Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-12

Mother Of heaven. do you mean they
| they are dead?"
II was in no play-acting mood last
night" I replied. with a shrug.
you. Even I may not now be able to
prevail with him." she cried. wringing
her hands.
'You may spare yourself tho risk of
failure
Her lips quivered as she bit them
nervously. "You don't mean that
II mean that what told you last night
was the truth. You attempted my life
then. and you can tell Beltano what you
will. There can never be anything be-
cared for you, your act last night would
have ended everything between u.s." and
turned away and left her.
| went back to the old fort and locked
and barred the door securely. 1 wished
to have time to think about the meeting
with Beltano. and felt that the first in
terview between US had better take place
| while I was In place of safety. / en-
| tertained no hope that I could appease
his anger. but / had nothing to lose and
| everything to gain by preventing him
| from venting it on the impulse of the
! moment.
Moreover at the worst could hold the
| place against him for several days. / had
| SuINClenI 1000 10 laSt me a week OF more
at need and as the narrow Sits Of win
| dows had been constructed so to de-
| fend the approach to the door and 1 had
a fair supply Of ammunition. could
make matters very unpleasant for any
| one who tried to get In.
| Delay was all in my favor. ! knew
that matters on the mainland were in a
very critical condition. and that Beltano' 8
friend and patron. the mysterious Count.
was likely to send for him at any mo-
1 -
| leave again the pendulum would once
! more swing over in my favor.
| l spent what time 1 had in strengthen
| Ing the defenses as much as possible. and
| in making such other preparations as
| were practicable. felt fully justified in
going to any extremes against Beltano.
From Molta downward every one on the
| island believed he would take my life. He
! had. indeed. already ordered the others
| to kill me- and IL 1t was to be a question
! of his life or mine and the chance offered
| to take his. need not hesitate as to the
| answer. So long time passed without
| any one coming near me that I was sur
prtsed. Half an hour at the most from
| the time had left the shore would have
| suff1ced for the boat to arrive. and yet
| for over an hour ! was buried with my
| work and was left undisturbed. At a loss
| to account for this. ! went UP to the look
out to see what was going on.
! AS I passed Giuseppe he begged me to
release him. swearing by all the saints in
the calendar that he would not attempt to
| escape.
| Thinking this might be a ruse. I ex-
amined the cords carefully. I had done
| his wrists that he had been straining des-
perately to free himself, but not a single
strand was loosened.
you are torturing me. Beppo." he de-
clared.
And why not?"
He groaned. Il can't endure II. It is
| killing me. Are you devil to find de-
| light in making me suffer in this way?"
I'm not fool enough to give you a
| chance of getting free. Giuseppe. 1t
| to free yourself you'll be able to bear 1t
| better. Why should I care whether you
suffer or not?'
u told you everything last night and
| you said you would spare my life
There's no capital punishment in Italy,
so they won't kill you. What am going
| to do with you is to take you over to the
mainland and hand you to the carabinieri
as Vicino's murderer"
| But didn't do 1t. It was Drake"
i've been trying to And him 80 that I
| could hear his version of the matter. but
he has disappeared. and until find him
| you must stop here"
He cursed Drake fiuently. protesting his
man for having dragged him into the
mess.
II don't believe you. Giuseppe It was
| you who wanted me out of your way, and
1t was you who planned everything, and
| when Drake sees your confession I shall
get at the real truth. Until then you stay
| here just as you are"
At that.he cursed me instead OF Drake.
| calling down on my head all the torments
of hell. and I left him swearing volubly
as l stepped out to look for some signs
From the height on which the lookout
| stood 1 could command a view over the
| greater part OF the island. and in no part
Of 1t could I detect a sign of the excite
| ment had expected to see as the result
Of his return. The open space between
the mems hut and round the farmstead
| was practically deserted. and I saw some
OF the men away in the fields engaged in
| their customary work.
was the fact that about a mile from the
island sail Of q boat showed white
| against the blue water as 1t rose and
dipped foamily In a tussle with the stiff
squally breeze blowing straight in my
face as looked Stewards. The boat was
lacking against the head wind and going
from not coming toward, the island.
| 1 could not understand it.
Where was Beltano? Evidently he had
no thought Of attacking me. not even of
| looking for me. as yet. Was Molta at the
last moment trying to soften his anger
! against me? She was a strange, way
ward, impulsive creature. quite capable of
some such sudden change Of feeling and
/ intention when face to face with the
crisis in which she believed that only her
! word stood between me and death.
| 1t was probable enough that they were
even now closeted together discussing my
fate, and this might account for the abb
| sence Of any sign Of confusion and tur-
MOL.
Whatever the meaning Of the unex-
pected Quietude might be, 1t was clearly
my best course to remain where I was
and walt for what was to come.
But what could be the meaning of that
boat at sea? She was too distant for me
to make out any one on board. but I
| could see that she was being very badly
handled The breeze was freshening. and
she was carrying far too much sail for
safety even in the hand of a skillful
| helmsman, while the man who was sail
ing her knew 50 little of seacraft that he
| could not even keep her head steadily to
| the wind. At times she fell away 80
that when a squall struck her she would