The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-03-28

1 of grace and kept close watch on the old fort.
 During the morning Molta came out. and for the first time she appeared anxious to avoid me. To test this, for l recognized its significance, I fol lowed and presently put myself In her way But the instant she saw me. she l stepped and turned away. concluded | that Beltano had been talking to her. | Pepita took Molta's place with Masi- ta, and Ahinet and another man were l posted on watch at the entrance to the fort Beitano was evidently re- solved to keep me from Masita. But be did not succeed. I climbed round again by the cliff and thus succeeded l In telling her my plans.
 I said would send Breva to the fort carly in the evening on the pre- tense of seeing Pepita: and would go round by the cliff and bind them both. 1 Masita, wearing. Breva's clothes. was I then to leave the place and in the dusk trust to the disguise to enable her to slip past whoever might then be on l guard. Iewould answer for the rest.
 She would have raised many objec- | tions. but could not venture to stay l to listen to them, assured her 1t was her only possible chance of getting away, seeing that Beltano was now I full charged with suspicion of me. The suspense during the rest of the | day was trying in the extreme. l would not go near the langing stage | for fear of starting a suspicion that meditated an. escape. A hundred | times in every hour I told myself that my plan was impossible; that thous- I and things, every. one of them likely 1 to occur. would thwart 1t; and read in every incident. Of the dragging hours fresh reason for failure. But the luck was with me In the afternoon Ahmet was taken from his l post and sent off to the mainland by Beltaho; I guessed that he was going | in search of another priest in Beraccfs I place, A fellow named Pedro was posted on the watch; and here again Agapa was able to help. He was one of the many who admired her; and as soon as I learnt Of the change told her something of my plan, and | set her to wheedie him into allowing I Breva to pass and then to take him away from his post
 His compa anion on guard was man l who had returned with Beitano from the last visit to the mainland and was little known to any of the rest. lie would thus be the less likely to recog- nise Masita in Breva's clothes.
 I saw both Beltano and Molta sey- I eral times during the day; but I passed 1 most of the time in my hut: and after my visit to Masita earlier in the da, l was careful to keep away from the fort altogether.
 When the time arrived saw Agapa and Breva start for their part of ths task, and, slipping. off unobserved, hurried to the cliff path and climbed round, Breva had not yet succeeded in getting past Pedro and his com, panlon; so bound Pepita.s arms anc legs, and gagged her; and in the mean. time Masita dressed herself in Ih, clothes which had been brought there on the previous day. Breva arrived
 just as I finished with Pepita, anc
 having bound him, gave to the room
 the appearance of q struggle having
 with my name on the sheath. to shev
 Beltano that 1t was all my doing ans
 not Breva's.'
 Peeripg through one of the marrow slits of windows saw that Agapa ha,
 succeeded in getting Pedro away; ant
 the moment of crisis had come
 Put bold face on 1t, and all vii
 be we'll" said to Masita 'As yoI
 go out, turn and call out something
 to Pepfta in an angry tone. then sian
 the door behind you. as if you two hal
 quarrelled If the man speaks .tt
 you, don't answer. but gesture as i you were in furious rage Then wall
 off toward the huts and look for m'
 close to the landing stage"
 scrambled out of the window, thel
 and soon as I was safely across raj
 round the path to the fort to mak'
 sure, by force, if necessary. tha
 MaSita got past @.
 I did not wish the man on watcI
 to see me unless I had to interfere; s,
 waited and listened. I heard tn
 door opened; Masita's voice raised fl
 anger; the slamming of the door d
 I had told her; the mans voice witt
 a bantering question; and then Masita.
 footsteps as she passed him. l turned away with A sigh of re
 lief But then my heart gave a sud
 den bound.
 Beltano was in sight walking quick
 ly toward the fort.