Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-07
THE MESSAGE
BY LOUIS TRACY.
Copyright By cod.,

ms attention was momentarily drawn to a
pair of storks crcling lazily above the
tower. He wondered if they were the
same placid couple that had watched him
carrier. No bird Is more wideawake than
the stork. despite its habitual air OF
sleepy Indifference. and Warden fancied
that the noise he made must have dis
turbed the two sentinels on the top of the
building
The hillside was absolutely deserted
Far below nestled the white mass OF the
town. it's long. low, whitewashed rectan-
giles broken only by clumps of trees and
an occasional dome or minaret. Near the
quay lay the Water Witch. Her cranes
were busy, two strings OF coolies We're
| rushing back and forth across broad
gangway. and the first mate was direct
ing operations from the bridge. Warden
smiled He had heard the flow OF lam
guage at the chiefs command when
some incident on shipboard demanded the
reading of the riot act and he could we'll
imagine the way in which those scamper-
ing Arabs were being melted to strenuous
effort.
1t was peaceful up here in the tower
SO cool and remote from the noisy life OF
the port that he was tempted to linger.
But if he would regain the shelter Of
some cafe In the town ere the sun became
unbearably hot he must be on the move.
So. with sigh for the unhappy Garcia's
fate and farewell glance at the vaulted
room which had witnessed that bygone
began the descent. Thanks to the pre-
cautions taken during the climb he found
no great difficulty in placing his toes I'm
the right inches. He was already below
with both feet wedged into broader
crevice than usual. while he'.changed his
hand hold, when something, whether mere
intuition or a slight sound. he never
afterward knew, caused him to look
| straight up.
Leaning over the top of the ruin. and
in a direct line above his head, was a
Moor OF fantastic appearance. blue
cotton garment of vivid hue seemed to
have lent its dye to the mans face and
indigo he could not have been colored
more completely. Though this extra
| ordinary apparition was fully one hundred
and thirty feet above Warden's head.
| there was no mistaking the malice that
cleaned from the dark eyes gazing down
on the Nazarene. Under such conditions
thought is quick, and Warden was sure
that he had unwittingly invaded the sane
was minded to whip out the revolver and
| fire shot that would at least scare this
| strange being back into his eyrie. But a
British sense Of fair play stopped him.
The blue man. howsoever Withholding.
had not interfered with or molested him
| in any way. He himself was the intruder.
| The fact that he was undeniably startled
did not justify the use of bullet. even
Tor soaring purposes. Inc DeSt tnln8 10
| do was to reach the ground as speedily
| as might be, riskpg 81 jump when he was
| low enough to select a particular stone
on which to alight. His dominant feel
| ing at the moment was one of pique that
| he had failed to interpret correctly the
| flight of the storks. If the zealot on top
| of the tower meant mischief 1t would
| have been far better to have met him In
one of the upper rooms than to be at his
mercy while clingng like fly to the
| face of the wall.
| He was within ten feet of the pile OF
rough stones, and was about to drop on
one larger than it's fellows-in fact. he
was already in the air. having sprung
slightly outward-when a crushing blow
| on his head and left shoulder flung him
violently on to the very slab of granite
| he was aiming for. The shock was SO
violent that he felt no pain. Conscious
| ness was acute for a fraction Of sec
ond. He understood that a heavy stone
| had fallen or been dropped purposely
| from the summit of the tower. and that
his change of position, helped, perhaps.
| by the arched crown of his pith hat, had
| prevented it from striking directly on top
| Of his head. But that was all. He lay
there, with his back propped awkwardly
against the tower. staring up at the sky.
He saw nothing but the bright dome OF
heaven. 1t seemed to be curiously near,
and it's glowing bounds were closing In on
him with the speed of light. Then the
veil fell, and there was merciful dark
ness
(To be continued tomorrow)