Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1909-11-05
CHAPTER XIV.
THE TRIAL OF Won BL1rz.

G~1HE next morning found the
weather unsettled. There had
been a fierce storm during the
- night. and a nasty mist was
blowing up from the sea. Deppingham
kept to his room. although his cold
was dissipated.
Chase had been up nearly all of the
night, fearful lest the islanders should
seize the opportunity to scale the walls
under cover of the tempest. All
through the night he had been pos
sessed of a spirit of wild bravado, a
glorious exaltation. He was keeping
watch ver her, standing between her
and peril, guarding her while she slept.
His thoughts, however, did not con-
template the princess fair in a state Of
wretched insomnia, with himself as
the disturbing element.
He looked for her at breakfast time.
They usually had their rolls and cof-
fee together. When she did not ap-
pear he made more than n pretext
to l%engthen his own stay in the break
fast room. "She's trying to forget
yesterday" he reflected.
Selim came to him in the midst of
soaked envelope.
at was found, excellency, inside the
southern gate, and it is meant for
you," said Selim. Chase gingerly
slashed open the envelope with his
fruit knife. He laughed ruefully as he
read the simple but laborious message
from Jacob Won Blitz:
Where ere your yarshins-l
time? They are not coming to you
ever. Goodby. You got to die yet too.
Your friend, Jacob Won Blitz. And
my wives TOO"
Chase stuffed the blurred. sticky let
ter into his pocket and arose to stretch
himself.
There's something coming to you,
Jacob" he said, much TO the wonder
Of Selim. "Selim, unless l miss my
guess pretty badly, Wen be having a
message, not from Garcia, but from
Rasula before long. How are my ciga-
rettes holding out?'
"They run low, sahib. Neenah has
| ElhCH III VI AC1o " Nv " JOof S0N(A
lency, and l have demanded those of
the wives of Won Blitz."
"Selim, you must not forget that you
are a gentleman. That was most I'M
gallant. But | suppose you got themY'
mo, sahib. They refused to give
them up. They are saving them for
Mr.. Britt" said Selim dejectedly.
"Ah, the icklety of women!' he
sighed. "There's a new word for you,
Selim-ficklety."
1t was far past midday when he
heard from Rasula. He had seen the
princess but once, and then she was
walking briskly, wrapped in a rain
coat, followed by her shivering dogs
and her two Rapp-Thorberg soldiers.
Somehow she failed to see Chase as
he sauntered hungrily, almost implor-
ingly, across the upper terrace, in plain
view. Perhaps, after all, it was not
the weather.
Rasula's messenger came to the
gates and announced that he had a
letter for Mr.. Chase. Rasula had this
to say:
We nave reason to suspect that you
were right T. your suspicious. The gold
en- plate ha- been found this day in the
cave below the chateau, just as you have
said. This much of what you have
charged against Jacob Won Blitz seems tc
be borne ont by the evidence secured
Last night there was an attempt to rot
the vaults in the company's bank. Again
/ followed your advice and laid a trap fol-
the men engaged. They were slain in the
efr,,no1a mhfah foI1ouad haua IN in
form you, SIR, that your charge against
Jacob Won Ritz does not hold good II
the case of the bank robbery. Therefore
1 am impelled to believe hat you may
"a unjustly accused him of being i'm
plicated in the robbery of the treasure
chests. He was not among the banl
thieves. There were but three of them
the Boer foremen. Jacob Won Blitz came
up himself and joined us in the fighf
against the traitors. He was mercfless II
his anger against them. You have sal,
that you win testify against him. Sir,
have taken 1t upon myself to place hin
under restraint Notwithstanding his ac
tons against the Beers. He shall have
fair trial. If it is proved that he Il
guilty, he shall pay the penalty. We arr
just people.
Sir, we, the people of Japat, will tax
you at you word. We ask you to appeal
against the prisoner and give evidence IL
support of your charge. He shall b.
placed on trial tomorrow morning at l
o'clock. On my honor as a man and
believer 1 assure safety to you while yol
are among us on that occasion. /, Ra
sula, will meet you at the gates and viii
conduct you pack to them in safety. l
you are a true man, you will not evad'
the call. RASULA-
"Well, it looks as though Won Bit
has spiked your guns" said Depping
ham. "The dog turns against his con
federates aad saves his own skin b,
killing them"
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