The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-06-19
THE POOL Of FLAME
4 STORY OF ADVENTURE AND IN
TRIGUE
CHAPTER XVIII.

1t was mid-afternoon of a sultry day.
ing at Port Said.
O'Rourke eyed the vessel with dis
favor from the shore; then dropped
into a harbor dinghy, ensconced him.
self at the tiller-ropes, and caused
himself, with his luggage and his
man-servant, TO be conveyed alongside
the steamer.
Near the gangway he was held
back; another boat had forestalled
him, another passenger was shipping
for the East. O'Rourke was interested
idly.
He saw a woman, slight, trim fig
ure becomingly attired in white. with
a veil about her head, leave the boat
and mount the gangway steps with a
springy, youthful step. cheerful and
positive air. certain but indefinable
calm of self-possession. At the top
she paused, turned, looked down,
watching the transfer of her luggage
and her maid. i. +. From sundry
intangible indications O'Rourke as
be the lady's maid. And so did Danny.
The one eyed the mistress, the other
her servant, both with interest. :.
The woman on deck threw back her
VEIL She seemed to promise uncom-
mon beauty of the English type, full
| colored and of classic mold. +.
The Irishman was much too far away
4 70 h1 IN h,1t hn
gaze wandered toward him and-but
this, of course, was only imagination
that she started slightly.
| At all events, she was quick to drop
the veil and turn away. Her maid
! joining her, both vanished beneath the
canvas awnings. The boat that had
brought her sheered off, and O'Rourke
was permitted to board the Panjnab.
1t was a glad day, the O'Rourke told
himself, as he trod those decks; 1t
saw him definitely started on his way
to the East.
O'Rourke reused upon his elbow
and peered out of the port of his
stateroom. The steamer was blowing
through the Bitter Lakes. He saw a
string of buoys, a width of water like
jade, a vista of sand, fiat, gray
patched with gray-green desert shrub
bounded only by the horizon.
Damn :" said he listlessly
He slipped down again upon his back
painted, and wiped his brow.
Danny, recognizing that he was not
expected to respond, and being a
young man remarkably acute to dag
nose his masters moods, prudently re
Trained from comment. He sat bunch
ed up on cabin stool, his intensel.
red, bullet-shaped head bent low ovel
a bit of channels skin, which he wa
sewing into rough, sturdy bag.
AS the sun dipped beneath the rim
Of the horizon, a pleasant shadow in
vaded the stateroom, until that me
ment blood-red with its level rays
And Danny Strengthened up, droppin
thimble and thread, announcing tn
completion of his needlework by
brief, contented: "There!"
O'Rourke glanced at the articl
dangling from his Wallets fingers, an
slammed the book against the bull
head at the foot of his berth.
Finished, is it?" he exclaimed
Faith, it's about time, We lazy gooo
for-naught!"
| Danny smiled serenely. "And a goo
job, too, sor," said he proud,
MANN no onrespect to yer honor
he added hastily.
ii O'Rourke took the subject of discu
sion in his fingers and examined
searchingly.
twill do" he announced. "'Twi
serve its purpose, If no more. La
out me evening clothes now" H
stood up, stopping to stare throug
the port. Good enough" he cor
mented on what he discovered wit
out; "'tis passing Suez we are tn
n blessed minute. Praises be, v
: caught boat that doesn't stop here
Danny scratched an ankle though
. fully. "Yiss, yer honor" he assente
dubious. But, for all that, phwat
to hinder annywan from boordin' I
be boat, If they sh'u'd want to-"
i ORourke turned and eyed the ms
d keenly. "'Tis a great head We ha,
on your shoulders, Danny" he sal
Sometimes We betray almost canil
ID intelligence. I'm be way of havir
s. hopes of We. Now get We on deck ar
watch to see who does come aboar
IL anyone, and report to me-"
'Yiss, yer honor"
Id O'Rourke bolted the door after Da
ny and assured himself that the Ike
hole was properly wadded, that I
crack existed through which his NOV
= ments might be observed from Il
gangway. Struggling his broad shot
ders he returned to the seat vacatt
by his valet and thrust hand b
meath the coat of his pajamas, wit
drawing it a moment later, f1nge
tightly wrapped about a rather bull
object
And the Pool of Flame lay glitte
ing and stabbing his eyes with shat
Of blood-red light.
/ Into its depths of pellucid Fl
O'Rourke gazed long and earnestly,
the most profound meditation.
But at length, slipping the ruby in
the new receptacle and drawing t
lanyard tight about it's pucker
throat, he stood up and threw the 10
over his head, permitting the Dag vi
its precious contents TO fall benea
the folds Of his jacket; and, shaki
off tho S0hcr r1nod iucpi.-pS In him