The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1916-03-31

was pursuing it, also, that same young
American-and that ruffian of hers,
who serves her so like dog-Roleau,
1 heard her call him. My word, he /
had a grip of steel in his hands-he +
well-nigh did for me before l could
make my escape. l saw Count Sachio
drop the coin upon the floor. l threw
my man so 1 could pick it up, and
then fed. My word to you, brothers,
l fed at speed! So here l am
Now, while these thieves of the city
were holding their little conference,
their holder brethren of the desert,
not so far away in their own rendez-
vous, were gathered for an evenings
converse dozen or more Of Lam
dozi's band of desert riders, hail fei-
lows we'll met, friends Of the kings
troops and enemies, as they boosted,
of none but the rich. Their headquar-
tiers, as was generally known, lay lit
tie way back on the cross-trail of the
main road, between the two kingdoms
of Grahoffen and Gretzhoffen, which
crossed midway of the neutral lands.
When Kitty fed after the thief
Blake, it was at first with no definite
purpose of her own; but she had not
gone far before she realized that alone
she could accomplish little against
such men as he; and she doubted not
that he was on his way to join his
comrades. What then was there to
do? Who could aid her?
Even as she rode the thought came
to Kitty's mind of the debonair bandit
leader, Landozi, the same who had so
calamity freed her and escorted her
to the city's gates but short time
before. She was woman enough to
! know the impression she had made On
/ the bandit chief-and shrewd enough
| also to hit upon him as an ally in her
own plans. Therefore, as Kitty rode
now-not so fast as not, to leave abun-
dant bits Of paper on the trail SO that
Roleau might be able to track her-it
was not towards any citadel of the law
not to Gretzhoffen town itself-but
/ towards the capital of lack of law !;
the rendezvous Of the ragged ban
ditti Of the desert.
They sat, these rude and careless
folk, i'll clad, ragged, yet not i'll con
made their lair or den on the cross
road in the neutral lands. Cooking
eating, drinking, they spent the tint
as persons of no more mentality thar
theirs would spend it-joking, con
versing, talking Of what they had done
> vaporing Of what they were about t
do. Most prominently in their minds
seemed to linger the memory Of thei
little expedition in which they ha(
taken prisoner the Count Fredericl
and the beautiful young American.
"And the chief let that prize go!
;, grumbled one. "Out Of the whole en-
- terprise we got nothing, absolutel
:, nothing What the count gave u
= would not have made two lire apiece
= divided fairly among our band. TIL
. main prize-the young woman-W
;, got nothing for her whatever. An
yet, what a chance for ransom.'
"Such a chance does not come Of
en-. But 1 wonder where the chic
himself is tonight. And are the picl
cts out down the road? In these time
we cannot be too careful, for they So
that between the two kingdoms wa
may come, and if SO it would be bu
Il our luck for one Of the armies t
u ask us to recruit with Them
: GO, you fellows, two of you" il
Il structed one who seemed to be som
:, sort Of lieutenant. step out an
scout down the road a Bit
l. 1t was not long after this that th
u men left at the rendezvous heard
IL the darkness woman's scream
With this came the laughing shout {
l. their comrades.
e