The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-05-22
x.-continued.

1s ~ - ia -
b tide rippling In the sunshine as i
ripples past Greenwich, and a small
boat gliding oyer 1t, and n man in tn.
bow OF the boat. @ mar with a grim lii
and a sinister eye. Yes. the tall soldier
talking to Dymphnn In the moonlight
his cap the cap OF a Spanish guard. wa.
Master Clarence. the duchess chief en-
envy!
I staid my foot. with a strange set,
Ting into resolve of ali my doubts.
felt 1t. my sword, which happily I haG
brought with me. was loose in Its
aheath and leaned forward scanning
him. So he had tracked us. He was
here! With wonderful yiVidness / pic
tured all the dangers which nlenaced
the duchess, Master BERTHE. the Lind
Atroms, myself. through hts discovery
OF us. all the evils which would befall
wa tf the villain got away with his tale.
Forgetting Dymphna's presence, I set
my teeth hard together. He should
not escape me this time.
But man can only propose. AS 1 took
q step OrWar 1 trOd or q round piece
of wood. which turned under my foot
and I stumbled. My eye left the pair
Tor q second. When it returned to them.
they had AIKEN the alaem. Dymphna
had started away. n / saw her fig
ure retreatin2 swiftly In the direction
OF the house. The man poised himself
moment irresolute opposite to me,
n then dashed aside and disappeared
behind the cottage.
I was after him on the Instant. my
sw0rd out. and caught sight OF his
cloak an he whisked round u corner He
lodged me twice round the next cot
tage. the one nearer the river. Then
he broke away and made for the bridge.
his object evidently being to get off the
lsland But he seemed at last to see
that I was too quick for him. as I
Certainly was. n should catch him
half way across the narrow planking,
and changing his mind again he
doubled nimbly back and rushed into
the open porch Of a cottage. and I
heard his sword ring out. j had him
ut bay.
AT bay indeed! But. ready as I
was and resOlute to capture or kill
him. I paused. hesitated to run In
on him. The darkness OF the
porch hid him. while 1 must attack
with h moonlight shining on me. 1
peered in cautiously. Come QUIT" I
cried Come out. you coward!'. Then
I heard him move. and for q I
he was coming. and I TODD
-ttptoe waiting for his rush But he
only laughed a derisive laugh OF tri-
ulnph. He had the odds. and I sew he
would keep them.
! took another cautious step toward
him and. shading my eyes with my left
hand. triedgto make him out, AS i did
20 gradually his face took dim form
and shape. confronting mine in the
01rknesa. I: stared yet more %iniently.
Fhesface became more clear. Nay. with
As1udden leap into vividness, as 1t were,
u rev white against the dark back
4f0und-Whlte and whittier. It seemed
v0sb0sthruot wi nearer and nearer until
zig almost touched mine. This face?
no: IL vas not his face! For one awful
MOment y terror. which seemed to still
NY heart. glued me to the ground
& where 4 stood a. 1t flashed upon my
that Il was another face that
9rinned at me 10 close to mine; that 1t
anothe face I was hooking on
the llvtd, blood stained face and stony.
eyessof the mani had killed.
With g Wild scream I turned and fled.
a6y instinct, for terror had deprived me
q reason. I hied to the bridge, and
Keeping. I knew not how, my footing
upon the loose clattering planks. made
q desperate rush across It. The shim-
mertng water below. In which I saw
tnat face - thousand times reflected;
b breeze. which seemed the dead
mans hand clutchinG me. lent wings to
my flight. I sprang at a bound from
the bridge to b bank. from the bank
g the boat. and overturning. vet never
seetng. my startled companion. showed
on from the shore with all my might
md fell a-crylng.
Aaye learned man. physician to the
0usens1 majesty. has since told me.
q when related this strange story to-
him, that probably that burst OF tears
my reason. II. SO far restored
me. At any rate. that I presently knew
where l was-cowering In the bottom
Aof2ths boat. with my eyes coyered-and
S0nderst0od that Master Lindstroln was
leaning e me In q terrible state Of
! tmplorlng me in mingled Dutch
And English to tell him what had hap
Dened. Il have seen hint" was all I
could eay ut 6rst. and I scarcely dared
mo my hands from my eyes. IT
have sean hint" I begged my host to
LOW aW1y from the shore. and after a
tine va able to tell him what the
matter waas he sitting the while With
MIS- arm round my shoulder.
sXOufare sure that It wa the Span-
ard?s4he said. kindly. after he had
thOught . minute.
So. a yasss sHss;S ,!s snsxerea aH s=hud ssa's
be mistaken? sIf you had seen him
And You are sure? Did you feel his
aeaft this morning. whether it was
His hearth. Something in III. voice
ave me courage TO look up. though
D readful vlsage should rise from the
Aepshs. No did not touch him."
And yous tell me that he fell ON his
nee. Did you turn him over?'
Issaw his drift now. I was sit
ting erect. My brain began to work
again. mo-" Isadmitted. 81 did not"
Then how, asked the Dutchman.
roughly. how do you know that he
q dead. young sir? Tell me that"
When I explained, BAH" he cried.
There Is nothing In that! You jumped
% q conclusion. I thought q Spaniard.s
Mad was harder to break. AS for the
blood coming from his mouth, perhaps
~ bit his tongue or did any one of
hundred things-except die. Master
Francis. That you may be sure is Just
what he did not do"
ssYolS think so?"n I said gratefully. I
beganst0 look about me-. vet still with
tfelnOr In my limbs and an inclination
70 start at shadows.
Think" he rejoined. with a hearth
neaD which brought conviction home to
Rae. II Am sure Of Il. You may depend
Moon itsthat Master Clarence. or the
Nan you take for Master Clarence, who
~ doubt. was the other soldier seen
sN1thsthe scoundrel this morning. found
- hurt late In the evening. Then,
sU61ng him In that state. he put him
1tSse1pgpoech for shelter. either because
s&oHo0nld not get him to- Arnheim at
3Nc1Seesbecause he didsnot wish to give
n ho6ore he had made his ar