The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1916-01-17

the iron box containing the documents
in question. He set it down upon the
table"
There was a hubbub outside in the
courtyard In the midst of it door
was thrust open, and the Brute strobe
in, carrying Annette in his arms-An-
nette, still only semiconscious-s still
suffering from the shock of that with
ing figure at the bottom Of the jaguar
trap back there in the desert. Some
instinct had led the Brute back to his
master. He laid TIE figure of Annette
upon the table with the air of one who
has done his duty well.
Brothers," cried Brother Anselmo,
seeing Annette's plight, "quick-re-
storatives-succor for this young girl.
Hernandez took advantage of the
confusion-though he himself was con-
fused beyond all peradventure. Lis
ten," he said to Inez, leave her with
the Brute-go at once. I'll do the
rest"
obeyed. They left the room, hurried
across the courtyard and disappeared.
Hernandez watched them go. His
GOODNESS returned. Swiftly, with one
bound, he was upon Brother Anselmo
and had seized the iron box in his iron
grasp.
In an instant he was across the
room.
But Brother Anselmo had done
something more than pray and sleep
in his quiet existence. He was an &C.
tive. we'll trained individual. With a
loud cry he leaped across the inter-
vening space, and bounded upon the
shoulders of Hernandez.
Help, help brothers," he command
ed.
There was help aplenty. Hernandez
fought like mailman, but the broth
ers chung to him like leeches. Slowly,
however, he worked his way toward
the nearest eXit-and then with
mighty wrench, he threw off all his as
sailants including Brother Anselmo,
and darted, with mighty leap out
through the doorway.
He bounded into the arms OF Neal
Hardin and his squad.
Neal saw at a glance what had hap
pened. He seized Hernandez wrist
the wrist Of the hand and arm that
held the iron box, and twisted it sud-
denly, painfully. Hernandez dropped
the box--but jerked away from Neal,
sprang to window and disappeared.
Behind him he heard the steady
plup-plup Of many footsteps the
steady lope of marines that eats up
the long miles in less time than it
takes to tell it.
Damn them said Hernandez. "Fn
beat them to it yet
Behind him the footsteps stopped.
There was report-a ping. Herman
dez had reached the edge of the green
oasis. He screamed with pain. 1t
was as though a red hot iron had
scared him. He had been hit in the
arm.
Damn you," he screamed in pain,
I'll beat you to it, yet
With almost unseeing eyes he tore
across the small green space-and
hen he stumbled, apd slid, Slid, slid
INTO what seemed a bottomless pit.
He just escaped a stake-a bloody
,ne. And he fell-cr rather slumped-
Upon something soft and yielding.
With another oath he rose to his feet
lnd peered about him. Then he drew
Jack in terror.
There lay Ponto-his mate-dead.
distorted.
Hernandez screamed in terrOr-he |
vas only human. This thing was hor- |
ible A shadow startled him. He |
Ooked upward. The Brute was peering |
own-he was doing more-he slowly |
lid down into the pit and caught Her
andez in his grasp. Then, somehow.
sing his broad shoulders and his
rms ard knees he worked his way
ack again to terra firma, and drew
grooming with tue pain of
is wound-up after him. Then with
he nimhleness OF a deer, the Brute
fter singing Hernandez upon his
ack-trotted off into the safety OF the
eyond. u
Back at the monastery, Annette Il