Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-21

FOR MAY IL. 1911
feet as the curtain lifted. Another step
would have hurled her into unknown depths.
But she did find water. Retreating in panic
toward the aeroplane, she came upon a
meager supply cupped in a hollow of the
rock. 1t was only the brackish remainder
of some rainfall; but it served. Had it been
crystal fount, she could not have hung
over it with keener gratitude.
Meanwhile the yelled sun, dim, imper
feet nucleus of light, neared its zenith, and
to the ills of the body were added the rack
and thumbscrew of that archinquisitor, the
Mind. She was torn with anxiety as She
pictured the ado at the castle. Long since
they would have missed her. What were
they thinking9 To what steps, after the
revelations of the night, would her frantic
aunt be driven? What should she say to
them when Rodoslav took her back? If he
did take her back! Where was he? Did he
really know the terrible land she had spied
in that appalling instant on the cliff edge2
Or, even if he knew it, would not this cling
ing white terror distort it beyond recog-
milton? She believed him lost beyond
doubt. She could with difficulty thrust
away a more tragic possibility. Was the
Great Adventure to end at the foot of
precipice9 A bruised figure
THEN, stumbling through the ghostly
light, very ghost himself, came Rodo-
slav
aHave you hurt YOURSELF" Shocked at
the change in him, she sprang to meet him.
@Are you ill?"
@Not in body" he answered, and, brush
ing by, fell feverishly to work.
"Was it useless to try it in the mist?"
she persisted. Couldn't you find your
way?' r. ,
drag the words from him. Then, in passion
ate outburst, 3Can't you guess the TRUTH"
he demanded. Haven't the look of
beaten man? Can't you see I'm ruined?"
@Ruined!' she faltered. Surely not that.
If they have discouraged you, these men you
trusted, you must find Others to help you.
Don't regret them,' she urged, her sorrow
such followers. hope you heaped the con-
tempt on them they deserved, called them
the towards that they are?"
GNo."
@You let them 60 without word?"
He met her eyes. aThey were gone before
I came" he said heavily.
@Gone! There was no one there?"
Zone man, one wretched old man, my own
servant. l went to meet the flower of Serv-
ian cn1ValTy, the MaTSnalS OF my army.
found my coachman"
She was silent before his revelation How
solace man who had lost an Empire!
With hard, vivid strokes Rodoslav filled
in the picture. @Old Nikolai crawled out of
the bushes as I started up the last trail.
had sent him from Regusa with messages
You remember him, old Nikolai, the ser
want who came to meet us at the pier? He
would give his life if l asked it. He risked
it only today. He was famished from hiding
in the bushes to warn me. Think of it! My
coachman the only one of them all! The
others-the others saved their skins"
3They were there and went away"
@Some of them. Two or three only. I
don't blame them so much. They saw it
was hopeless. They had been tricked too"
3Tricked?"
zone man, man trusted as I've trusted
few, turned informer Everything he
learned found its way to those who had
bought him. How Saccarello must have
laughed in his sleeve as he watched me! We
played comedy for his benefit that's the
truth of it."
The catastrophe was SO sweeping that it
overwhelmed her; yet for his sake she tried
to fight down dismay. He must not be over
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