The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1912-08-08

Su6l ~ pOuEhe ueIQ ulIu dI Tue pielOI >
point Gaunt and sombre in the
moonlight, moving noiselessly in his
bare feet, head up and arms swinging
limp, he advanced without pause un-
til about six feet from the Irishman;
ut which distance O'Rourke, collect
ing his wits, found voice enough to bid
the fellow, "stop!"
The serang halted, impassive, un-
moved.
"The sahib has called" he said in
an even voice. 'I am come. What is
the sahibs will with me?'
His words, together with his half
indolent, halfdefiant, wholly contemp-
tuous bearing, supplied the one thing
needful to restore to the adventurer
his self-control. O'Rourke drew him
self up, master Of self once more, and
looked the lascar In the eye.
you stand" he said slowly. choos-
Ing his words, "on the edge Of the
grave. Do you comprehend that,
dog?"
AYE, sahib!"
81 have called ye, then, to demand
back that which Is mine, the leather
bag which We stole when ye slew your
brother, pretending falsely it was he
who had slain the captain. l counsel
, ye, speak truth aud render back 10
me that which ye have stolen"
The serang stiffened, his eyes glist-
ening in the moonlight "Sahib!" he
cried as If in supplication.
mo words, dog!" cried O'Rourke
sternly. "Do as bid ye, or abide the
result of disobedience!"
"The sahib," said the serang slow
", is full of eyes and wisdom. He
sees what no man would believe he
could see. am content" He bowed
his head with curious submissiveness,
stretching forth bis 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.
"Ye have, then. the leather bag?" he
demanded, exultation in his voice.
"Aye, sahib; or, If not that, I have
that which was therein"
"The stone?"
AYE, sahib."
"Then give 1t me-"
81 am the sahib's slave" The se-
rang flashed a 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 he could have conceived of him
as denying the theft to the last and
lighting like an unclaimed fend to re-
tain his booty. His present pose was
out of character, or the Irishman mis-
Judged him.
Out of character or no, it was conl.
fortcl,a. - :, With head lent,
was fun ,,. 90, i olds Of his S>:sa;
O'Rourke thought h,M 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 hand tight closed. The sa-
bib" he said gently, shall see that
his servant spoke truth. Let this
weigh with the sahib for mercy Be
hold,"
The brown fingers unclosed and in
the hollow OF his palm trembled that
which seemed a ball of crystalized
rose fire, the stone that man has
named the Pool OF Flame. O'Rourke
uttered a low cry of satisfaction, step
ping forward to snatch up the jewel.
simultaneously he was aware of
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-quiver
with an agony as if white-hot iron
had scared him there. He stretched
forth an arm aimlessly and gripped an
iron stanchion, stopping his fall, and
hung there for what seemed an con,
sea and skies swimming blood-red be-
fore his eyes, in his ears thunder
GUS rushing as Of mighty waters.
BY supreme effort of will he kept
himself half-erect, clinging to the rail.
and opened his eyes. So briefly had
pain blinded him that it was patent
barely a second had elapsed since the
firing of the shots. To his left
stricken lascar was still in the act OF
falling; before him Mrs. Prynne stood
mctionless, her face a mask of horror,
revolver still poised; to the right the
serane, drawing a kris, was smiling
sardonically, his eyes fixed upon the
woman who had, set at naught his
plans.
O'Rourke tried to call warning to
her for it was plain that she was ap-
nailed by what she had done, needless