Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1916-01-26
THE PIRATES OF
THE SKY
Continued from Yesterday
ny STEPHEN GAILLARD.
Copyright 1915, by Rand -McNally Co.

great oaken chair, his hands gripping
lightly its massive arms, his head
sunk upon his breast, his face deadly
pale. There were beads of clammy
sweat upon his forehead, and in his
deep, brooding eyes there was a look
of more than pain, look of unutter-
able sorrow. Theodore was seated on
stool at his side, her hands clasping
one of his, while Gretchen crouched
upon a stool in one corner. Theodore
and Vankovieh had been speaking to-
gether, and on her face, as she turned
toward me, I could see traces of tears
through the smile with which she
greeted me. The chief raised his head
as / entered and regarded me with
an intent and steady gaze, a gaze in
which there was much of sorrow,
much of grief-tragic, yet controlled.
and, withal, much of inscrutable re-
solve, inhexible purpose, indcmitable
will. His drawn, haggard features,
the deathly pallor of his face, The
dark rings beneath his cavernous
eyes, were frightful to behold The
hand of death was upon him; | knew
1t, | felt it, | could not choose but
see. and from him | felt that the
grisly shadow fell upon Theodore,
upon me.
The revelation OF that moment was
to me as if a phantom hand had
thrust my own death warrant before
my eyes, SO certain was | that, VanRo-
vich dead, my own hours of life were
numbered. And I could not under
stand how that man, so titanic, SO
herculean, whom I had last seen but
two days before in the Vigor of his
years. could have been stricken down
so suddenly. Sinister suspicious came
erowding upon my mind; | felt that !
was in the presence of some horrible
treachery. What dark, unseen power
Lad struck this blow--a blow which
I felt was aimed equally at Barchev-
sky's life and mine, at Theodore s
liberty and honor?
For some moments l returned in
silence the gaze he fixed upon me.
Then, waving his hand, he motioned
mo to be seated.
"My friend" he said. II am dying
At his words Theodore bent her
head upon the hand she held, and
wept. lie gently released it from her
grasp and laid it upon her head with
touch as gentle as a woman's. I
started to speak, but he raised his
hand for silence.
4NO. llpS IlH SdluJ 10 floi iiu1n
,ne. | know whereof 7 speak: ! am
dying. I may have r day. | may have
a week to live, but death is certain"
''But how? Why" / exclaimed. II
do not understand"
Gold, gold, the lust Of gold the lust
of power. unholy desires which have
thwarted, in the way of which
stand; that is why. That is the rea-
son ann dying"
He paused and his head sank upon
his breast, while sat in silence, grief
stricken, Mortified. waiting for him to
proceed. When he lifted his head
again his mind seemed to be wander
Ing.
where is Andrei? Where is Barch-
evsky?" he asked.
Theodore looked up at him with
streaming eyes.
"Barchevsky is not here Guardian" >"
she said. "TIe has been long away,
don't you remember? Don't you re
member that we have been expecting
his return. the return of the Lanllner-
geier, every day for several days.
He raised his hand and passed IT
across his forehead, as If he would
brush away tho gathering shadows
that beset his mind.
"Ah, yes,p he said, 81 remember
now. ] think my mind must have
wandered. Yes, ] remember BarcheY-
sky has not returned, and [ have sent
for this man, our aVoWed enemy, as
tho only one whom I can trust in his
absence, save only Zarnhorst, and he
little man, is not made of such stern
stuff as must be the man upon whom
I rely. Baldwin" he went on, speak
ing to me. you see me stricken down;
you see the end of the great schemes
to which ] have devoted my life-not
for myself, the great Ruler OF All
knows. but for humanity. ] am learn
ing my lesson: He that taketh the
sword shall perish by the sword! BY
violence | have sought my ends, and
by violence | fall"
He paused and, gazing down into
Theodora's face, he stroked the hair
that fell, disEeveled, in a golden glory,
over her shoulders.
IT am dying" he began again pres
emily, "and | leave behind me one
dearer than my own life, alone and
unprotected in the midst of danger |
had not thought of this; I had not
prepared for this, such was my AFRO
CANT confidence in my own physical
powers, such my impious belief that
SO important was my life to the
cause the hand of the Almighty
would be over me like a shield in the
midst of all dangers. And my I'M
pious recklessress cries out against
me in my dying hour. TO you, my
enemy, / appeal, and to BarchevslSy.
If he shall come in time, to protect
her when my hand shall be power
less.'
He paused again, while Theodore
and 7 looked into each others eyes.
"You are an aviator?" he asked at
length, and it seemed, by the ques-
tion, that again his mind was wan
dering.
"Yes." I answered.
"That is well. Do you think you
could manage one of our big ma
CHINESE"
81 could try; even if I failed I think
that would be the lesser evil, If have
understood you rightly"
Eyes, yes; better death than what
awaits her here. Now listen to me
carefully. l will guide you by a way
known, as / believe, only to Earn
horst and to me, to point near to the
top of the stairway leading to the
hangar. The hangar is always un-
guarded Because we consider it mac
cessfoTe, save by the stairway hewn in
the cliff. The passage by which l shall
guide you is one which ] discovered
Inadvertently, and which was, | think,
l1ewn in the rock by the ancient in
habitants of the valley. You will take
Theodore with you. | know you to be
a brave man and l trust her to your
faith and honor. You will surprise
the guards on the stairway and fling
them over the cliff; you will then seize
one of the cars-up and away. Do
you dare to accept the trust / place
in you?"
Did I dare? NY heart thrilled to its
inrnost depths at the thought. How
long had I known that for Theodore
I would dare anything!
ct dare" 7 answered simply. But
you-have you strength to guide us
to the passage you speak off,
"Yes, I am a dying man. but mind