The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1912-03-02

you stand, ne said slowly, choos.
ing his words, ION the edge of the
grave. Do you comprehend that,
dog?"
AYE, .sahib!"
Il have called ye, then, to demand
back that which is mine, the leather
bag which We stole when We slew your
brother, pretending falsely it was he
who had slain the captain. l counsel
ye, speak truth and render back tc
me that which we have stolen"
The serang stiffened. his eyes glist
ening In the moonlight. "Sahib!" he
cried as II In supplication.
No words, dog!" cried O'Rourkt
sternly. DO as bid ye, or abide the
result Of disobedience!"
THE sahib," said the serang slow
ly, lis full Of eyes and wisdom. He
sees what no man would believe he
could see. l am content" He bowed
his head with curious submissiveness
stretching forth his palms as II In
token Of surrender.
O'Rourke caught at his breath. He
had scarcely hoped for this; he hae
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, eyultation in his voice.
AYE, sahit; or, IL not that, I have
that which was therein"
THE stone?"
aye, sahlb"
Then give 1t me-
II am the sahib's slave" The Sc
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 ano
fighting like an unclaimed fiend to re
tain his booty. His present pose was
out of character, or the Irishman mis-
Judged him.
Out of character or no, 1t was com
Portable. The serang, with head bent,
was fumbling in the folds of his sash;
O'Rourke thought him over long about
1t, 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 q hand tight closed. THE sa-
hib." he said gently, shall see that
his servant spoke truth. Let this
weigh with the sahib for mercy. Be-
hold"
The brown fingers Enclosed and in
the hollow of his palm trembled that
which seemed a ball or crystalized
rose fire, the stone that man has
named the Pool of Flame. O'Rourke
uttered 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 II a 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 1t 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
motionless, her face q mask of horror,
revolver still poised; to the right the
serang, drawing a kris, was smiling
sardonically, his eyes fixed upon the
woman who had set at naught his
plans.
O'Rourke tried to call a warning to
her. for 1t was plain that she was ap-
palled by what she had done, needless
OF all but the man she had killed; but
1t was az II the bullet that creased his
temple had temporarily paralyzed
him; his tongue clave to the roof of
his mouth and he could neither move
nor speak.
Powerless The believed). he watched
the serang gather himself together.
like some gaunt cat. and spring; In
two strides he would have been upon
the woman and the night had been
crowned with its most pitiful crime.
Yet in midair, o'Rourke saw the man
falter and fall back. dropping the
kris and clutching frantically at moth
ing.
Stupidity the adventurer saw the
smoke trickling from the muzzie of
his own revolver and knew that, some
how, he had managed to pull the trig.
ger His heart leapt In his breast SO
kean waa his gratitude. Trembling