Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-13
had ls:n there long time. Not a cheer

Arc not our throats duetyI ne Asheh.
Are they not dry "a Sahara? Since
attached myself 90 the person OF NJ
Woodwork I have discovered him 20 bs
a thoughtful and generous patron Would
IL not be well to drink cup or wine I'D
his good health
He looked slyly at his leader. who hures
into laughter and turned about.
Thou weasel. Make speed and search
him."
With request for my pardon and
again a double pardon. Esper tapped my
pockets ana introduced his fingers into
their interior with all tho dizziness of
pickpocket. In which. apacitv he had evil
IDENTIFY long before made himself pro-
icient. 1ittle reward for him. a dolla'
or two. a few quarters. there WAS So
dom occasion In Lavouche 10 carry any
considerable amount OF money. lie sucked
his lips in disappointment
And after the service | rendered You.
monsieur he reproached.
Fetch IT. IL is enough Pilon said
Esper ran his eyes over me. He had
an inspiration. small gold chain. now
hanging broken from my walstcoa-
pocket attracted his favor and aroused
his avarice.
All. this I will keep TO remember or
pleasant acquaintance" remarked he. eN-
tracing my watch.
1t was good watch. indeed. a >aluahs
watch. which / had purchased In Switzcf-
land. perfect timekeeper. slim and light
with my monogram In jewels upon ths
back
A great Joy lighted Esper's face "oh.
so kind a. monsieur he exclaimed
Pilon thrust out his hand giuttonously.
Give IL here, quick
Esper drew back. clutchinG his spoil
An evil. desperate rage distorted his face.
he spat out stream OF foul, biting
curses. Pilon advanced a step. lifting hia
heavy fist, while Descarte. who all ths
while had been b,isying himself stanchinls
his wound and leaving conversation -
the others. dropped his rag and joined
the leader
little bodyguard snapped. you drink all
the cream. See ] found II. viii kee,
Il"
Descarte spoke: What one finds. all
find. We will sell il and divide.
Yes. We will divide Piion added.
But Esper had the watch In his hand.
his ratlike eyes darted from one 10 the
other of the men. his long. sharp nos"
was twisted more than ever on one side
in access OF spite. He did not answer.
Thou pig. give ii 10 Pilon, Descaife
said harshly.
He was not pleasant man Ia look at.
this Descarte. sullen. brutal: he had mons
of the dminutive Esper's redeeming VII
or Pilon's braggadocio. black. close
cropped beard covered his face; he wa
swarthy. slow. savage and wore brass
ring I'm his left ear. The pair of them
crowded in on their small mate az the
talked. forcing him to give way befof"
their advance: there was a method IL
their movements as well as In their argu
ment. / saw them exchange a rapid
glance of understanding. OF agreement
and they pressed him step by step untit
he stood with his back against the wall
in the corner by the chimney.
I'VE will divide, Esper," Pilon repeated.
For answer Esper produced knife AMI
held II ready. Calmly the two before
him likewise drew weapons. The little
o.. IL. I'D
smile coming and going upon his lips: hs
was outnumbered. and they had harried
him into the angle as dogs harry a cat
Nothing was spoken. The old room under
the sagging roof seemed filled with
sudden hush. Then the imminent TRAGEDY
eyaporated as mist does on sea, Esper
put away his knife: Pilon and Descarte
slipped theirs out of sight.
I'VE shall divide" said Esper, quietly,
and he handed the watch to Piion.
The latter looked at Descarte. smiling.
Descarte grinned back at Pilon in return.
A fash OF fury for an instant lighted
their victims face as he perceived tito
exchange. then 1t was gone and he ap-
peared impressive.
Bravo. my little Esper," Pilon said.
dropping the watch into his pocket and
patting the little man upon the shoulder.
Thou art as generous OF milk as a Tat
wench." with which Rabelaisian Jest h,
again patted Esper We will divide, and
meanwhile drink a glass of cognac-' He
strobe to me. "Ho, is son OF a dog To
look on with eyes open at our little fam
lily matters? Shut them hereafter. thou.
And he dealt me a blow upon the side or
the head that made my Uranium ache.
And the three of them went out OF the
room. locking the door after them
I now had full leisure for meditation.
The peril In which / stood-for peril l.
was though I was left to guess what par
ticular form IL would later assume-was
too plain to be ignored. To cajole my
self with false hopes. To say that my cap
tors dare not do me bodily injury thai
they must eventually set me free. would
have been the height of stupidity. What
IL this were simp,e Lasouche. What if
Ii were on the civilized coast or Maine.
Is crime less frequent today than yester-
day. or does il choose the spot? Del Her
vale would no more take account of the
village of Iavouche than he would or "A
passing cloud: If he had determined L.
put me out OF the way. he would do SO
here with as little fmpunity as he would
in the heart of a desert.
What a cold-blooded. determined. com
placent villain he was, Remorse he hal
none, conscience he had none: but all tho
qualities of subtlety. persistence, patience.
GOODNESS, cunning, expedience. resource
fulness. ingenuity and daring-all these
he had In abundance. Could a person
have spread open the book of his life AMI
turned IL leaf by leaf, scanned il page by
page, marked each dark paragraph what
Even the small knowledge which | had of
him showed the man always to be deal
ing In evil. At Forge he had fitted about
like a vampire. carrying death: in Nenez-
uela who could tell what sins were his
and now here on the coast of Maine h"
had turned this quiet little isle into
island of contention Blood had alRaNs
marked his footsteps-would he depart
leaving this island rock thus stmilarly
stained? Del Hervalle - D'trville-who-
ever he rightfully was, would heaven al
low him to perpetrate yet another infam-
Gus deed and to go his way undiscover",i
and unpublished? | began to think 80
i was To afford him the opportun o
keeping his hand in practice while on ia
holiday.
Escape from the attic seemed ouj ~
the question. The rope with which I was
bound was Of stout manila, westhere,l
and brine soaked its makers would have
been astonished. no doubt. had they
was wrapped about ME In a score or
turns. binding my arms firmly against my
sides and my legs to the rounds OF the
chair: but even IL had been free would
still have found IL difficult to make nv
way out OF the house The door wa
without panels. constructed of oak boards
running straight UP and down in a pain.
stout. good Id-fashioned way. To be
sure, I might have forced a passag.
through q window OF by several lusty
kicks burst a hole through the roof, but
In either case IL would have been To coast
over the cave to a drop upon the pave
ment below. And Senior Del Heryalle
would have raised no objection to that
OF these things l thought and OF many
others during the subsequent hours. NV
arms ached from their cinctures and my
spine from Its rigid position, while my