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

| AS the other men entered I felt my
strength giving out. The room reeled
around me and I was staggering when a
young muscular fellow of about twenty
years of age caught me in his arms.
''Beppo is done,' he called.
'Look to him, Breva," said Beltano.
These were the last words I heard for
the time. Breva, the young fellow who
had come to my assistance, laid me gen.
thy down on the floor and swooned.
| When I came to myself he was bending
over me and forcing some brandy be-
tween my lips.
81 thought you were done for. Beppo,"
he said, with sigh of relief.
| I'm only weak. The crack on my
head"
"Drink this" It was brandy, and he
| supported my head, handling me as gen.
tly and carefully as a woman would have
done. and his large dark eyes were full
| of solicitude.
| The spirits revived me. II am better
again" M, murm ,Sn. with thad ss sigh;
that we two were alone.
"Ahmet and Luigi have taken away
Vicino's body and Beltano is with the
signorina. He is mad that Vicino has
been killed. He told me to call him the
moment you recovered.
| With that he laid me down on a pillow
! he had made of some coats. and called to
| Beltano that I was conscious. I heard
| a door shut and locked. and the next in
| slant Beltano entered. His swarthy hand
some face was as black as a night cloud.
''Why were my orders disobeyed,
Beppo?"
| loss to understand him.
whole plan-that signor vicino was to be
| captured, not knitted. You knew that the
| object Of the whole thing was to extort
| from him all that he knew and to hold
him to ransom. Why did you kill him?'
II don't remember anything. Did I
| kill him.
isn't this your knife?'' he asked. show
! ing me the weapon which I had found
close to my side on my first return to
| consciousness. HE was killed with this,
| and the signOrina declares you admitted
| having done it,
II don't know" I said. II did not
The reply incensed him. Don't try to
| fool me- he cried
II was struck on the head by some one
| and can remember nothing"
| 81 will have a better tale than that
| he declared, and launched out into long
| TRADE against me for having dsobeyed
his orders and spoilt his plans. From
this I was able to gather that he had
| been acting under the orders Of some man
| of influence in making the attack upon
| the murdered man; that very important
| results were anticipated from the cap
| ture: that the victim had been in posses
sion of plans which 1t was Of the most
| critical Importance to discover; that his
death had jeopardized everything, and
that he was a magistrate of such infiu-
ence that his murder might bring dis
| aster upon ALL
II gave the matter into your hands to
! deal with" he concluded, you know
| that. And now you have ruined every
(! thing. I had better have trusted to Giu-
seppe. You are too ready with the knife.
Too reckless to be SAFE
| 1 took my cue from this last sentence
| Have you finished. Beltano? If not
swear away and get through with 1t and
| then talk sense. / tell you I know
nothing of what happened here. If
killed the man. I killed him. That's all.
Neither oaths nor abuse of me will bring
him back to life. Do what you will
who struck your
"How the devil do know. man? That's
a FOOLS question. Nothing less
SELF"
"Was Breva here?'
He stared at the simple question and
| looked at me as If I were mad. "Are you
going to tell you don't know that?'
Have you ever found me to lie, Bel
| tano?"
mo, by the cross I haven't" His
| tone was very serious, and he came and
knelt by my side. DO you really mean
lnaL you remember nOtnlnS at all! You
must have had q devil of a crack on the
| head"
I make what you will of it. I am speak,
| ing no less and no more than the truth
when tell you don't remember thing
that has ever passed here before / came
| to and found myself alone with the dead
| body"
You remember coming here with Giu-
seppe and Drake surely, and that you
| yourself arranged the whole trap to get
Vicino and the signorina here?''
mot thing" I replied, passing my
hand across my brow. Il remember COM
| ing to and finding the sheath of my dag
ger empty and the dagger close to my
side. and the dead man there by the
table. And then l heard the signorina
cry for help. and 1 went up and cut her
bonds, wondering how the devil she came
| to be in such a plight: and she vowed she
| would denounce me for the murder. and
1 was fool enough and helpless enough
| to watch her trying to escape when you
all came. Now you've got the story; all
l can tell. that is. You must get the rest
from the Others"
He listened intently, his face showing
more consideration than before, and he
got up and paced to and fro across the
room in thought.
IF did kill him. I'm sorry. Beltano l
don't want the mans blood on my head.