The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-11-05
CHAPTER xI.
The Ultimate AppeaI.

CHAPTER xI.
The Ultimate Appeal.
Gin which / snatch success out OF the
jaws of failure.)
We lay at anchor half mile outside
the bay. All was silent aboard the
yacht, save the monotonous tramp OF
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 Eve 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, tgno-
rant Of my whereabouts; wept to
think that my desperate flight to Cor
sica to procure the only witness who
could deliver him had ended in my
ignominious capture. Yet unless del1V-
erance came from some unguessed-at
quarter, hope must be abandoned.
l 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 a period of merciful uncon-
sciousness into which l glided 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 a 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 myfeet now, fully awake
staring with incredulity through the
dull, rounded glass. at a small boat
that rocked perilously beside the
yacht. listened; the tramp on decH
had ceased. The sentinel was gone
or sleeping upon watch. The tapping
came again, and, looking out, l per
ceived the Greek Zeuxis, with com
panion seated in the little boat.
strained at the port-hole fastening
with all my strength. The rusty catcf
slid back and admitted the fresh nigh
air. The head of Zeuxis was upon
level with my own.
Then knew that his words had no
been vain; he had come to settle hi
score with my captor, Magniff. Their
was no need of words; we both under
stood. l opened the portfolio to 1T
fullest extent. It was just wide enougl
to admit of the Greeks passage.
He stood up In the rocking boat
clung to the exterior of the orifce witt
both his hands, and then, needless O
the swaying boat, which rose and fel
beneath him, raised himself and thrus
his head and shoulders within. H
caught at my too willing hands, a me
ment later and he had wriggle
through and stood up on the floor O
my cabin. He looked back, nodded
and the boat pulled slowly away. H
had cut off his retreat, the single ave
nue. Of fight.
In his teeth was the sharp knife tha
had seen him flourish in the cottag'
knew the mad determination whic
inspired him, the hate which ha
transformed the cringing coward int
a hero. l knew the deadly purpose fo
whose accomplishment he had arme
himself with that ra8or-keen blade. BV
now, with Charles liberty at etak
and hope clutching me by the throa
Q what was the life of Leopold Magni
n to me. Should not In duty let loOl
this assassin upon the man who ha
shown me no quarter!
u While / was struggling thus b
tween two motives Zeuxis, still wit
d out a word, had crept like a cat to II
locked door of the cabin. He wrenche
v at it; then, with a smile at the pitif
4 weakness of that defense which hs
u seemed insuperable to me. he inserte
n the thin blade of the knife into Il
n lock and forced back the tongue.
D. moment later and he had disappeart
d from sight, leaving me tremulous vii
At alternating terror and hope. heal
1t his footsteps die away upon the ca
IL peted floor without. l heard Leopold
:" voice, cool, calm, penetrating, and Il
a voice Of the Greek as he ragged abo'
a. him, pouring forth torrent Of accus
N tions, threats and objurgations. Th'
rs came a rush Of quick footsteps, Il
crash of a falling deck-chair, and
N pressed my fingers tightly to my eal
" Yes, but could not shut out tn
= awful cry that followed. heard racil
Nc below, shouting and struggling. t
n. slamming of doors. Oaths, mailed
as tions, blows came to my ears faint
IN as / covered there; the sound of ia
M ing bodies-and then a more inten
" and still more awful silence. dar
IL not stir.
=. That silence, that complete absen
N. of sound, was far more terrible to I
a than had been the sounds, and t
nv shouting. Nothing occurred. The