The Delta independent. [volume] (Delta, Colo.) 1886-19??, 1912-04-12


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
adyenturer. whom he fell into the
easy ship-board way of greeting ami
ably but coolly. 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 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 1rishman with
an unlighted cigarette held conspicu-
ously between his fingers.
o'Rourke likewise surveyed his sur
roundings in two brief chances: 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 we'll 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 lis teeth. fiicked
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: Il am not mistaken.
/ believe, in understanding l have the
honor to address Monsieur lie Colonel
ORourke, Chevalier of the Legion of
Honour"
You are not mistaken. monsieur"
returned O'Rourke pleasantly. then
with the directness which he some
times found useful, watching the man
closely as he spoke: And l believe
it is my pleasure to recognize Mon.
sier lie Vicomte des Trebes?"
lies IltbtSs llOHb4tuA At
Frenchman's look of wonder was be
yond criticism and there was no least
trace of discontinue to be detected
in his manner. But no. You are
under a mistake. / am merely
French gentleman without title;
Raoul de Hyeres is my name"
"Ah!" said the wanderer. TWAS
the resemblance misled me. Pardon
monsieur"
Granted, my dear sir. 49,. Des
Trebes? The name has a familiar
sound Do l not remember reading
somewhere that the vicomte des
Trebes died last spring? In Tunis
was It? Suddenly. believe"
is 1t so?" said O'2ourke drily. Pos.
sibly. The vicomte lived in the man
ner OF those who meet with sudden
deaths"
The subject languished and after a
few more noncommittal observances
De Hyeres wandered off, presumably
III search of the English girl, to whom
he had been paying assiduous atten
ton.
On closer scrutiny. she had proved
to be a remarkably pretty girl; al
though. in point of fact, O'Rourke. fol
all that he admired her looks i'm
mensely, had purposely avoided her
This he did from motives OF prudence:
he mistrusted the combination formed
by De Hyeres and the girl. The latter
might be all that she looked and claim.
ed to be: sweet, wholesome and rath'
err ingenious young Englishwoman, an
orphan, resident in Rangoon in the
household of an uncle, to whom she
was returning after visit with
friends in Simla. On the passenger
list her name stood as Emilia Pyn.
sent But the adventurer felt II the
course of wisdom to deny himself the
pleasure of her acquaintance. 80 long
as she permitted the attentions of the
Frenchman.
Altogether, considering the hot
weather and such self-imposed re.
strictions, ORourke considered the
voyage hardly a success from a social
point of view. He kept pretty much
to himself and to Danny, and to make
assurance doubly sure he instituted o
new regime with regard to the Pool
OF Flame: that Jewel never left his
stateroom. When ORourke was on
deck or at meals, Danny sat behind
bolts, alert and under arms. and vice
versa BY night they stood regular
watches together, the one on guard
while the other slept. Clearly the ad.
venturer was determined that no lack
Of safeguards on his part should again
deprive him OF the ruby.
But it's no easy matter to avoid
meeting any particular person on a