The Washington times., 1911-07-23
CHAPTER XVII (Continued).


square between the shoulders. ! saw
him stagger, but his nngers old not
relax upon the hilt or his saper. ne
turned slowly, moving as though py
supreme effort. Stumbling, uncertaln' tam
he took a dozen steps through the hall.
once he lurched forward, and thought
he must have fallen, but he advanced
straight upon the man VINO had shot
him in the back. His face was blood
less, a spasm of pain contracted the
muscles, but he had strength to raise
the saber, stained with the blood OF his
The Baron Won seldorf retreated a
few pacesi again a squirt OF nre issued
crimson stain appeared upon the breast
of the dragoon, but he advanced stead
lily. s s,u.uu,o.
and the deep breathing of the specta-
tors The bloody saber flashed above
the head of the son Of the old chan-
cellor I saw the Wolf crlnge, and an
expression of terror swept across his
race. Then the blade fell, a crash
ing blow, dealt with the supreme ef-
fort of one who had received a mortal
wound. en-
Wolf of Brescia, his skull cloven by
the descending steel. And scarcely had
his body crashed to the floor when the
saber dropped from the herVeiess m
gers of the young dragon. A gush or
blood stained his lips, he coughed NO
lently, swayed from side to sidep and'
clutching at the wall Tor supPoIL tuIi-
bied in heap between his victims.
| sprang forward. for what purpose
I know not, but 1t would have been bet
ter had / remained in the doorway be-
side the countess. Some fool hred. l
was told afterward 1t was a dragoon
crazed by excitement who leVeled ms
revolver and pulled the trigger with
I saw binding fash. the roof Of
the house seemed to be descending
upon my head, the roar OF a mighty
surf rang in my ears. IeIt myse.! a
falling slipping away ava sunnorteS into spa1e, nee
and then everything grew black
A ray of sunlight falling across my
face awakened me. Bewi6ereo'
turned my head upon the pillow and
saw was in a room with which I was
unfamiliar. Then l became aware my
head was swathed in bandages. my
eyes burned like balls of hre' ana
a strange lassitude possessed me.
Peculiar dreams had come to me; l
remembered having battled against an
invisible force which 1t was impossloIe
to conquer, and strange, tahtasuc LoIHls
had drifted across my line OF VISION.
But more than all else 1t had been the
specter Of a gigantic wolf which had
troubled me; gaunt, gray. nerce-eyeo.
he had followed perststently ana
could not shake him off. When
struck he avoided the blow, when l
pursued he vanished. only to appear
again with bristling hair and oareo
fangs. ,s. -
I seemed to be also in the midst OF
rushing squadrons; flashes or coIor. the
CAV uniforms of the riders, trailed be-
fore my eyes. On every side the sill
very notes of bugles were sounding'
l heard the clank of sabers, the Jingle
of a thousand spurs and scapparos: d
thousand voices shouted tncoherently.
7 felt myself swept away in the on
lush, though l struggled to draw pack'
a huge cavalryman, Gad In yeiloW,
bore down en- me, the broad plade OF
his saber flashed above my n.y., hehn; STi; - i
Glove the skull of the gaunt Gray Won
| instead of mine. Then the mellowed
blast of a cavalry trumpet nlled Ine
air above the heads of the surglhg
T Opened my eyes: the sunlight, was
streaming across my face, and l knew
| the sound Of the trumpet was not a
dream. From somewhere OUTSIDE II
came, and others chorused IN the olS-
| tance. - 49,
Some one arose from seat near the
open window and came to the PED
side; It was the face of McGregor tnat @
looked down upon ,,on me; saw satssfacs ais acs
t%,scH t,Un fbone ana IN an his sIpt'OA eyes.
I'm heavens name," I demanded
weakly. "whers am I. and what has
He laid a nerveless hand on my fore
head, or such part OF IL as Was hoI
| swathed in bandages: :.
"You must not talk, M. Robinson,
said he, "the surgeons have warned me
against it" -. ..r,7, do
For answer he took a glass from the
| table and held 1t to my lips; the swal.
| low I took sent me into q MT OF OF
coughing Then he stood ana ressIueu sreSt
me not a muscle moving in that mask
When I regained my breath. I made
| TO prop myself on one elbow: 1or
Trroment' the bed began to dance
dropped my head upon the pillow
nv brain desperately. and then 1t all
came McSaesor'" gSeS r: said 7, feebly. 1.-THE pa
ners Me6 end he countess? Did Morgan get
tbam safely across the frontierr
Something like a spasm crossed MS
i@I; "Darn the papers and-beg pardon
IN that fracas, but I trust Morgan
made good use of the opportunity. Inc
Governor put out Of business, the house
| in tumult, OdSn LUZ IL hANoN AA~'O
carried him through"
| AS though in answer to my question
a foor somewhere in the room opened
and heard q soft footstep on the
Garnet I saw the little Scotchman nod.
"He is perfectly conscious, sir" quoth
Two figures advanced to the bedside
and looked down upon me. one was
Morgan, the other a stranger.
The latter bent down, laid his hand
upon my forehead and felt my pulse,
| Then, helpless as 1 was, he pr1ed open
INV evelids, peered under them, and
nodded in a satisfied manner.
"As 1 had predicted; the fever has
departed and he is once more perfectly
rational" said he in a deep Voice.
| "Rut In another fifteen minutes had
gone stark crazy-with that solemn.
faced Scotchman staring down at me-
The surgeon nodded once more.
''He is well out Of it, the brain has
| become normal; 1t Is better than we
hoped at first" he explained to Morgan.
This time 1 succeeded In gettlng upon
| nv elbow without having the bed cut
Gamers. I'm heavens name" said I,
then treat me like human being and
not a mummy. 1 have asked McGregor
where I am; he refused to answer;
nut some other questions and he only
| stared at me. l realize something has
| happened. that I have been down and
out. but my ideas are hazy. Where is
| the governor where's the countess, and
| how goes 1t with that fend who slashed
every one with a saber2 And finally
| is this Brescia, or where am ~ Then
| 7 dropped back upon the pillow again.