Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-01-06

there were life enough left In the
man to enable him to insist upon his
nom de guerre tthe wanderer reflected
grimly) Raoul de Hyeres.
What neyt?" wondered O'Rourke.
What can the meaning OF 1t all be
now"
With each development the mystery
was assuming more fantastic proper
lions, becoming still more impene-
trable and unsolvable. But he had no
leisure in which to ponder it now, il
Des Trebes We're to be restored. And
O'Rourke worked over the man as
tenderly as though they had been life
long friends, with skillful fingers es-
| timating thu nature ana extent of his
wounds, with sound knowledge Of
rough and ready surgery doing all
that could be done to bring him back
to consciousness.
At last Des Trebes sighed feebly; a
spot oil color, febrile, tickle, eranes-
cent, dyed his cheeks; his breath rat
tied harshly in his gullet; his eyelids
twitched and opened wide. He glared
blankly at the face above.
"Des Trebes!" cried ORourke. "Des
Trebes!"
His voice ouickened the intelligence
of that moribund brain. A flash OF
recognition lighted the staring eyes.
The lips moved without sound.
"Des Trebes!"
"Ah, yes the Irish
man -.
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 =. 5. no shall
not tell"
"But-good God, man! we've been
murdered"
The white lips moved again; the
adventurer bent his ear low to them.
I'VE have both :. lost
poI soo Joui "tAS
My wife!"
In a frenzy O'Rourke 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 smile sardonic and triumphant.
Dying, he gave no comfort to his
foe.
For little time longer O'Rourke
knelt at Des Trebcs' 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 i'll
that place.
knccling i'll silence by the vicomte' S
side he had till then been hidden from
the inner doorway to the room by tho
drapery OF The center table. And evil
IDENTIFY it was this circumstance which
had cmboldcued man 10 slip in from
! The main hall and approach Sypher's
desk at the back Of the room.
As ORourke appeared he was con.
scious first Of something moving in
the room--a movement caught vaguely
from the corner Of his eyes. Then he
heard sufled 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 admoniton 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.
encd bullet. A Jet OF fire spurted from
his hand. O'Rourke heard a crash
and clatter OF broken window-glass be.
hind him. Without delay or conscious
aim he fred and saw, still indistinctly
through pungcnt wreaths OF smoke
The figure reel and collapse upon
itself.
The man had hardly fallen ere
! ORourke stood over him, with a foo.
firm upon one arm. while he bent anG
wrenched revolver from relaxing fin.
gers. Then. stepping back, he took
stock OF the murdcrous-minded in.
trudcr, and saw al his feet, writhing
coughing and splitting. a Chinese
cooile-a type, of The lowest class, his
lace a set yellow mask, stolid, I'M
emotional, brutalizcd Even then il
betrayed little feeling; only thc slant
Sc. black eyes burned with unguench
/ able hatred as they glared up at the
conqucror. OHourkc'S bullet
had penetrated the mans chest: and
as he squirmed and groaned through
his sharpcned teeth OF a. rat. Grim
son stain spread on the bosom OF his
coarse white blouse.