The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1912-06-07

dog"
AYE, sahibl"
81 have called ye, then, to demand
back that which is mine. the leather
bag witch we stole when ye slew your
brothe& pretending falsely it was he
who had slain the captain. counsel
ye, speak truth and render back to
me that which ye have stolen"
The serang stiffened. his eyes glist-
ening in the moonlight. "Sahib!" he
cried as IL in duplication.
No words, dog!" cried O'Rourke
sternly. DO as | bid We, or abide the
result of disobedience!"
THE sahb," said the serang SLOW
ly, sis full of eyes and wisdom. He
sees what no man would believe he
could see I am content" He bowed
his head with curious submssiveness,
stretching forth his palms as If in
token Of surrender.
O'Rourke caught at his breath. He
had scarcely hoped for this; he had
merely called the serang aft as the
leader of the lascars. hoping to fright
en- him into revealing whichever Of
his comrades had stolen the great
ruby-if he knew.
aye have, then, the leather bag?" he
demanded, exultation In his voice.
aye. sahib; or, IL not that. have
that which was therein"
"The stone?"
"Aye. sahib."
Then give 1t me-"
81 am the sahib's slave" The Sc
! rang flashed strange smile at the
revolver in O'Rourke's hand. His at.
titude puzzled O'Rourke; he would
hardly have believed this of the man;
rather ne could have conceived of him
! as denying the theft to the last and
fighting like an unclaimed fiend to re-
tain his booty. His present pose was
out of character, or the Irishman mis-
judged him.
Out of character or no, 1t was COM
Portable. The serang with head bent,
was fumbling in the folds of his sash;
O'Rourke thought him over long about
it, yet was inclined to give him time
in view of his abject surrender.
At length. still smiling oddly, the
man lifted his eyes and stretched
forth a hand tight closed. THE sa-
hib," he said gently. shall see that
his servant spoke truth. Let this
weigh with the sahib for mercy. Be-
hold"
The brown fingers Enclosed and in
the hollow of his palm trembled that
which seemed ball of crystalized
rose fire, the stone that man has
named the Pool of Flame. O'Rourke
uttered low cry OF satisfaction, step
ping forward to snatch up the jewel
simultaneously he was aware of a
quick gasp from the direction of the
woman, followed, ere he could account
for them. by two pistol shots.
The adventurer groaned. pitching
forward blindly. one side OF his head
from the ear to the temple, a-quivel
with an agony as If white-hot iror
had scared him there He stretched
forth an arm aimlessly and gripped al
iron stanchion, stopping his fall, ant
hung there for what seemed an con
sea and skies swimming bloOd-red be
Gus rushing as of mighty waters.
BY supreme effort of will he KEEP
himself half-erect, clinging to the rail
and opened his eyes. So briefly hat
pain blinded him that it was paten
barely a second had elapsed since The
81 Of hn -h
stricken lascar was still in the act o
falling; before him Mrs. Prynne stool
motionless. her face mask of horror
revolver still poised; to the right thu
serang. drawing a kris. was smiling
sardonically, his eyes fixed upon thu
woman who had set at naught hi
plans.
O'Rourke tried to call a warning t
her, for 1t was plain that she was ap
.palled by what she had done. needles
of all but the man she had killed; blu
1t was as II the bullet that creased hi
temple had temporarily paralyze'
him; his tongue clave to the roof o
his mouth and he could neither NOV
nor speak.
Powerless Che believed), he watches
the serang gather himself together
like some gaunt cat, and spring; i
two strides he would have been upO
the woman and the night had bee
crowned with its most pitiful crime
Yet In midair. O'Rourke saw the ma
falter and fall back. dropping tn
kris and clutching frantlcally at noti
ing.
stupidity the adventurer saw tn
smoke trickling from the muzzle G
his own revolver and knew that. some
how, he had managed to pull the iris
ger. His heart leapt in his breast, S
keen was his gratitude. Tremblin
in every limb. he essayed a secon
time to fire and put final period t
the serang's career. But his she
} went wide and the cylinder jamme
J so that the hammer would not ris
} a second time. With an oath he Il
go the rail and attempted to bridg
the distance between himself and tn
lascar, who was now at q consider;
: BILE distance reeling away toward tn