The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-07-04


was assuming more fantastic. proper
lions, becoming still more impene-
trable and unsolvable- But he had no
leisure in which to ponder it now. II
Des Trebes were to be restored. And
O'Rourke worked over the man a.
tenderly as though they had been life
long friends, with skillful fingers es-
timating the 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; .
spot of, color, febrile, tickle, evanes-
cent, dyed his cheeks; his breath rat
tied hasshly in his gullet; his eyelidsI
twitched and opened wide. He glared
blankly at the face above.
'Des Trebes!" cried O'Rourke. "Des
Trebes!"
His voice Quickened the intelligence
of that moribund brain. A fash OF
recognition lighted the staring eyes.
The lips moved without sound.
"Des Trebes!"
"Ah, yes the Irish
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 We. Who gave
ye these wounds? Try to speak"
!, But no snail
not tell
"But-good God. man! we've been
murdered"
: The white lips moved again; the
, adventurer bent his ear low to them.
| We have both lost
but you - your wife :.
MY wifel"
, In q frenzy O'Rourke resumed his
efforts to strengthen the dying man
, with spirits and water, but Des Ire
hes, with a 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
g in smile sardonic and triumphant
9 Dying, he gave no comfort to his
= foe.
3 For a little time longer O'Rourke
knelt at Des Trebes' side, watching
t and wondering. Eventually he sighed
D heavily. shook his head, shrugged his
shoulders and rose. And, rising, he
+ perceived for the first time that he
4 was no longer alone with the dead in
that place.
d Kneeling in silence by the vicomte's
g side he had till then been hidden from
v the inner doorway to the room by the
q drapery of the center table. And evt
e IDENTIFY 1t was this circumstance which
:. had emboldened a man to slip In from
d the main hall and approach Sypher's
= desk at the back of the room.
t AS O'Rourke appeared he was con
J. scious first of something moving In
q the room-a movement caught vaguely
n from the corner of his eyes. Then he
s heard stifled cry of fright. He had
l. already his revolver In his hand, so in
g slant had been the obedience of his
= brain and body to the admonition Of
instinct
He swung about with the weapon
poised, crying: Stop" The othel
man was apparently trying to escape
by the door to the hall, but was much
too far from 1t to escape the threat
NJ ened bullet. A Jet Of fire spurted from
Vi his hand. O'Rourke heard crasl
ID and clatter OF broken window-glass be
VA hind him. Without delay or consciou,
vi aim he fred and saw, still indistinctl,
VA through pungent wreaths of smoke
M itself.
y The man had hardly fallen er,
VI O'Rourke stood over him, with a foo
q hrm upon one arm, while he bent ant
wrenched a revolver from relaxing fin
gers. Then, stepping back, he tool
stock OF the murderous-minded in
truder. and saw at his feet, writing
coughing and splitting, Chimes,
\ coolie-a type Of the lowest class, hi
face q, set yellow mask, stolid, un
emotional, brutalized. Even then 1
betrayed little feeling; only the slant
set black eyes burned with unquench
8 able hatred as they glared up at tn,
conQueror. O'Rourke's bulle
- had penetrated the mans chest; an,
as he sQuirmed and groaned through
- his sharpened teeth Of a rat, a Grim
son stain spread on the bosom of hi
coarse white blouse.
- Wholly COMPOUNDED, ORourke shool
;, an amazed head. A third element ha,
been added to the mystery with n,
effect other than to render 1t NOR
opaque and dense than before.
. The telephone, its raucous voic,
- now long since stilled, came into hi
mind, and he was minded to leave tn
room and find 1t, to summon aid
Before he could move, however,
:. football on the veranda startled him
and his ears were ringing with a com
= mand couched In terse, curt English
- Hands up"