Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-21
THE
ISLE OF STRIFE
By
GEORGE C. SHEDD
1912 b. Small MAYNARD 4 Col
CHAPTER XVI-Continued.
GEORGE c. SHEDD
Copyright. 1912 b Small. Maynard 4 Co., 4

| CHAPTER AVI-Continued.
| After time Won Hussman said:
| Mr.. Woodwork, 1 shall ask a favor of
you. This has been an odd affair, and
am going to presume SO far as to beg you
to give me this tankard as q souvenir
| 1 looked at the tankard. 1t was not
particularly valuable. and Had no espe-
| cial desire to retain it.
| Take it," said /. IT'S part OF the
loot. and Capt. Amsen may keep the dish
it held
| The captain. who had just entered. and
who stood wiping the fine fog moisture
off his beard. stated that he should in
deed like to have the dish as a souvenir
of his visit to the little Island OF La
vouche: he had been several times about
| the world in his yacht, yet remembered
nothing in his sailing adventures SO
| strange as what had now happened.
When he was far away he would Occa-
| sionally sit OF an evening and look at the
dish and think how he had committed
two crimes at once. one by robbery on
land and the other by kidnapping at sea.
| And now what will our poor friend.
Senior Del Hervalle, do; he who stirred
up the little village by the story that you
were selling q map Of a French fort to
| that terrible German who did nothing In
the inn?" Won Hussman laughed. "Al
his thinking and scheming to get the map
| have come to naught. He will be rarely
disappointed; he may even be offended
at you, Woodwork, for letting 1t Slip
"Oh, he'll keep after me in any case.
So far as he's concerned the map is an
| incidental matter now-of course. he
would like to have it-but it's my life he's
after
Half an hour later we heard the screw
decrease its revolutions until the yacht
barely kept Roadway. We had come
once more to the island. The baron
arose. and. folding the map, motioned us
to follow him on deck. where we should
wait while a boat was lowered to find the
yachts relative position So. leaning on
the rail. We watched the second officer
go with a pair Of sailors out into the fog
to locate the beach: from time to time the
yacht siren let loose its below to keep
them informed OF our berth. Overhead
the rigging dripped, while beneath our
feet the wet deck shone from the cabin
lights as II 1t had been oiled. and the
moon diffused. as it had done an hour be-
fore, its strange, golden light through the
fog.
All at once the baron turned to me,
smiling.
my dear Woodwork. this has been an
acquaintance which l trust will not cease
In the future I have just spent a month
in Washington as a guest Of the German
| legation; am now about to set out on
short cruise with Amsen thence to Berlin.
shall mail you my address SO that in
case you are in our capital you will give
me the opportunity to return the favors
| have received at your hands. My stay
at Lavouche l have enjoyed, notwith-
standing my mind was not always at ease
as to what would be the final disposition
of this man. So far as l am concerned.
my solicitude ends when I return 1t to
your hands, And. still smiling. he pre-
scented the folded sheet to me.
| "But-but-" / stammered.
why do 1 do this. is that what you
would ask? Because. whatever fortress
1T is map of. it is not one of Germany's.
/ am in a position to know; l was some
| time connected with the empires general
staff"
I looked at the map; stared at him.
| Then what fort is it?''
"Ah, that I don't know
| II Douglass had only written the
name"' l exclaimed, in disappointment.
| Yes, it would have helped. Still, there
are some things to be surmised: certain
| technical characteristics exist in the
methods and conceptions Of each coun-
| try. as one might say. an individuality.
For instance, Germany does a thing one
way. France In another. Russia in still
third. The difference lies in certain fea-
lures which the unframed and unknowing
eye would never observe, but this differ
ence is present. just as there exists a
| fundamental difference between the cheek
bones of Slavs. Teutons and Latins.''
| well, what do the cheek bones of this
map tell you?" / asked.
/ In the first place, that it's not only
not German, but not French
"Well?"
Nor Russian, nor Austrian, nor Eng
lish.''
| l looked at him. He still smiled. A jest
seemed hidden somewhere in his reply.
THAT doesn't leave much.
| Not much. The boat is awaiting you.
| Goodbye. Woodworth: goodbye, lieu
| tenant. have your government send you
| over as an attache-1'n keep an eye out
| for YOU" He shook Billy's hands And
| goodbye to you again, Woodwork. I'll
write. Come over and visit me-
But the map!' l expostulated. Isn't
| there a fortress at all?"
| His smile grew broader than ever.
! IF 1 were to guess he answered, I'D
F! say the cheek bones are American. Let
us hazard a further speculation and say
western cheek bones
| 1.-The deyil.'
Certainly. Perhaps / should have kept
this paper in case we should ever go to
war with you. but after all'-he shook
my hand again-'I have the tankard.
shall hold it up betimes and say: This
once held an American fortress
I followed Billy down into the boat. We
put off. Still mute with amazement
clutching the map. l gazed back at the
figure of the man who leaned upon the
rail and waved hand after us and van
ish with the yacht in the fog.