The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1912-08-02

tunity TO Obeerve his features. But
now as he dropped TO his knees beside
the body, his wondering cry testified
to immediate recognition.
The latest name TO be inscribed on
the long and blood-stained death-roll
Of the Pool Of Flame was that of Paul
Maurice, Vicomte des Trebes; or. If
there were life enough left in the
man 10 enable him to insist upon his
nom de guerre (the wanderer reflected
grimly) Raoul de Hyeres.
What next" wondered O'Rourke.
What can the meaning Of 1t all be
nowY
With each development the mystery
was assuming more fantastic proper
tions, becoming still more impene-
trable and unsolvable. But he had no
leisure in which to ponder 1t now, If
Des Trebes were to be restored And
O'Rourke worked over the man as
tenderly as though they had been life
long friends, with skillful fingers es-
timating thu nature ana extent Of his
wounds, with sound knowledge Of
|
that could be done to bring him back
to consciousness.
At last Des Trebes sighed feebly; .
spot of color, febrile, tickle, ev1nes-
cent, dyed his cheeks; his breath rat
tied harshly in his gullet; his eyelids
twitched and opened wide. He glared
blankly at the face above.
"Des Trebes!" cried O'Rourke. "Des
Trebes!"
His voice quickened the intelligence
Of that moribund brain. A fash Of
recognition lighted the staring eyes.
The lips moved without sound.
"Des Trebes!"
"Ah, yes the Irish
man ~
The whisper was barely articulate.
O'Rourke put to his lips q cup OF
brandy diluted with 2 little water.
Drink" he pleaded, and try to tell
me what's happened to ye. Who gave
ye these wounds? Try to speak"
But no ] shall
not tell"
"But-sood God, man! we've been
murdered"
The white lips moved again; the
adventurer bent his ear low to them.
I'VE have both lost
&. but you your wife .
my wife!"
In . frenzy ORourke resumed his
efforts to strengthen the dying man
with spirits and water, but Des Ire
bes, with q ANAL effort, obstinately
shut his teeth, moving his head i'm
perceptibly from side to side in token
Of his stubborn refusal.
So he died. implacable. In death
the chiselled features remained set
In . smile sardonic and triumphant.
Dying, he gave NO comfort to his
For q little time longer O'Rourke
knelt at Des Trebes' side, watching
and wondering. Eventually he sighed
heavily, shook his head, shrugged his
shoulders and rose. And, risiAg, he
perceived for the first time that he
was NO longer alone with the dead in
that place.
kneeling in silence by the vicomte's
side be had till then been hidden from
the inner doorway to the room by the
drapery of the center table. And evi-
IDENTIFY 1t was this circumstance which
had emboldened q man to slip in from
the main hall and approach Sypher's
desk at the back Of the room.
As ORourke appeared he was con,
scious first of something moving in
the room-a movement caught vaguely
from the corner of his eyes Then he
heard a stined cry of. fright He had
already his revolver in his hand, 90 in
slant had been the obedience of his
brain and body to the admonition OF
instinct.
He swung about with the weapon
poised, crying: "Stop!" The other
man was apparently trying to escape
by the door to the hall, but was much
too far from 1t to escape the threat
ened bullet. A Jet of fire spurted from
his hand. O'Rourke heard a crash
and clatter of broken window-glass be-
hind him. Without delay or conscious
aim he fired and saw, still indistinctly
through pungent wreaths of smoke,
the figure reel and collapse upon
itself.
The man had hardly fallen ere
O'Rourke stood over him, with a foot
hrm upon one arm, while he bent and
wrenched a revolver from relaxing I'm
gers. Then, stepping back, he took
stock OF the murderous-min in
truder, and saw at his feet. writing,
coughing and splitting, a Chinese
coolie-a type of the lowest class, his
face a set yellow mask. stolid, un-
emotional. brutalixed. Even then It
betrayed little feeling; only the slant
set black eyes burned with unQuench-
able hatred as they glared up at the
conqueror. O'Rourke's bullet
had penetrated the mans chest; and
as he sQuirmed and groaned through
his sharpened teeth of q rat, q GRIM
son stain spread on the bosom of his
coarse white blouse.
Wholly confOnndoA O,RonrLa -hccl,