The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-01-11
xxxIlI Continued.)

heel of Sir Gideon Marske on him,
did as he was bid in the matter of
arranging Arthur's escape from
prison, but that he did it in the
hope that, before the desperate VEN
ture was ended, he would find some
means of turning the tables on his
master, or at least freeing himself
from his yoke.
looked at his strong face, with
the humorous twist to mouth that
suggested possibilities of cruelty
and tenderness at the same time. l
was clutching at the ratings, so
heavily was the steamer pitching
now, but the stout elderly gentle
man, lingering his pistol, with one
keen eye for the bridge and a
milder one for me, balanced himself
on the heaving deck with no appar-
ent effort. He had lit and smoked
some half dozen cigars since we oc-
cupied what he called our intrench-
ment.
Have you no relatives to miss
you If you leave England" sud
den impulse prompted me to ask.
NO" he replied. Il have no one
to mind, whatever happens. l had
once-a young wife. of whom l was
more than fond, Miss Chilmark. 1t
was to save her life by sending her
to Madeira that l committed the
theft-no need to. mince words
which brought me into obndage UNI
der Sir Gideon Marske. My wife
died, and l. became the unwilling
slave of man more infamous than
any of those who have used place
and power for their own ends
That was the first and last Of
Herzog's condolences to me, but it
is perhaps sufficient to explain why
l refuse to regard him as the hui
man monster whom Arthur has por-
trayed in the earlier pages of his
narrative. For the sake of the
strenuous aid he rendered me | try
to persuade myself that he went
into the affair of Lord Alphington
because he guessed that his EN-.
ployers had made an initial blum
der in assuming Arthur's guilt, and
that instead of closing the consptr-
acy with a political assassination,
he might be able to forge Srom it q
weapon for his own emancipation.
3 All this time the gale had been
increasing, but it was not till we
had passed Yarmouth and come
into the straight stretch ending in
the Needles and the open sea that
we felt its full force. And once
through the narrow gut, where
Cliff End on the Wight and Hurst
castle on the mainland tut out
toward each other, the seas were
runningCgh. A minute later l was
drenc..ed to the skin by a shower Of
spray, and Herzog voiced the fear
that had already seized me. He
pointed to Totland pier. foam be-
I sieged and deserted, across mile
of angry water. Away to the right,
on the dreaded Shingle Bank, the
, breakers were leaping with thun-
derous roar.
Il am afraid we are DONE" he
said. "A boat would scarcely live
in that sea, even If my pistol could
induce a brace of these ruffians to
man It,"
You must induce them; | am not
afraid to go In boat" | cried des-
perately, for the sight of the little
tree empowered village ON the
cliffs, round which all my hopes
and fears centered, maddened me.
could pick out quite clearly the
vacant house in which Arthur had
sought refuge.
In my agitation had stepped on,
beyond the shelter of the deck
4 house and joined Herzog on the
sloping deck, clutching his arm to
save myself from falling l had not
seen Belcher for hours, bpt now, as
I looked up at the bridge he turned
his evil face aft to us and shouted
How about going ashore now?
You'll have to shoot the whole
crowd, or I'll never get 'em to lower
n boat in this sea-"
: Herzog turned to me, his great
broad face working with an
emotion that | like to think of as
pity. "The skipper speaks true
word for once" he said sadly. But,
II you SO decide, l am quite willing
to give the Magistrates crew the
choice between suicide by drown
ing or bullet"
What would happen II we do not
attempt to land?" l asked In de-
spair.
Herzog shot a glance at the
surges boiling on the Shingles. at
will be perilous operation he
replied, but l can make him turn
back to Yarmouth and land US
there, where the roadstead Is shell
tered. or course there would be
the loss of valuable time, but ii
would be better than getting
drowned or the other alternative of
% hoiny 70 Enu IN narcalnna