Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-07-16
CHAPTER XXI.


CHAPTER XXI.
The right.
MOT often have the good people OF
Nm Palermo seen three cabs pass
through the Corso Vittorio EN-
manuele In such fashion. The sight
made loiterers curious, drove police
men frantic, and caused the drivers
of other vehicles to pull to u side and
| piously bless themselves.
Dubois had evidently offered his
| cocchiere q lavish bride for a quick
| transit through the city. and the italian
| was determined to earn 1t. Although
he had a good start. and his horse was
accustomed to negotiating the main
t~horoughfare at a rapid pace, never
theless the h~alf-starved animal was not
| able to maintain a high rate Of speed
for more than a few minutes.
BY the time they reached the Corso
| Cataflni, which carries the chief artery
Of Palermo out into the country
crossing the railway n passing the
magnificent convent Of San Francisco
de Sale-the horse was laboring heav-
lily Notwithstanding the frantic efforts
Of the cabman.
1t was at this point, when mounting
| the bridge, that Dubois knew for GER
| tain he was followed. Three hundred
| yards behind he saw Talbot whipping
| an equally unwilling, but better-condi-
| toned steed than that which carried
| his own fortunes. At the distance he
| could not recognize the Engiishman,
| but inatinct told him that this impas-
stoned driver was an enemy.
- $1,000 -. .4 wrfufkIA
| being far In the rea
MY friend" said Dubois, standing up
in the small carriage and leaning
against the drivers seat, II offered
you twenty francs II 0 crossed the
city quickly. / win make 1t forty for
another mile at the same pace. Sec. I
place the money in your pocket"
1T will kill my horse, signorina-"
Possibly. I will buy you another"
The cocchiere thought that this was
a lady of strange manner There was
an odd timbre in her voice. a note Of
| domination not often associated with
| the fair sex. But h had given earnest
of her words by a couple of gold pieces.
so he murnured q prayer to his
| favorite saint that the horse might not
| die until the right moment.
Thus they swirled on. pursued n
pursuers. until the villa residences on
the outskirts of the town were less
in evidence, and fields devoted TO the
pepper-wort. alternated with groves Of
olives and lines, formed the prevalent
| features of the landscape.
Now it became evident that the lead
ing horse could barely stagger another
fifty yards. Notwithstanding the in
human efforts of the cocchiere to make
the most of the poor brute's failing
energies. At last the animal stumbled
and fell, nearly pulling the driver off
his perch. 1t al sad, but he had more
than earned his price. for Palermo lay
far behind.
MY horse is done for. ~signorina,"
cried the cabman. at is marvellous
that he corpo di Bacchol 1t is a
mani"
Dubois felt that his feminine trap
pings were no longer a disguise, only q
hindrance. He had torn off jacket.
skirt, a and wig. The frightened
cabman saw his fare-changed now into
an athletic young man, attired in shirt
and trousers, the latter rolled UP 20
his knees-spring from the vehicle and
Vault oN1A - ~ ~ IA0 A0[44h4R~
Some portion of the discarded cIath-
ing lay on the seat of the carriage but
Dubois had thrown the skirt over his
arm.
Here! Come backl" yelled the
italian. What about payment for my
dead horse?"
But Dubois paid little heed to him.
He was fumbling. with the pocket Of
the skirt as he ran. Not until he had
withdrawn a revolver from Its folds
y ~hereupon he at once threw away the
garment-did the maddening remem
brance come t. him that he unloaded
the weapon prior to the customs ex-
animation, and had forgotten to re-
Insert the cartridges.
They were in the pocket Of his serge
coat. the coat which m~adennoiseile wore.
She, like a prudent young woman. had
been careful to reload the revolver she
carried, and which she transferred 70
her new attire when, at the last mo-
ment, Dubois suggested the exchange
of clothing as a final safeguard in the
most unexpected event of police inter
ference with their landing.
Henri Dubois could not afford to ex-
pend his breath in useless curses, but
his eyes scintilated with fiery CLEANS.
He, the man who took no chances, who
foresRw every pitfaii and smiled at tho
devices of outraged law. to compromise
his W sfaety so foolishfyt
For an instant he was tempted to
fling the weapon away, but he con-'
troiled the impulse.
"As 1t is.r he thought. sfhis fellow
who Is pursuing me may not be armed.