The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1913-12-05

E ~NH"NNs NhAAHu buN our
names; a file Of half-drunken soldiers
grounded arms in the passage way
with a bang that brought us to our
feet, as Mornac, flushed with wine, IN.
tered unsteadily, drawn sword in hand
I'm damned if stay here n long.
err" he broke out, angrily. "Tll see
whether my rascals can't shoot straight
by torch.light."
The shutting tread of the insurgent
infantry echoed across the gravel court
yard; torches behind the walls were
extinguished; blackness enveloped the
cliffs.
well" broke out Speed, h|oarsely,
"Good-by, Scarlet"
He held out his hand.
"Good-by," l said, stunned.
Then he went to the countess and
offered his hand.
81 am so sorry for YOU" she said,
with a pallid smile. You have much
to live for. But you must not feel
lonely, monsieur; you will be with MS
shall be close to you"
She turned to me, and her hands fell
to her side.
Are you contented?" she asked.
"Yes," / answered.
Il, too" she said, sweetly, and Of
fered her hands. / held them very
tightly. you say" 1 whispered, that
it is not-love. But you do not speak
for me. love you"
A bright blush spread over brow and
neck.
'So-it was love-after all" she
said, under her breath. God be with
us today love you"
March, cried Mornac, as two
soldiers took station beside me.
Speed passed out first; / followed;
the countess came behind me.
Courage" l stammered. looking
back at her as we stumbled out into
the torch-lit garden.
She smiled adorably. Her forefa.
theirs had mounted the guillotine smil-
ing.
A soldier dressed like a Turco lifted
a torch and set it in the flower bed un-
der the wall, Illuminating the spot
where we were to stand. AS this sol
der turned to come back | saw his
face
"Salah Ben-Ahmed!"I cried. hoarse.
ly. DO Marabouts do this butchers
work."
The Turco stared at me as though
stunned.
"Salah Ben-Ahmed is a disgraced
soldier!" said, in a ringing voice.
ITS a lie!" he shouted, in Arabic
tits a lie, o my inspector! Speak!
Have these men tricked me? Are you
not Prussians? p"
silence! S~ilencel" bawled Nor
nae. "Turco, fall in! Fall in, l say!
What! You menace me?" he snarled,
cooking his revolver.
Then a man darted out of the red
shadows of the torch-light and fell up
on Mornac with a knife, and dragged
him down and rolled on him, stabbing
him through and through, while the
mutilated wretch screamed and
screamed until his soul struggled out
through the tlame-shot darkness and
fled to its last dreadful abode.
The Lizard rose, shaking his fagot
knife; they fell upon him, clubbing
and stabbing with stock and b|ayonet,
but he swung his slneared and sticky
blade, clearing a circle around him.
And l think he could have cut his way
free had not Tric-Trao shot him in the
back of the head.
Then a frightful tumult broke loose.
Three of the torches were knocked to
the ground and trampled out as the
insurgents, doubly drunken with wine
and the taste of blood, seized me and
tried to force me against the wall;
but the Turco, with his shrill, wolf
like battle yelp, attacked them, saber-
bayonet in hand. Speed, too, had
wrested a rife from a half-stupefed
%rufian, and now stood at bay before
the countess; l saw him welding his
heavy weapon like a fail; then in the
darkness Tric-Trac shot at me, so
close that the powder fame scorched
my leg. He dropped his rifle to spring
for my throat, knocking me fiat, and,
%crouching on me, strove to strangle
me; and l heard him whining with
eagerness while | twisted and writhed
to free my ~windpipe from his thin
fingers.
At last / tore him from my body
and struggled to my feet. He, too, was
on his legs with a bound, running,
doubling, lodging; and at his heels /
saw a dozen sailors, broadaxes gilt
tering, chasing him from tree to
shrub.
Speed" l shouted-"the sailors
from the Fer.de-Lance!"
l had picked up a rife with a bro
ken bayonet; the countess, clasping
my left arm; stood swaying in the
rife smoke, eyes closed; and, when
a horrid sc%reeching arose from the
depths of the garden where they were
destroying Tric-Trac, she fell to shud-
dering, hiding her face on my shout
der.
Suddenly Speed appeared, carrying
a drenched little figure, partly wrapped
in a sailors ~pea-jacket, slim limbs
dropping, blue with cold.