Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-08


faster trot Won Kerber fired at him. and
the unhappy tribesman tumbled from his
perch like dummy figure. Snatching at
the camel's head rope, the Austrian lifted,
almost threw, Mrs. Haxton up to the sad
die Owing to it's height from the ground,
it was impossible to place her there Sc
curely; but she helped him bravely,
scrambled somehow to the awkward seat,
and stopped to drag him up behind
The excited beast was plunglng for
ward again to get away from the alright
ing turmoil close to its heels. when heavy
thud shook the huge frame, the camel
fell to its knees, lurched over on its side,
and threw both riders heavily.
Won kerber alone rose. He was dazed
for an instant; but he seemed 10 have
dim consciousness of the quarter from
which mortal peril threatened; for he
turned and faced Altieri. who had reined
in the Somali pony he rode and was taking
deliberate aim at his enemy. The Italian
carried repeating rifle. 1t was he who
had brought down the camel with we'll
judged shot through the lungs, and, with
the same venOmOuS accuracy, he now
sent bullet through Won kerber's breast.
The stricken man dropped on all fours,
and glared up at his murderer. Then,
nerving himself for a supreme effort of
hate, he raised his own revolver and
fred three times at Alieri. Twice he
missed, owing to the restiveneSS ct the
horse; but the third shot hit the Italian
in the center of the forehead.
WHEN Royson found them, they were
w living within few feet of each other.
Alferi was dead His pale students
features, softened by the great change,
wore queer look of surprise. Won ker-
= 10 bod foil
on his face, and Dick lifted him gently,
resting the dropping head against his knee.
Are you badly wounded?' he asked,
knowing we'll by the ashen pallor beneath
the bronze of the desert that the mans
stormy life was fast ebbing to its close.
A dreadful froth dubbed from Won ker-
ber's lips, and the words came brokenly:
That Italian BEAST hit him, yes?"
Il suppose so. | could not see what
happened But he is dead. Pay no
heed to him. Tell me what is best to be
done for you"
Dead! Aeh, Heber Colt! that is good
IL am finished know Go to Mrs.
Haxton Tell her-the treasure Fen
shave will be generous"
And that was all. He did not die in
stantly; but consciousness failed, and
the life soon f1uttered out of the limp
body with sigh.
Dick laid the inanimate form on the
desert He went to look for Mrs. Hax-
ton. She was stretched, apparently life
less. beneath the camels shoulder. Roy
son seized the huge beast by the neck
and flung it aside bodily. So far as he
could judge, she was uninjured, though
he feared the camel might have broken
one of her limbs or fractured rib, be-
cause his first thought was that the animal
had fallen on top of her.
But his anxiety was soon dispelled
when he forced some of the contents of
his water bottle between her set teeth.
She sobbed twice, and her bosom rose
and fell spasmodically. Then, with a
sudden return to the full use of her
senses which was almost uncanny, she
wrested herself free from his grasp and
shrank away, quivering, while her eyes
gazed at him with awful questioning. As
She looked she seemed to understand that
this man who held her so tenderly was
not the man whom she feared to see The
reaction was too great. Dick watched
the glance of recognition fading away
into insensbility With a little gasp,
she tainted again; but he knew this time
that her collapse was the natural sequel
TO the ordeal she had gone through. He
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