The Washington herald., 1913-07-27
CASPTER III.

your partners safe" answered Poe
bobbing up to stand in front OF the
circus riding costumer as he saw the
fascinating girl with the water jug push
ing through the dazed dancers toward
them. Grasping q fellow In bulky
Chanticleer. Poe swung him around.
pointed to the spent girl in the corner.
cried, Here's q pheasant hen for YOU.
and whirled away in time to catch the
approaching peasant girl about the waist
and Join in the mad revelry.
The girl repulsed him violently with
almost masculine strength. but Poe, with
an outward show Of affection crushed
her tight to his bosom, using all his
strength and holding her SO tight she
could scarcely breathe.
A sudden series of thumps from the
masters staff announced abruptly that
this would be the last dance. 1t was
the signal for a depraved. utterly de-
moralized tumble OF extravagant motions,
Iewd cries. ear-spltting curses. stagser-
ing blows, and few pistol shots IL
was the moment of utter demoraliza-
ton: the dance had gone to pieces. II
was a mad bottle-smashing hellish riot.
Poe took advantage Of the moment 10
strengthen his hold on the struggling
girl by slipping his sinewy around ABOUT
ner neck with all appearance OF senti-
ment and effectively choking her; with
his other hand he caught the water bot
tie from her firm grasp. tucked u under
his arm and was about to tighten MS
hold on her neck when she suddenly
managed to twist out Of his desperate
hold. stagger back. scream 'Cabron!
Cabron," in a very mannish voice and
let drive a smashing blow straight into
Poc's face.
CHRISTOPHER Poe raised the heavy red
water bottle and smashed 1t full into
the masked face. The blow carried the
girls mask with II and revealed the cut
and bleeding face Of man. wearing a
woman's wig. Following up his stroke
Poe hit the man fairly In the face and
as he keeled over caught him on one
arm and with the other picked up
hideous skull. which the water bottle
had contained.
Holding the unconscious form OF the
man who had so effectively masked as
a woman, Poe held high the grinning
skull and cried: "Cortes! Cortes, The
skulr of the Great Conqueror! Found
at last
Those who heard sent up a wild drunk
en- laugh at mention Of the famed skull
Of Cortes.
see. CrleO roc. utNtti ousiy rciho'-
ing a striking greenish gem from
purse he found concealed about the neck
of the man he had struck down. He
placed the stone between the cleaning
teeth in the deaths head.
See! See. II is genuine chalchi-
huitl that was buried with him to serve
as a heart for him in heaven: for he
had no heart on earth"
Another yell Of ribald laughter greeted
this sally. The girl in the circus skirts
at sight of the gem staggered from the
seat in which Poe dropped her and tried
to get at him. screaming that II was
hers: but kindly people pushed back
the drunken jade and Poe, the dance
having come to its climax. slipped
through the crowd. supporting the un-
conscious masker on his arm and
dropped Imply with his burden In a
closed cab just as the blare of the last
garish note of the dance died out.
He drove at once to the Iturbide
Hotel. where his suit case had been
sent and engaged a room for himself
and his friend. a pal OF his dressed as
a woman he explained to the clerk. who
thought it a good joke that the man in
the woman's wig had got dead drunk