River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1909-02-11

DuL WHGI6 we are SOiuS L dShSu,
involuntarily.
New Orleans" he shouted as he
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 | saw swarthy, roughly
dressed man enter another cab which
Immediately followed us. | 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 Clarke's
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.
Eyes, it was absurdly simple" re-
marked Clarke, quietly, divining as he
SO often seemed to do my train of
thought.
AS soon as | found we were watched
| knew | had the master key to the
situation. 1t was easy to turn from
the Swallowed to the shadow. 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 l was within a
step of him and watching him. You
know my method and it was not long
before / 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 craft, Clarke's
eyes ever upon him, Clarke's brain
ever directing the hand at the tiller.
It was far from pleasure trip, that
1O7-mile ride to the delta, which we
reached about three in the afternoon.
The presence of that silent, stoical
figure at the wheel clay like a load
on the weary eye" 1t tried my nerves
and [ believe that even the iron nerve
of Clarke was not immune to the in
fuence, for in an hour or two he arose,
and motioning me to take the wheel,
with few passes and a swapping of
the figures he brought our unwill-
ing guest back to a normal state. At
first he sat dazed and awed, but as his
senses returned his ire rose and he
poured forth in mingled French and
Clarke watched him, ready to forestall
any attempt at violence.
"You have seen what may happen
to you" said my confrere quietly, when
there was at last a lull. Nov 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 traitor"
'Eet look as eef / was what you
say opp against it anyway. Say no
more. will guide you. But I will die
You all will die. De Loup he ISIS one
devil. l hat been there once, twice,
three times in re launch. Dere ISIS
many men dere. De Loup he tell me
he cut my eyes out eef l ever tell de
way. I hat not been on re island
but hat seen enough. Dere ISIS no
coed goes on dere. But Eat ISIS not my
business. l am pay to watch. | will
so but we all will die an dose what
dies first viii be de luckiest."
mo, we'll not die" replied Clarke.
Not if l can help it, and if there is
a possible way to do it l will see that
you run no risk 1t may be you can
land us and then stand off until we
signal you. If you are true to us we
will take care of you. You've only
changed employers, my good fellow,
and got the best of the bargain"
Clarke's generous tone and the
sparkle of his eye seemed to inspire
a 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 eye
grasped his hand From the moment
of that action he was one of us and we
had no fear but that he would play his
part and play it well.
At last we were out on the blue
dancing waters of the gulf, beyond the
low, fat-lying mud Jumps of the del
ia
The wind had now freshened and
was blowing almost a gale. With it
the sea rose, and looking through the
green sheets of water that dashed over
our little glass-coyered cabin it did
not seem that our frail craft could
live a minute. But fortunately the
wind was dead ahead and We were
taking the waves trarsversely, mount
ing them gracefully, sliding OFF into
the trough and taking only the thin
spray of the crest At last darkness
fell and with it the wind.