The evening world., 1914-03-27

starvation. He stood chewing the
meat and gazing about him, as an
animal might gaze on finding itself
in a strange place.
He had not eaten for moro than
twenty-four hours. and now the food
he had taken made him feel drowsy,
heavy with WEAKNESS. He came to
the blown down palms. made what
shelter he could from the sun with
their fronds. lay down beside them
and fell asleep.
When he awoke some hours later.
his mind was clear and his first
thought was of Sagesse.
Tie crossed over to the northern
beach. He wished to see what he
could Of the wreck. but even before
he was half way across he could see
that nothing remained Of La Belle
Arlesienne but a few epars washing
about in the lagoon water. where ship
OF wood and ship Of coral lay locked
together In ruin.
But things were washing ashore on
the full tide-black things to make
one shudder. forms with limbs out
spread, looking like enormous Jet
black starfsh. forms locked together
in a deadly embrace as though they
had gone to their death fighting.
Then as Gaspard stepped from the
bushes hc saw with a thrill OF horror
that the sands were in motion. Thou
sands upon thousands OF little crabs
were congregating to the feast: he
trod on them as he walked, and
amidst them. like moving rocks, giant
crabs from the eastern beach were
advancing like captains OF this army
OF destruction.
He would have fed the hateful place
had he not noticed form that the
sea had cast up almost free OF the
waves.
II was the body OF Sagesse.
The man of wisdom and resource
lay on his side huddled up as IL
asleep. He was fully dressed. Horri-
BILE though the place was and dread
full with death. not all the horror in
the world could have prevented Gas
pard from advancing toward the body
of Sagesse. 1t drew him toward II
against his will, as II by some mes
meric influence.
The right hand of the Captain lying
across his chest had upon one OF tho
fingers something that glittered In the
sun like a star. IL was n diamond,
enormous and lovely with light, set In
an old fashioned ring. II would have
graced the crown OF an emperor: II
would have held Gaspard fascinated
had not another object held him
breathless. From the muffler around
the neck of Sagesse protruded the
head of snake. Two bright red
burning eyes flashed in the sun. the
thing seemed furious at being dis
turbed: a moment more and ono
would have expected 1t to .wriggle
from its concealment and strike. hut
Gaspard feared 1t less even than he
had feared the fer de lance. Of the
Place du Fort. lie kpelt down beside
Sagesse. Needless OF the crabs now
surrounding him. removed the muf-
fier from his neck and then removed
the snake. II was OF solid gold, fiex-
ible, one of those antique bracelets
made To wind round and cling to a
woman's arm. The fat portion of the
head was formed by quadrille OF
fiat sapphires, the eyes were pigeon
blood rubies. Leaving the extraor-
dinary beauty Of the workmanship
aside, the stones alone were worth a
little fortune.
Then Gaspard knew that the cap
tain had indeed found the treasure Of
Simon Serpente. and. seeing ship
wreck before him. had sorted out the
most valuable things in wild at
tempt TO save them with his own
wretched life. With the sweat break
ing out on his forehead al the possi-
bilities before him. he flung the SER
pent OF gold on the ground before
searching he body. II fell on the
swarming crabs. lie picked IL up and
flung II round his own neck. Then he
noticed that his hand was bleeding:
II had been n,ppcd by one OF the
Nerm,n which were now crawling up
on the body OF Sagcsse. as the Lilli-
putians swarmed on Gulliver. Seized
with fury. he sprang to his feet and
kicked the brutes hither and thither,
stamped on them. crushed them. He
might as well have stamped on water
advancing from an oNerfowiug dam !:
the clicking and rustling hordes
swarmed on.
He flung himself on his knees again
beside he body seized the hand with
the ring. drew the jewel off and put
II in his pocket. He scarcely noticed
that crab was clinglng to the hand
as he fang IL aside. The left coat
pocket OF SageSse was bulging.
lie thrust his hand III ana drew out
"A knotted handkerchief; IL Chinhed
like bag of marbles, and from a
corner piece of broken gold fell out.
II was part of brooch. He did not
stay to Investigate further: the hand
kerChief held treasure, He thrust II
into his pocket and went on. There
was pocketbook in the breast
Iibthfl VI lUt ibil, III wv 'NH'i
pockets nothing OF value. II" opened
the Naistcost: he tore open the shirt
nothing more. Wipng the sweat
from his brow. he was about 10 rise
to his feet when he remembered that
he had not examined the left hand
for rings,
lie pushed the body over
The left hand of Sagrsse was closed
on something The rigor murtIs was
tust passing. and Gaspard had no dii'
nculty In unlocking tn" fingers from
tn. treasure they contained. II wac
pearl, lovely milk-whi'e pearl
large almost as a pigeons egg. w ny
he had clung 20 this thing especially
whether from superstition or not, who
can say
or was u pearl not belonging e
, Serpente's treasure AT all? a pearl N
. the lagoon that 10y some eNtriordinar,
chance the drowning man mad selze'
upon unknowingly in his struggles
Gaspard wished To- he all al"n" viii
his treasure. lie shouted llk" boy al
he ran, taking the road through ih'
bushes that Sorpcnte's sailors had eat
for the boat The jcwcll"d SNAKE
round his throat glitt"red and flashed
never was there more eNtrhordinafN
picture than tins man, half rhgged
4. ..N.. IA -nt h