Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-01

Ineres only another mile or so. ne
said. intending to cheer me. You'll be
easier in the boat. and as soon. as we
reach the island Molta will look after
you.
We continued our way In silence for q
while, my thoughts now busy with the
unpleasant prospect his words had called
up. How was / to meet the woman to
whom / must have made fierce love?
What would she say to the change in me?
Would her love-sharpened eyes detect
how complete that change was? Could 1
hope to mislead her with the scant at
tentions / should have to force myself 10
pay her? Would she discover that my
real reason for returning to her at all
was all battling. disconcerting and intol-
erably sickening to think OF.
You must watch Giuseppe and Drake,
when you meet. Beppo.' broke I'm Breva
again. Silence appeared to be impossible
to him. Don't let them see that YOU
don't remember who thrust the knife into
Vicno's heart. Tell no one what You
have told me about that"
II have already told Beltano.'
HE won't speak Of 1t. l have MAIDS
him suspect them. But be on your guard,
and never forget they are dangerous
Il am not likely to forget" answered.
bluntly.
Nor to talk either. I know. We DONE
call you Beppo the Silent without good
reason. any more than they call me the
Swimmer"
do you call me that?'
Il don't. You have never been so with
me, but the rest do--behind your back OK
course" he added. with a laugh. They're
afraid to to your face"
l was not sorry to hear of this reputa-
ton. Such character would help in the.
task before me, and it was an easy one to-
live up to.
He continued to chatter in this way.
letting out many things about the life on
the island which / stored carefully in my
memory for future use
Giuseppe, 1t seemed, had been high in
MOlta'S favor until my arrival. and had
been second in command Of the band. and
thus his hate of me had two causes
jealousy and loss of power. Drake was
spying, cunning brute, ever ready with
the knife in quarrel. and he had tried toI
put quarrel on Breva on account OF;
Pepita, Girl who loved Breva. and for /.
whose sake alone the latter remained on
the island. Drake had a sister. Agapa.
who loved Beltano. and Breva limited
that the leader had at one time made
hot love to her.
I let him talk freely. replying now and
then with word or a grunt of approval
or the reverse, and in this way the time
passed until I heard the sound Of the
waves on the beach in the dark distance
ahead of US.
Then Breva checked the horse. I'D
better take the horse into Solferino's and
then help you down to the beach," he
said.
us the horse Solferino's?" I asked.
He laughed. DO you mean you have
forgotten we always keep the horses
there? You have been there often enoughs
for one," he replied as dismounted. and
With another laugh he led the animal
away.
Thinking that it might some day be-
useful for me to know the place, fol-
lowed and saw where he went. 1 had
been riding for some time on a fairly
vxv1,A ~~al~ =
we started for the beach saw where it,
turned and ran along close to the sea-
front.
You recognize that that's the way tos
Trapani, l suppose. You've Travelled it
often enough" he said, az we left 1t to go
down to the beach.
Its coming back to me-" replied, not
thinking 1t well that even he should un-
derstand how completely 1 had forgotteu.
everything.
That's good news Beppo." he cried.
gladly. "A few days rest and you'll bo,
yourself again: Praise to the Holy
Virgin for that"
AS he helped me down a somewhat pre-
cipitous path to the waters edge Bel
tano's voice called to us to hurry. and we
found him and the others already on
board a felucca which lay alongside ~
roughly constructed wooden landing stage
against the side Of the rock.
The sail was already hoisted. and In the
light wind blowing OF the land the boat
was straining like hound on the leash.
Beltano held the tiller and Masita sat on
one Of the thwarts close to him. In an
attitude Of deep detection.
Hurry, man. hurry" he said. and
helped me to Chamber In, telling Brevas
to cast the boat loose AS we glided out
1 had to pass Masita, and she drew aside
ostentatiously. as IL mere touch from
me would be a contamination. Beltano
saw the gesture and laughed. as IL he
were glad that she hated me.
I lay down amidships. and presently
Breva brought spare sail and placed it
carefully under my head.
AS we left the shelter of the small bay
the boat felt the wind more and we slip
ped through the water at a good speed.
Breva crouched down by my side; Ahmet.
the Turk, and Luigi being in the bows
smoking, with the body of the dead man
huddled up at their feet.
Except that now and again BeltanO
would stoop and say word or two to
Masita, none Of us spoke at first Even
Breva, chatterer as he was. appeared to
ditionS.
Once or twice saw Masita glance to-
ward the dead man. only to turn away at
once with shudder.
Presently Breva rolled a cigarette and
lighted it. and then asked me If l would
smoke. / had no such desire, and lay
thinking and watching the tiny glow OF
his cigarette until he tired of the silence,
ana Slipped FORWARD TO the OlneT Two L1en
and began to talk in low tones. And
then I kept my eyes upon Masita, won
dering vaguely what was in store for us
both at the end of the weird journey.
Strange as it may seem. her mere pres
ence reconciled me to my strange posi-.
ton. To be near her was a consolation.
and the thought that I could devote my
self. my life. if the need came, to the task
of helping her out of her trouble was
more than enough to gladden. my heart.
In about an hour. SO far as 1 could
judge the time. there was a stir among
the three men forward. and looking round
observed a light shining through ths
darkness straight ahead of us. l reck-
oned that We had come some six or seven
miles from the mainland.
A lantern was hoisted to the masthead.
cred and Ahmet and Luigi rowed until
rocks and was made fast to a landing
stage, similar to that from which We
started.
Beltano took Masita ashore first and
directed Breva to help me. The other
burden.
Two men were waiting for us on the
stage, and Beltano halted a moment to
whisper some instructions and then dis
appeared into the gloom.
Breva gave me his arm, and, although
did not now need his assistance. I
leant heavily upon it that he should not
see was ignorant which way to go. The
path led up some hundred feet. and then
at a short distance I saw the lights of Q