crept into the
boat-house, carefully barring the door when all
had entered
Each man lighted the lantern with which he
had been previously provided
Cressingham fastened one end of great ball
of twine to a piece of timber and then shortly
addressed his followers.
Gentlemen" he whispered "It seems to me
necessary to storm Attala tonight for lady
stands in peril of her life lady who has al,
ready been inhumanly insulted. We shall try
to take the place by stratagem, but if we fail in
that we shall not in open assault, for though our
enemies outnumber us we shall fight for the good
of humanity and for the honor of woman
must again impress upon you the absolute ne
cessity of silence and obedience.
| The lamplight showed the faces of fifteen gen
tlemen, men of breeding and refinement some
possibly of patrician caste. One and all were
resolute and serious, they listened attentvely
and nodded in unbroken silence.
| Cressingham appeared satisfied, he pointed to
the tunel door and muttered: "That is our way,
follow me closely and without sound" Next in
slant the boat-house again wrapped in silent
gloom; the invasion of Attala had commenced