Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1914-10-09
CHAPTER XII.
The Ultimate Appeal.

We lay at anchor half mile outside
the bay. All was silent aboard tho
yacht, save the monotonous tramp CT
the guard on deck above my cabin. My
watch marked six o'clock In the after
noon and this was Wednesday. Five
days remained-only five days of
grace, and on Monday Charles would
stand condemned, while | was power
less to save him. | pictured him in
his dungeon in the Paris fortress, igno-
rant of my whereabouts; wept to
think that my desperate fight to Cor
sica to procure the only witness who
could deliver him had ended in my
ignominious capture. Yet unless deliv-
erance came from some unguessed-at
quarter, hope must be abandoned.
| dared not go to bed but paced my
tiny cabin in feverish despair. Out
side, through the closed portfolio, the
sea tumbled in rising waves, and the
yacht rocked and pitched as she
strained at her anchor. So heart-weary
was /, so helpless, that my fatigue In
duced period of merciful uncon-
seriousness into which l gfided by i'm
perceptible degrees, to be tortured by
nightmares. Now | was in Paris again,
watching the condemnation of Charles.
One by one the military judges arose
and announced their verdict-guilty.
/ saw him led forth to the parade
ground, to be stripped of his uniform,
to have his buttons and epaulets torn
from him and his sword broken, while
outside the barriers mob howled for
his death. The intensity of my de-
spair awoke me.
What was that low tapping upon the
pane of the port-hole?
was upon my feet now, fully awake,
staring with incredulity through the
dull, rounded glass, at a small boat
that rocked perilously beside the
yacht. l listened; the tramp on deck
had ceased. The sentinel was gone,
or sleeping upon watch. The tapping
came again, and, looking out, l per-
ceived the Greek Zeuxis, with a com
panion seated in the little boat
| strained at the portfolio fastenings
with all my strength. The rusty catch
slid back and admitted the fresh night
air. The head of Zeuxis was upon a
level with my own.
Then l knew that his words had not
been vain; he had come to settle his
score with my captor, Magniff. There
was no need of words; we both under
stood. l opened the portfolio to its
fullest extent. 1t was just wide enough
to admit of the Greeks passage.
He stood up in the rocking boat,
chung to the exterior of the orifice with
both his hands, and then, needless of
the swaying boat, which rose and fell
beneath him, raised himself and thrust
his head and shoulders within. He
ment later and he had wriggled
through and stood up on the floor Of
my cabin. He looked back, nodded,
and the boat pulled slowly away. He
had cut off his retreat, the single ave
nue. of flight.
In his teeth was the sharp knife that
had seen him flourish in the cottage.
knew the mad determination which
inspired him, the hate which had
transformed the cringing coward into
hero. l knew the deadly purpose for
whose accomplishment he had armed
himself with that razor-keen blade. But
now, with Charles liberty at stake
and hope clutching me by the throat
what was the life of Leopold Magniff
to me- Should l not in duty let loose
this assassin upon the man who had
shown me no quarter?
| While l was struggling thus be.
tween two motives Zeuxis, still with.
out word, had crept like a cat to the
locked door of the cabin. He wrenched
: at it; then, with a smile at the pitiful
weakness of that defense which had
! seemed insuperable to me, he inserted
: the thin blade Of the knife into the
J lock and forced back the tongue. A
: moment later and he had disappeared
from sight, leaving me tremulous with
alternating terror and hope. | heard
his footsteps die away upon the car
3 peted floor without. heard Leopold's
voice, cool, calm, penetrating, and the
voice of the Greek as he ragged allow
: him, pouring forth torrent of accuse
| tons, threats and objurgations Their
) came rush of quick footsteps, the
crash of a falling deck-chair, and
| pressed my fingers tightly to my ears
: YES, but / could not shut out thai
awful cry that followed, heard racing
5 below, shouting and struggling, the
: slamming of doors Oaths, maledic
) tions, blows came to my ears family
1 as | covered there; the sound Of fall
i ing bodies-and then more intense
and still more awful silence. / daret
: not stir.
! That silence, that complete absence
: of'sound, was far more terrible to me
4 than had been the sounds, and the
! shouting. Nothing occurred. There