The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1910-02-04
CHAPTER XIV.
Battle Orchard.


When I called at st. Agatha's the
following morning the maid told Me
that Miss PaS was i'll and that Miss
Helen asked to be excused. | walked
restlessly about the grounds until
luncheon, thinking Helen might ap.
pear; and later determined to act on
an impulse, with which l had trifed
for &5veral days, to seek the cottage
on the Tippecanoe and satisfy myself
of Holbrook's absence. A sharp show
er had cooled the air, and | took the
canoe for greater convenience in run
ming into the shallow creek. | know
nothing comparable to padding as a
litter of the spirit, and with my arms
and head barred and cool breeze at
my back | was soon Swimming along
as buoyant of heart as the responsive
canoe beneath me. 1t was about four
o'clock when dipped my way into the
farther lake, and as the water broad
ened before me at the little strait saw
the Stiletto lying quietly at anchor off
the eastern shore of Battle Orchard.
| drew close to observe her the better,
but there were no signs of life on
board, and l padded to the western
side of the island.
1t had already occurred to me that
Holbrook might have another hiding
place than the cottage at Red Gate,
where l had talked with him, and the
island seemed a likely spot for it. l
ran my canoe on the pebblv beach and
climbed the bank. The trail bore up-
ward and soon came upon a small
clearing about an acre in extent that
had once been titled, but it was now
pre-empted by weeds as high as my
head. Beyond lay an ancient orchard,
chiefly of apple trees, and many hoary
veterans stood faithful to the brave
hand that had marshaled them there.
every orchard is linked to the Hes
perldes and every apple waits for At.
alanta-if not for Eve!) stopped to
pick wild flower and found an arrow
head lying beside it.
Fumbling the arrow head in my fin
gers, | passed on to log cabin hid
den away in the orchard. l approached
warily, remembering that if this were
Holbrook's camp and he had gone
away he had probably left the Italian
to look after the yacht, which could be
seen from the cabin door. | made a
circuit of the cabin without seeing any
signs of habitation, and was about to
enter by the front door, when l heard
the swish Of branches in the under.
brush to the east and dropped into the
grass.
In moment the Italian appeared,
carrying a pair of oars over his shout.
der. He had evidently just landed,
as the blades were dripping. He threw
them down by the cabin door, came
round to the western window. drew
out the pin from an iron staple with
which it was fastened, and thrust his
mead IN. He was greeted with a howl
and loud demand of some sort. to
which he replied in monosyllables, and
aiter several minutes of this parley l
caught fragment of dialogue which
seemed to be final in the subject under
discussion.
Let me out or it will be the worse
1or you; let me out, say!"
My boss he sometime come back:
tnen you get out it, maybe
With this deliverance, accomplished
with some difficulty, the Italian turned
away, going to the rear of the cabin
lor pail with which he trudged off
toward the lake. He had not closed
tne window and would undoubtedly
return in few minutes: so | waited
until ne was out of sight, then rose
ana craWled through the grass to the
opening.
| looked in upon a bare room whose
one door opened inward, and | did not
lor moment account for the voice
Then something stirred in the farther
corner, and l slowly made out the fig.
ure OF man tied hand and foot. lying
on MS back in a pile of grass and
leaves. o
(TO BE CONTINUED)