The Green Forest tribune., 1909-02-12

But where We are going?" I asked, 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 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 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, 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 l knew 1 had the master key to the situation. It was easy to turn from the shadowed to the shadow. I 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 I 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. It is not much except that de Loup has some sort of rendezvous on an obscure is land about 30 miles up the coast from the delta. It is called the He 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 I 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 107-mile ride to the delta, which we reached about three in the afternoon The presence of that silent, stoical figure at the wheel Hay like load on the weary eye" It tried my nerves and I believe that even the iron nerve of Clarke was not immune to the in f1uence, for in an hour or two he arose, and motioning me to take the wheel, with few passes and a snapping of the figures he brought our unwill- ing guest back to a normal state At first he sat daZed and awed, but as his poured forth in mingled French and English perfect torrent of abuse 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 lull. Now you can make your choice of three things Either you will guile 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 I was what you say opp against it anyway. Say no more. I will guide you. But I will die You all will die. De Loup he iss one devil. I haf been there once, twice, three times in ze launch. Dere iss many men dere. De Loup he tell me he cut my eyes out eef I ever tell de way. I haf not been on ze island but I haf seen enough. Dere iss no good goes on dere. But zat iss not my business. I am pay to watch. I will so but we all will die an dose what dies first will be de luckiest.'
 No, we'll not die,' replied Clarke. Not if I can help it, and if there is a possible way to do it I will see that you run no risk It 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 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 ta.
 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 minute. But fortunately the wind was dead ahead and we were taking the waves transversely, 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.
 Before midnight we make eet," said Bloc. who was steering by the compass. Silently we drew on the larder for repast consisting of what ever we could find that needed no