The Washington times., 1911-04-07
CHAPTER XVI (Continued).

washed Sta and sky with Uuh
scarlet, save on the southwest
ern horizon. There hung a
darkly portentous cloud:back against
which the white flame of the Chah-
deleur light cleaned like Ola
mond upon black velvet. save LOT
the Miranda j., the waters were
bare of vessels. The sense ol
desolation- was utter. stupetylns; SIN
lister. To CurtiCe. as lie walked the
deck toward the cabin, 1t carrled
nresentimcnt of evil; the setting
seemed meet and At for some maj
nameless outrage. ,,, ,,,,,,
The mate, Tompkins, had called MN
forth from the lazaret. telling him
that he was wanted in the cabin. AS
he made his way forward. jimmy
feared greatly-feared not for MN
self. but for his friends, the captain
and Haigh. and for the girl. should
the mercenaFies follow out lhelr
natural course and make away with
their adversaries, leaving her Su-
premely friendless, helpless. But he
showed it not. this fear; his step
was as light, his impudence as aaser-
tive. his eye as bright and undaunted.
as though the Junta was the uhuer
dog, not the UPPER one. ,rorned
about the table, drinking ana smok,
ing confidently. TomDkins stationed
himself at Jimmy's back. Vigiiant
with a revolver. Mr Arthur SURVEYED
minutes before he condcscend"d 10
speak.
Daniel had brought counsel 10 Mrs
Lorrimer In the solitude Of self-cOm-
munion she had found ample leisure
in which to ponder her prospects, to
weigh with caution tho chanceS Oh
success that attended upon the ire
mcnduus undertaking OF the Anahua-
can Junta. In short, she crossed the
bridge of her ambition before she
came TO il. testing each plank war
fly ere trusting II.
One support she found to be weak
ened by her own woman's weakness,
threating to snap like a rotted board.
and to cast down the GlitterinE edi-
fee of her hopes into the deep waters
of. defeat; for. She a master or men,
was not the master: of herself 1t
was characteristic OF her to set to
work with no delay to build yet
second bridge, differing greatly from
lacked that fatal frailty. In other
words Mrs. Lorrimer found cause to
be dissatisfied with her position.
therefore she determined to reach
Guayana by another route than as
passenger on board the Miranda j
and with quite a new object in view.
AS originally conceived. no provis-
ion foT such interference as Jimmy's
and Daniels had been made in the
ground plan of the Junta S conspiracy
against Malone, nor had the captains
stubbornness under opposition been
taken into consideration. These hav-
ing been overcome, there remained
the problem OF the disposition OF the
captives.
What to do with them? For they
were very much in the way.
There were four alternatives. They
might be put ashore at once, in the
States. They might be imprisoned in
some safe place until the revolution
should be an accomplished fact and
Malone fugitive or corpse. 1t
would be a very simple thing to
adopt the suggestion advanced by
Lazard and warmly advocated by
Tompkins-to give the three a short
shrift and the oblivion of a grave in
the Gull. OR the Junta might con-
tinue to keep them in the confne-
ment of the lazaret
with no hesitation. the first idea.
was dismissed by Mrs. Lorrimer She
we'll knew that once on shore Cur
tiCe and Haigh would find some way
to apprise Malone Of his danger and
to free his daughter; and the captain
would stop at nothing in his attempts
to regain his ship.
The second was worthy of con-
sideration. if the indispensable prison
could be discovered. ase-hardened
as the woman was, she had no heart
for the third; the ruthless spirit of
the mate was not in her. AS for the
fourth. it had its unpleasant features,
not the least of which was Lazard's
expressed determination to be rid of
Curtice upon the first opportunity.
Thus graphing with the dilemma
whose horns menaced the Junta with
internal wars Mrs. Lorr'mcr came
upon an idea-or,. rather. an inspira-
Nion was born full-winged out of her
Imagination. The audacity of the
conception fascinated, her. filed her
With strong desire to put it into
prompt execution. Perhaps she and
she alone. could accomplish II, so
we'll did IT accord with her original
Itv. with her dash aRG nerve. TO her
would go the credit. hers would be
the applause-and the shame And
for the latter she cared not a snap of
her shapely fingers.
She called Lazard and Fetter into
consultation. At first they doubted
and opposed her: then. fired with her
entnusiasn, were converted, acclaim
ing the genius Of her mind. All three
United in shaping AMI smoothing the
rough edges till the plet seemed
well. Eigh f1awless.
Tho revolutionary sentiment in Ana
hmac though strong, wss dormant,
suffering from tths lassitude that
comes Of long inaction. Few men
dared be its open partisans IL they
were prominent by reason of wealth
or civil position.- Any overt act
would surely be visited with Malones
swift reprisSl-confiscation of lands
and fortunes, exile, or Imprisonment.