The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-05-10

And, in the midst of the fight within him
self, Hugo Loubeque would cry aloud at the birth
pains of affection for the girl struggling against
the demons of hate and revenge which had so
long dominated his very soul. And, often in the
self inflicted agony of fighting to continue his
l1ve-long efforts toward annihilating General
sumPter Love, her father, he would roughly or
der his servant to rise and take up the dreary
march once more.
Forcing his marches in mad desire to weary
his body so, at night, his brain would succumb
TO the utter WEAKNESS that griPped him. Hugo
Loubeque tried to fight away this change that
was struggling to take place within himself He
knew that it could not come, knew that the habit
OF lifetime, such thought he had concen-
trated on his revenge could not be beaten down
by anything, and still there was something with
in him which tainted him with his inability to
put the girl out of the way where she would no
longer be hindrance in the working out of his
plans.
He noticed q growing sulenness on the mart
OF his servant, sulky obedience which came
only grudglngly After rage had tipped his mas
ters tones with menacing decisiveness. He de-
cided to watch the fellow more carefully though
at the same time laughing at himself for the
nervousness which was growing upon him. 1t
was as though he could sometimes feel a shadow
quite different from the dark shadow of the
jungle, between his shoulder blades where he
could not reach nor see nor identify it but which
he knew for the shadow of impending calamity
And what calamity was there, what calamity had
there been in all his eventful life to compare to
the shadow of the frail girl-woman who shared
with him this jungle? Enemies, each sworn to
overcome the other no odds at what cost they
occupied this great, damp, beast-ridden jungle
themselves the most ferocious of all the beasts
within its boundaries when it came to the &C.
compishment of q mutual purpose-the holding
or securing OF the papers that to one meant
venge, the other love.
1t was late In the fourth night that he final
ly saw to the fire his servant had prepared and
stretched out, sinking almost instantly into pro-
FOUND siumber He had fought against heavy
sleep for the actions of the native had been I'M
usually furtive and restless all day. There had
been times when he would stop. retrace their
path always as though studying their trail How
long he had slept he had means Of knowing
The Weakening was of the most abrupt
he started bolt upright, looking instinctively
toward the place where his servant should have
been. But the man had gone and the fire was
scattering wildly about, as though someone had
intentionally disturbed it that the Jungle beasts
might lose their fear of this man and pounce
upon him. He heard the cracking of twigs under
feet too swift to be other than those of man in
terror, caught glimpse of a wsvering, flashing
mare OF torch-light, heard the piercing wall of
mans voice
Grasping his revolver Loubeque sprang to his
feet, instantly wide-awake. For just q second he
waited there then drew a steady aim upon the
leaping torch. The gun spoke. followed almost in
stantly by the shri voice of Lucille
Don't shoot It's lion"
Loubeque allowed the revolver to drop to his
side. Suddenly the wonder of her being at his
camp site struck him and simultaneously his hand
sought the sack about his neck. 1t was gone, dis
appeared
Even as he dsrted forward, fighting madly
against the black tange Of vegetation that barred
his way, he was withheld by some feeling within
from firing the revolver at that torch. He could
hear the low growls of a wild animal, caught a
stray glimpse Of Lucille standing dark,
shaPeless figure of Q man beside the bank Of .
little stream, while, before the waving torch she
had snatched from the campfire of her enemy,
q great lion silently retreating.
Loubeque caught q glimpse of this. then In
his efforts to reach her side, he was shut from
sight completely. He tried to stumble back to
her when the ground seemed to kick up its heels
and slide backwards. He clutched vainly for sup
port, his hands encountering the arm Of man.
Cold water closed upon him and, still clutching
the arm, he allowed himself to float down the
stream for q ways. Then, in a turn, he managed
to secure footing and drag the body of his dead
servant, horribly mutilated by the claws Of the
lion, to shore. But search though he would, the
little bag that contained the papers was not to \
be found.
Loubeque fought his way back to the spot
where he had made his fire, readily locating the
spot where Lucille had driven away the lion from
his prey But Lucille had disappeared. vanished
as completely as though the earth bad swallowed
her up. The international spy stood q long time
in silence beside the place where he had seen the
waving torch And there was that In the eyes
that looked down at the revolver in his hand
which told that next time he would not hesitate