The San Francisco call., 1908-05-17


n EITHER Tocktamish nor his vic
IN tim knew that LuciIla had
slipped the bolt after them. for
omobono was too terrified to
hear anything but the Tartar's voice,
and the latter was just In that state
OF intoxication in which a man ner-
ceives nothing that is not closely con-
nected with the idea that possesses him
Tor the time being; it is a state Of mind
IaInlIiar to those whose business it is
TO catch men, or to cheat them.
The strong box stood against thu
wall at the further end Of the room.
ana close to the high desk at which
Omobono usually worked When he
came to 1t the secretary stood still
and Tocktamish bent down and began
20 tumble with the keys
The box had three locks, each having
a hasp that closed with a strong
spring when the lid was shut down. and
each requiring separate key It was
q large chest, completely covered with
sheetiron and heavily bound with iron
straps, the whole being kept bright by
daily polishing
Tocktamish could not make the KEYS
mt and desisted with an oath.
open it, he commanded, selling the
trembling secretary by the collar and
forcing him to his knees before the
chest
1t would have been death to disobey
In the Tartar's present mood Omobono
put each key into the lock to which if
belonged, turned each three times and
the middle one a fourth time, which had
the effect Of drawing back all the
springs at once; ct the same time he
raised the heavy lid a little with one
hand and then opened it with both.
Iocktamlsh began to throw the con-
tents out on the floor with eager haste.
selling upon the money bags first: but
tnese were not many, nor were thew
very heavy, for the young merchants
capital was invested in many enter
prises and was rarely lying idle. and
as for spare cash he had taken ont a
goodly sum within the past two DAYS
to be given away to the guards at the
palace. The Tartar soon saw that
there were not thousand gold ducats
In the chest, and there was but a little
silver. The rest of the contents con-
sisted Of accounts, papers and parch-
ments, many of which represented
wealth, but could not be turned into
gold by thief. Tocktamish had an
ignorant barbarian's primitive idea of
riches. and being profoundly disap-
pointed, he at once became furiously
angry.
Where is the treasurer he roared.
and his face grew purple.
He shook Omobono like a rat as he
repeated his question again and again.
The wretched secretary felt that his
hour was, indeed, come, and though he
tried to speak and protest he really
made no sound. Then Tocktamish re-
membered his own words.
It said / would drown you in the
boxi" he cried. And by the sun and
moon. full and new, will. I will, by
the vine, the wine and the drinkers,
you rat, you miserable Italian flea, you
skinny little bag of bones"
Thereupon he hove up Omobono side
ways by one arm and one leg and
dropped him, fainting. into the empty
money chest. of which he instantly shut
the lid. It closed with a loud snap as
the three springs simultaneously fell
into the slots in the three hasps. At the
same moment Omobono lost conscious
ness; his last impression had been that
he was killed and was to wake up in
purgatory, and he had made one wild
attempt TO say a prayer when Tockta-
mish whirled him off his feet, but he
could only remember the last words:
Strength to resist curios-
ity."
Having successfully accomplished this
brave feat. the tipsy giant gravely sat
down on the chest TO think, for he had
already forgotten that he had meant to
throw it into the Golden Horn, and, be-
sides, even In his condition he knew
very well that four men could hardly