Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1914-12-18
CHAPTER XII.
Clothes for the senorlta.

Clothes for the senorlta.
Gaunt awoke. "Joan!" he said. MY
Joan!"
they fell into each others embrace.
Wynn and Doctor Saddler and Berry
awoke and found the lovers locked
together like two wrestlers.
Break away there!" shouted Doc
Tor Saddler.
Gaunt sprang up. Gentlemen" he
said. lifting Joan from the ground and
clasping her In his arms beside him.
permit me to introduce Joan Darcy.
the heroine Of our adventure"
He introduced Joan to his friends
one by Que. Joan In bew!lderment
asked what It all meant. Il
How" she asked. did you all get
here? thought there we're no white
men In this region. How did John
fnd your"
John quickly outlined the story Of
his trip 10 New York and told how
Wynn ana his friends had volunteered
to come at once TO Central America
to rescue the loveliest woman alive.
But the mad fellowsl" Gauht now
said. Where are FL Toro AND Chg
.hsa'
rHavs you not found theiry 5odiesf"
w8s Ioa.'s startling question.
Their Dodies!" exclaimed Doctor
sadd'er. DO you mean to say they
are dead?"
Yes" answered Joan. Dead. They
fought each other-fought q terrible
duel near my cage. | witnessed the
whole fearful combat And. oh Johnl
The worst nappened--the worst that
you and I often feared might occur.
Those two men killed each other. leav-
ing me In that cage to starve by
inches. Oh, the horror OF It! On the
morning of their fight--three days ago
they had not yet fed and watered
me. The consequence WAS that. min.
Ute by minute, | found my strength
wamng, till aually-- we'll. must have
sunk INTO upconsciousless from sheer
tack OF food'-lor so you found me
last night"
The party now left the hut and went
in search OF the bodies OF the madmen.
They found the bodies lying just be-
yond Joan's cage, locked In each 9th.
er's embrace--each N the death grip.
They buried them decently, then or
dored the blacks to prepare at once
for the return journey to the coast.
While preparations were going for
ward simultaneously for the return
rip and for breakfast for their i'm.
aediate sustenance the four white
nen asked Joan to tell them with
n3re particulars Just what had caused
the two madmen TO kill each other.
I'm going to tell you something
FIRST that really may surprise you.
John" Joan said. Tho negro. Chacha
he was not mad at oil. He was per.
fectly sane-lust as ! had often be-
lieved he was. His whole game was
waiting game. He pretended insan-
lty merely In order to remain with
the mad naturalist And his desire to
remain In the company Of the really.
truly mailman was simply to discover
the hiding place OF the old mans gold.
We'll. from what heard the black
man say to the naturalist on the
morning OF their fight, 1t seems that
the black man had that morning at
last discovered the scientist In the
very act OF gloating over his gold. 1t
was that room in the hut which you.
John, know of--the room In which |
sept last night.
ut appears that the negro stole
UPON his master unaware, and that the
black man at once tried to secure pos
session of the gold The white man
must have fought off the negro-driv-
ing him out OF the hut The negro's
spear stood near my cage. where he
had left 1t the night before, and that's
bow he came to run TO the cages. while
the white man pursued him. Once in
possession OF his spear the black man
turned on HE master to give battle.
The white man was armed only with
a knife As they fought heard the
negro painting for breath, saying to
El Toro;
So, Senior II Toro, this is your
lest hour Ycu thought me insane.
Well. I'm not insane I'm as sane
as you were when first found you
counting your gold in the coast vii
lage. And now you are about TO die
and ! am going to get the gold, and
I'm going to take that girl in the cage
for my wife.
Can you imagine, John, my terror
when heard that negso express his