The Washington times., 1911-11-01

M 0OuDt1ully between US hNo"
Frerata looked puzzled.
prepared to tollJw up my ADVANTAGE.
Never taking my eyes from Ferata's'
I continued:
4 sAs for the prisoner. he--"
'.(set on to Sebastep' whispered Billy.
koarse with excitement. He's goip' to
Ny eyes swept the circle. Fuori-
monte. with his two guards. stood o
little to my left. Sebaste. unobserved,
had edged his way through the rest and
had gained place Just behind the
prisoner.
Even as 1 looked his band was raised
as for blow. and the lights were re-
nectsd from bit of polished steel IN
count sebaster. / called sharply
He started back Euiltily. All eyes
were now on him. The prisoner. noting
the direction OF my gaze, WrlGgieu
about in the grasp Of his eaptors ,ir, IN
time to get glimpse Of the hastily
concealed knifeblade.
IS. The look of abject horror that turned
his face ashcn was something not hsht-
1T appeared to me-" observed Sc
baste carelessly. regaining at once his
momentarlly nhaken po.se,. that tnat
was the swiftest and simplest solution
II you forbid It."
What was one to do? These were not
human beings. The Italian at his best
cultured. most altogether delightful Of
men. An Italian at his worst Is some
thing that words cannot we'll define.
And this worthy group OF Vienna
Brethren represented all That was Vilest
and most unspeakable Of their race and
Was It worth while risking two de-
@ Ses 5ecaedy sHeh no
4 Perhaps that was why. with Anglo
Saxon pig-headedness, l was the more
resolved to save him.
The luckless marchese, wild with ter
ror, stretched out his bound hands to
me In q strange. awkward gesture. So
stin and unusual was II, indeed. that
though 1t was quite distinct from the
Z changed amid the brethren. instinct
ively judged 1t to be some part of the
orders sign manual.
Presumably a silent appeal for succor
such as the Masons are said to employ
I paid no heed. but turned again on
sebaste; But to my ama5emcnt 5m .rt tn, the
were looking at me in surprised ex-
pectancy.
felt rather than saw the hesitation
" Were rse' waiting % for something. A '
There was a very brief, but very dis
comforting. pause. Then Ferata said
with hne irony:
rs it presumptuous to ask Il your
excellency's mysterious commands from
the Head Council include instruction to
disregard the distress slSnal?"
II observed it." said stifhy, but
The rustic Of surprise swelled to a
bewildered and bewilderIng murmur.
had made some bad break. That was
evident But what was 1t?
Perhaps resumed Ferata, with the
same sarcastic smile, you will so ia,
honor our poor chapter as to comply
with the solemn and rnbreaRaoie bIsa s., RUE :
distress signal must always be recog'
nixed?'
U. 81 recognized it, / tell you!" I re:
4 torted, with perplexed impatience. -
recognized 1t the moment he made 1t
But we have more important work or
stopped, frightened-yes. honestly
and thoroughly frightened-by the lool
on the dukes fat face.
IT must insist" he said, in a muffled
strange, subdued tone. that you com
ply at once with the by-laws-the by
laws that govern the Head Council al
well as the peasant auXiliary-and rec
ognize the sign. 1t is, as you know, the
right of every member. high or low. to
insist on that recognition"
stood mute. l thought, and still
think, that my Yankee wits had carried
me fairly far. But what was the mex
move? Whatever 1t was, everybody wa!
waiting, and waiting in no pleasan
UnGuestionably, some rule of the or
der compelled brother to whom a dis
tress signal was made to give som'
sort of sign in response. But wha
was that sign?
Even in that moment of tension tn,
absurdity OF the thing occurred to me-
band of blackguards who had JUS
condemned a man to death and who in
sisted on the punctilio of a reply to hi
signal of distress!
& I'VE await your recognition" growleC
looked at him. My face must nav,
told him much; for the wonder ant
growing suspicion that had glowered II
bis bloodshot eyes now blazed into dunn
foaHasa sWso .re ssrtsinty; sa1.y he roarea
"Billy" ] muttered under cover @
the outbreak that followed his demand
The games gam ,s. up! Edge ts toward IT. the in In
them as long as 1 CAM
At Ferata's shout a clamor of min
Gled bewilderment and fury had burs
from the others, and they crowded
closer to me. BY good fortune I stood
nearer to the incline than did most o
them. For they had instinctively moved
down the room around the prisoner ant
his guards.
Ny game was. indeed, up. I had per
haps one chance in forty of reaching
the door; one in hundred Of passing
through 1t; and one In ten thousand o
escaping alive ana uncaptured through
the unfamiliar outlying country tha
surrounded the hut.
Well, IT had been an exciting gam
while 1t lasted; and had played at /
as long and as cleverly as could tin,
average man. II it was at an end /
was at an end. But before threw dowl
my cards more than one Of these cur
should precede me to the next world.
was vaguely sorry for poor old Bill,
Gregg. whom my folly and weakness
had dragged into this death-trap. Blu
was too excited to feel keenly an,
emotion save that of battle.
II my strange connection with tn
Brotherhood Of Vienna were destined L
end here and now, then l would frs
give that brotherhood something to re
member as long as it's unholy existenc
should endure.
CHAPTER XVIII.
A. ~ To-