The Virginia enterprise., 1909-02-19

dashed into his room to throw his
clothes out to me to pack.
We reached New Orleans at dusk and
took cab from the railway station.
AS We drove away looking out of the
cab window I saw swarthy, roughly
dressed man enter another cab which
Immediately followed. US. I thought
nothing Of the incident at the time
except to wonder how such a looking
individual happened to be riding in
cabs
and then the full import of Clarkes
devilish cunning, his mastery of the
minds of men by the use of forces
which bordered on the supernatural
dawned upon me. Here was the pilot
which would guide us to the lair of
the wolf and to Thaida, the spy turned
to account against his own employer.
The path lay by water, this evidently
Clarke had discovered.
Yes, 1t was absurdly simple" re-
marked Clarke, quietly. divining as he
so often seemed to do. my train of
thought.
LAS soon as found we were watched
l knew l had the master key to the
situation. 1t was easy to turn from
the shadowed to the shadow. l slipped
out of the hotel through the kitchens,
prepared the way for you; and while
our pilot here was watching the front
entrance Of the hotel was within a
step Of him and watching him. You
know my method and it was not long
before I had him in my power and
knew all that he knows. 1t is not
much except that de Loup has some
sort of rendezvous on an obscure is-
land about 80 miles up the coast from
the delta. 1t is called the lie des
Serpents and we are going to find out
what goes on there. God send we do
not get there too late!" Clarke's eyes
took faraway look and l knew he
was thinking of Thaida.'
Meanwhile the stoical figure held
the wheel and guided US in and out
among the thinning cra::, Clarke's
eyes ever upon him, Clarke's brain
ever directing the hand at the tiller.
1T was far from pleasure trip, that
l07-mile ride to the delta, which we
reached about three in the afternoon.
The presence of that silent, stoical
figure at the wheel "lay like a load
on the weary eye" 1t tried my nerves
and l believe that even the iron nerve
Of Clarke was not immune to the in
/ fauehce, for in an hour Of two he arose,
and lnotioning me toytake the wheel,
with a few passes and a swapping of
the figures he brought our unwill-
+ ing guest back to normal state. At
first be sat dazed and awed, but as his
senses returned his ire rose and he
poured forth in mingled French and
English a perfect torrent of abuse.
Clarke watched him. ready. to forestall
any y attempt at Violence. Wv - u
you have seen what may happen
to you;," said my confrere quietly, when
there was at last lull. "Now you can
make your choice of three things.
Either you will guide us willingly to
Tile des Serpents or you will return
to state of hypnosis and guide us, or
else you will be taken there in irons
and If your master should chance to
get the better of us the last living
act of mine will be to turn you over to
him and brand you as a traitor
"Eet look as eef l was what you
say opp against it anyway. Say no
more. fvill guide you. But l will die.
You all will die. De Loup he iss one
devil. haf been there once, twice,
three times in ze launch. Dere iss
many mems dere. I De Loup he tell me
he cut my eyes out eef ever tell de
way. hat not been on ze island
but l haf seen enough Dere iss no
coed goes on dere. But zat iss not my
business. I am pay to watch. will
so but We ali viii die ah dose what
dies first will be de luckiest."H
T. mo, We'll hot die" replied Clarke.
"Not if I can help it, and if there is
possible way to do it 7 will see that
you run no risk. 1t may be you can
land us and then stand of until we
Signal YOU. If you are true to us we
will take care of you. You've only
schanged employers, my good fellow,
and got the best Of the bargain"
Clarke:s generous tone and the
sparkle Of his eye seemed to inspire
q sudden confidence in Bloc, as we
learned his name to be. A look such
as might, have mantled the face of a
| sergeant of the "Old Guard when the
Little Corporal" pinched his ear stole
over his features. He arose and look.
ing Clarke sQuarely in the sseye
grasped his hand. From the m6ment
! of that action he was one of ua and we
had NO fear 6ut that he would apIty his
tpart; and play It we'll. :
At last VIE were put on taa blue
dancing water of the gulf, beyo{d the
low, hat-lytnk mud Jumps Of tde, del.
ta."'. \ j Nv .iE7 .&a* R
!: The: wind Ehad now ~hsshen6d and
was bloXiqg almost gale. sWth it
| the SEP spsel and locking =thzte3h the
green sheets of watet that da&h1 over
our little g1ass-covered cabf1 It did
not seem that our sifail craft could
live. a, mtpute. ButS.fortanate]bi,< the
wind was; dead aheSd and xe|ekere
taking thA|Yhves tkansversely,- y,-h66uint,
| ing then&IgA AcefnlTy sliding of into
the ;tzeu hd A$aking only the. thin
spraY:of= f=het tcrest. st last darkness
Nh aid with it the wind.
Before midnight we make eet, -
E'sssda = Bloc | -)ae1qs Eas stltty& 1by, ,tee
eompass~---S SILENTLY wao drew. on the
larder for a repast consisting Of what
| ever We could find that needed no