The evening world., 1914-03-26

knowledge that the treasure was not
there. and that time would be wasted
In looking for a.? Trying to md an
answer to the riddle set him. and
scarcely knowing where he went. he
took the path across the isict along
which the quarterboat had been
drawn to the lagoon.
Even before ne reached the north
eru beach two things struck his eye
the Quarterboat, with all the diving
apparatus on board. lay floating In
the lagoon and moorcd to the eastern
edge of the basin: and far out Mt sea
la Belle Arlesicnne. with all sail set.
lay bccalmed.
Out there on the desoiate gray OF
the calm sea, her old sails hanging
1accid and without n motion, La
Belle Ariestenne had an mex pressibly
lugubrious and sinister appearance.
II was as though sho had been
caught In some wicked act and. trying
TO escape. had been arrested. The
calm was holding her In a grip IA
powerful az the iron "Trip OF Ice: tho
south equatorial current. broken here.
would not give her a drift OF more
than n mile an hour 10 the north.
She might hang In sight Of the island
for a day or more.
Gaspard. standing on the reef. shook
his f,st at her and cursed her and her
captain and crow. He remembered
the very first day he had seen her.
and how, working himself up INTO a
nervous fever OF Imagination. he had
fancied her passing without seoing
him and had cursed her and her CAP.
tain and her crow.
She had taken him from the Island
and had brought him back; on board
OF her he had given himself away TO
Sagcsse under tho tnnuenco OF rum.
She had brought him TO MArtiniQue,
sho had given him Marie and the
hope of q happy future-and she had
taken Thorn away again. Sho was an
evil thing. and he cursed her again ~
he stared acroSs the ssa, not noticing
upon tho reef. upon the bay cedar
bushes behind him. the almost I'M
palpable gray dust was still falling.
Tho wind had utterly ceased and .
candle would have burned without .
flicker In that motionless air. Cas-
pard had no Idea OF the time OF day,
for the light came through ths
clouded sky evenly difused ~ light
comes through a scuttle OF ground
glass.
He turned his eyes from the distant
vessel to the boat coating on the
lagoon.
Why had Sagesss abandoned the
boat and the valuable diving appara-
tus? Sagesse. OF all the mon In the
world. Sagesse. who turned over Z
half-penny twice before he parted
with II! The boat and gear were
here they were--thrown away.
lilo furnsul (vntv tho hoanh and hn-
gan to rccroas the islet.
Halfway across. at the spot wher>
yesterday he had shown Sageass the
skull Of Sefpente. he stopped dead
nung UP his arms. and cried out ~
though he Mad been shot.
The little mound beMde whicl
Yves had found the bones Of 60s
pcnte and the pouch OF gold was n,
longer there: In tn place thetB va,
u cavity about six feet long and fou
wide and five deep. WIZ
He saw Il all at once In ono blind
ing fash. Serpente's treasure hat
never been on board that ship. !
had been here safely cached. ant
beside II. t..
II was obvious now: the mound o
earth. the ship sunk In the lagoon
the bones bleaching beside tn
mound yet nj had never seen
glimpse OF II Mt all, whereas Sagesse
at the first sight OF the ship, hat
smclled the truth Sagesse at sigh
Of the mound had known almost a.
fact that the treasure OF Serpent,
lay there.
lilo recalled how SaEesse haS
laughed az he flung the skull ava,
into the bushes: he recalled how las
81. h.. "A a
hl9nt ms had demanded w per cent
Oh ths hholhss' ana now Naeesso ma.
given IN ana aer"eu 70 ms demand
Ih.h, VIM" no. taxpArn, oruxke.
Snu '',p, Jay w ~"
him came nor. duv yo,,rd VIA, ths,
sn,iyht cniIec,od their man co,,.c,
cd their stores rowod 10 Ia Hall,
Arle.ienpc un-nnchored and sa,isf
away north for tho Americnr ,.oast
Tho blood rushed Ia Casnard'. "a r,
m hs Thought OF this Snresse',
words. snoken In the, cafe Of the Ru,
Victor Hugo. came back 10 him. ~
~ men ike you who MI .,okehold.
yes no belonsed 10 the race az mer
who cannot see. the inefficient mev
who All stokeholds. the men withou
worldly wisdom md inniuht who Il,
the work Of the world with theil
hand, Will. the shorpers and .coun,
t,.i. and h,,uin.u~ man taks IN.