The Washington herald., 1911-03-02
CHAPTER XX-Continued.


''oh, told him last night to go ashore
early, II he would, and arrange for rooms
at the Grand Hotel dAjaccio. He knows
all about the place
NJ. Ferrand turned an empty face to-
ward Fitzgerald, who laughed. The great
grandson of Napoleon applying for hotel
accommodations, as a gentleman's gentle
man, and within few blocks of the
house in which the seh-same historic
forbear was born! 1t had its comic
side.
Are there any brigands7'' inquired Mrs.
Coldfeld. She was beginning TO doubt
this expedition
-+Brigands? Plenty" said the admiral,
but they are all hotel proprietors these
times, those that aren't conveniently
buried. From here we go to Carghese,
where we spend the night, then on to
Evisa, and another night The next morn
ing we shall be on the ground Isn't that
the itinerary, Fitzgerald"
Yes"
-And be sure to take an empty carriage
to carry canned food and bottled water"
supplemented Cathewe. The native food
is frightful The first time I took the
journey 1 was ignorant Happily it was
in the autumn, when the chestnuts were
ripe. Otherwise should have starved"
''And you spent a winter or spring
here, Hildegarde?'' said Mrs. Coldfeld-
''It was lovely then" There was a
dream in Hildegarde's eyes
The hotel omnibus was out of service,
and they rode up in carriages. The sea-
son was over, and under ordinary circum-
stances the hotel would have been closed
A certain royal family had not yet left,
and this fact made the arrangements pos
sible- 1t was now very warm Dust lay
IA Talr0S the
withered plants, on the chairs and rail-
ings, and swan palpably in the air. Brett
mann was nowhere to be found, but he
had seen the manager of the hotel and
secured rooms facing the day, Later, per-
haps two hours after the arrival, he ap-
peared. In this short time he had com
pleted his plans. AS he viewed them he
could see no flaw.
Now it came about that Capt F'lana-
gan, who had not once left the ship dur
ing the Journey, found his one foot ach-
ing for a touch and feel OF the land So
he and HoIleran, the chief engineer, came
ashore a little before noon and decided
to have a bit of macaroni under the
shade of the palms of the Place des Pal
miers. a bottle of warm beer was
divided between them The captain said
Faugh! as he drank it.
Try tn native wine, captn," suggested
the chief engineer.
Il have a picture Of Capt Flanagan
drfnkin' the misnamed vinegar. No Da-
go's bare fut on the top o. mine, when
I'm takin' a glass. Am that's tn way
they make ut This Napoleyun was a
fine man. He pushed EN- round some"
Sure, he had Irish blood in i'm some
where's" Holleran asSented- But ! say, &"
suddenly stretching his lean neck, will
ye look t see who's comm along!''
Flanagan stared IF ut amt that SON
of-a-gun ov a Picard, TIL eat my hiatt"
The captain grew purple. An leayin'
tn ship without orders!"
An the togsr murmured HoIleran-
Watch me-" said Flanagan, rising and
squaring his peg.
Picard, arrayed in clean white fan
nels, white shoes, a Panama set rakish-
Iy on his handsome head, his fingers
twirling a cane, came nead-on into the
storm. The very jauntiness of his stride
was as a red rag to the captain So then,
a hand. heavy and charged with righteous
anger, descended upon Picard's shoulder
Right about face an back 10 tn ship,
fast as yer legs en- make ut!''
Picard calmly shook OF the hand. and,
adding a vigorous push which sent the
captain staggering among the little iron
tables, proceeded nonchalantly. HoIleran
leaped to his feet, but there was a gilt
ter in PiCard's eye that did not promise
well for any rough-and-tumblef fight Pic
ards muscular shoulders moved of to-
ward the vanishing point. Holleran turn
ed to the captain, and with the assistance
of waiter the two righted the old man.
"Do you speak EngIish?' roared the old
sailor.
Yes. sir respectfully.
WHO wus that?''
The waiter, in reverent tones, declared
that the gentleman referred TO was well
known in Ajaccio, that he had spent the
previous winter there, and that he was
no less a person than the Duke of -.
But the waiter never completed the SEN
tence. The title was enough for the
irascible Flanagan.
'Th'-heIl-he-isI' The captain sub
sided into the nearest chair, bereft Of
future speech, which is a deal of emphasis
to put on the phrase. Picard, a duke,
and only that morning his hands had
been yellow with the stains of the dom
key-engine oil! And by and by the ques-
ton set alive his benumbed brain-what
was a duke doing on the yacht Laura?
'-HolIeran, we go { the commodore. The
devils L pay What's a dook dOin' on
tn ship, and we expectin' to dig up gold
in yonder mountains? Look alive, man;
they's villainy afoot!"
Holleran's jaw sagged-