The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1912-04-24

.imating tn nature ana extent Of his
wounds, with sound knowledge Of
'ough and ready surgery doing all
that could be done to bring him back
% consciousness
At last Des Trebes sighed feebly; q
spot of color. febrile, tickle, evanes-
cent, dyed his cheeks; his breath rat
tied harshIy in his gullet; his eyeiids
twitched and opened wide. He glared
blankiy at the lace above.
-Des Trebes," cried ORourke. "Des
Trebes,"
His voice quickened the intelligence
IF that moribund brain. flash of
recognition lighted the staring eyes.
The lips moved without sound.
''Des Trebesi"
'Ah, yes the Irish
The whisper was barely articulate.
O'Rourke put to his lips a cup of
brandy diluted with a little water.
Drink" he pleaded, land try to tell
me what's happened to ye. Who gave
ye these wounds? Try to speak"
But no 4 shall
not tell"
-But-good God, man. we've been
murdered"
The white lips moved again; the
adyenturer bent his ear low to them.
We 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 final 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 a smile sardonic and triumphant.
Dying, he gave no comfort to his
For little time longer ORourks
knelt at Des Trebes' side, watching
and wondering. Eventually he sighed
heavily. shook his head, shrugged his
shoulders and rose. And, rising. he
perceived for the FIRST time that he
was no longer alone with the dead in
that place.
kneeling In silence by the vicomte'a
side he had till then been hidden from
the inner doorway to the room by the
drapery OF the center table. And eyt.
IDENTIFY 1t was this circumstance which
mad emboldensd . man to slip In from
the main hall and approach sypher's
desk at the back Of the room.
As o'Rourks appeared he was con.
scious first Of something moving in |
the room movement caught vaguely
from the corner Of his eyes. Then he |
heard stified CRY Of fright. He had
already his revolver in his hand, SO 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 It to escape the threat.
ened bullet. A jet of fre spurted from
MS nand. O'Rourke heard a crash
and clatter of broken window-glass be
mind him. Without delay or conscious
aim he fred and saw, still indistinctIy
through pungent wreaths of smoke
the hsure reel and collapse upon
ITSELF
Inc man had hardly fallen era
o'Rourke stood over him. with a foot
hrm upon one arm, while he bent and
wrenched a revolver from relaxing fin.
gers. Then. stepping back, he took
STOCK OF the murderous-minded in.
truder. and saw at his feet. writing.
coughing and splitting. a Chinese
coolie-a type Of the lowest class. his
face set yellow mask, stolid. nm.
emotional. brutalised. Even then n
betrayed little feeling; only the slant.
set black eyes burned with unouench.
able hatred A. they glared up at the
conqueror. O'Rourke's bullet
mad penetrated the mans chest: and
as he sQuirmed and groaned through
his sharpened tssth of q rat, a Grim,
son stain spread ON the bosom of his
coarse white blouse.
Wholly COMPOUNDED, ORourke shook
an amazed head. A third element had
been added to the mystery with no
effect other than to render It more
opaque and dense than before.
The telephone. its raucous voice
now long since stilled, came into his
mind. and he was minded to leave the
room and find it. to summon aid.
Before he co1I1d ynoyo hzu