The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-07-01
CHAPTER xxx.

As time went on, however. IL his IN
easiness were not sengibly dimin-
ished, nothing happened. the voyage
proving entirely uneyentful; and
O'Rourke was forced TO TIE conclusion
that. II Monsieur de Hyeres were real
Iy the viconte des Trebes, be was
strangely content to play a waiting
game.
The Irishman, however, had known
stranger things than that one man
should seem the counterpart of an
other. And by nothing more than
this questionable accident Of resem-
blance did De Hyeres give him reason
TO believe him anything but what he
claimed TO be. The mans demeanor
was consistently discreet and self
contained; he moved about the ship
openly and without any apparent at
tempt to pry upon the doings OF the
adventurer. whom he fell into the
easy ship-board way of greeting ami
ably but cooIly Only in one instance,
| indeed, did they exchange more than
but courteous salutations. and then
| De Hyeres himself seemed to seek
the interview, approaching O'Rourke
directly
~. This was at night. when O'Rourke
occupied a chair on the leeward side
of the saloon deck, consuming a medi-
tative after-dinner cigar. De Hyeres
stepped out of the companionway,
glanced swiftly this way and that, and
| sauntered toward the Irishman with
an unlighted cigarette held conspicu-
! ously between his fingers.
O'Rourke likewise surveyed his sur
roundings in two brief glances: and
was contented TO find that they were
alone, or as much alone as two can be
upon a steamship. For they were,
after all, well matched; and one OF
them he knew to be armed. Shifting
in his chair so that his revolver lay
convenient to his hand, as De Hyeres
approached the Irishman removed his
cigar from between his teeth, f1icked
| away an inch of ash and silently prof
fered It in the prescribed fashion.
The Frenchman accepted the cour-
tesy with bow, applied the fire to his
cigarette, inhaled deeply and returned
the cigar with a formal phrase of
thanks. He fingered for a moment,
putting and gazing off over the black
starlit expanse of the Bay Of Bengal
lonely to its dim and far horizon, then
observed quietly: 81 am not mistaken
l believe, in understanding have the
honor to address Monsieur lie Colonel
i ORourke, Chevalier of the Legion OF
Honour"
"You are not mistaken, monsieur
returned O'Rourke pleasantly, ther
with the directness which he some
times found useful, watching the mar
closely as he spoke: "And l believe
it is my pleasure to recognize Mon
: sier lie Vicomte des Trebes?"
:, "Des Trebes, monsieur" The
F'renchman's look of wonder was be
yond criticism and there was no leas
trace of discontinue to be detected
; in his manner. But no. You are
under a mistake. 1 am merely {
French gentleman without a title
Raoul de Hyeres is my name"
"Ah." said the wanderer. "'Twai
the resemblance misled me. Pardon
monsieur"
Granted, my dear sir. :. g.. De
Trebes? The name has a familia
sound. Do l not remember reading
somewhere that the Vicomte de
Trebes died last spring? In Tunis
was it? :. Suddenly, I believe"
"Is it so?" said O'Rourke drily. "Pos
sibly. The vicomte lived in the man
ner of thcee who meet with suddel
deaths"
The subject languished, and after
few more noncommittal observance
De Hyeres wandered off, presumabl
in search of the English girl, to whom
he had been paying assiduous after
ton.
On closer scrutiny, she had prove
to be a remarkably pretty girl; a,
though, in point of fact, O'Rourke, TO
all that he admired her looks i'm
mensely, had purposely avoided hel
This he did from motives of prudence
he mistrusted the combination forme
by De Hyeres and the girl. The latte
might be all that she looked and claim
> ed to be: a sweet, wholesome and ratf
er ingenious young Englishwoman, a
orphan, resident in Rangoon in tn
household of an uncle, to whom sh
was returning after a visit wit
friends in Simla. On the passenge
list her name stood as Emilia Pyr
sent But the adventurer felt 1t tn
course of wisdom t. deny himself tn
pleasure of her acquaintance, so lon
t as she permitted the attentions OF tn
Frenchman.
Altogether, considering the he
weather and such self-imposed n
strictions, O'Rourke considered tn
voyage hardly a success from a socil
point Of view. He kept pretty niue
to himself and to Danny, and to max
assurance doubly sure he instituted
e new regime with regard TO the Pot
of Flame: that jewel never left hi
e stateroom. When O'Rourke was o
deck or at meals. Danny sat benin
: bolts, alert and under arms, and vic
versa. By night they stood regula
r watches together, the one on guar
while the other slept. Clearly the a.
e venturer was determined that no lac
Of safeguards on his part should agai
deprive him Of the ruby.
But it's no easy matter to avoi
meeting any particular person on
ship with a small saloon list, unles
one is willing to be purposely rud
and discourteous. For all his war