The Washington times., 1917-08-25

given him by Gavilo and
smoked IL as he was putting on
- some espardrilles, those soft
shoes OF the Pyrenees with soles OF
hemp cord.
He confined the bottoms of his trous,
ers with their laces, and in the fold
| OF a large wooden belt put round his
waist, he Slipped two revolvers, each
| loaded with twelve cartridges.
Severae Departs.
He put on then a sailors cap and
spranE lightly to the rock, after hav-
ing gTasped his comrades hands. His
eye shone, his mustache bristlsd, and
his whole being vibrated with that
awful joy which comes to cruel ma
lures in the expectation Of mereiiess
struggle.
In spite OF his forty years, Severac
had an uncommon vigor and agility,
thanks to his muscles, his nerves, and
his small. slight physique.
He quickly scaled the cliff by a
steep path which he had known for a
long time. Once at the summit he
sprAng along the rocks with a rapid
and elastic step. his eye on the
watch, but his mind peopled with liv-
ing images in which Moisette and
Hictaner played very different roles.
Rosas grottoes lay at the extreme
end. OF the peninsula OF Cape Creus. At
the point called Puig de las Portas,
II degrees, 10 minutes, 20 seconds
north latitude. o degrees, 81 minutes,
seconds east longitude.
They stretched under the earth to
the creek of the north OF the cape.
From Cape Corrego to PuIg de las
Portas. where lay the land entrance
to which Severac had described, It
was exactly sixteen miles by the
most direct OF the mountain paths.
Severac left his companions at Z
o'clock in the morning. Even sup
posing that q pedestrian gains in de-
scendinE the time lost in ascending,
the difficulties of rough trails will
not permit more than two miles an
hour.
Therefore, Severac expected to be
with Moisette and here in the grottoes
about noon.
He did not count upon delays caused
by the soldiers, who might force him
to hide along his route.
Thanks to the name Rosas, which
/ gave to the grottoes," he said, "the
admiral is undoubtedly searching
further to the south OF the peninsula,
in the envfrons and bay of the city
of RosGs. The soldiers are, there
fore, on the south slope of the PEN
insula, while the grottoes In reality are
on the north slope. 1 will not risk
being seen and delayed, for the crest
of the mountain will keep me hidden
from the admirars lookout"
These assumptions were not justi-
fled, however.
Severac did not know that chance
had taken Hictaner to the recent up
heaval of the cliff and showed him
conclusively that there had once lived
Rosas grottoes.
Severac did not know that Admiral
Germinets fleet was lying in the
creek to the south OF Cape Creus. He
could not know particularly that the
whole engineer corps was burrowing
into the bowels of the earth, search
ing for q terrestrial entrance TO the
grottoes.
Leaving a deep ravine, he began to
climb the steep Poig de las Portas.
some 400 feet above the surface or
the sea, when he stopped still In
amaZement-
At the summit Of the peak a man
stood out clearly against the blue
sky.
Severac's uneasiDess doubled when
he saw that the man wore . cap
CATERS, and a belt whose orass
buckle shone in the sun.
A Darling Discovery.
"a soldierw he murmured.
A terrible thought blanched his
cheeks with rage.
.sThey are here because they have
found the entrance to the grottoes-
Moisette! They have taken Moisette
from mel"
Seyerac then knew her how passion
ately he loved the young girl.
From the moment he had seen her
A. the Lost Isle, with the hope Of
coma day being loved in return, when
he had held her afterward in his
hand. sure of possessing her II ne
yrisbed. Seyerac had not analyLed Mol
ss,te's charm for him. But now!
Tow he was not analyzing II either,
h,t he felt in the depths OF his soul
tbs hitter cruelty OF an absolute love,
OF a mad desire, Of a torturlng re-
He dropped TO the ground, and
v,itb his eyes still fixed on the soldier
he stammered, half consciously:
.soJoIsette! MoIsette! They have
taken her from me! They carried her
awav from me. They will give her
10 that cursed Hictane-. and l VIII be
bunted down like a petty criminal
whom they no longer neec and wish
to be rid OF.
MEANWHILE they will be free to love
each other happy. all powerful.
They will love each other"
He Eroaned and gnaWed at his
clenched fists.
'No. no; It will not be! But first
must know and be sure. II it is true,
II they have taken her-ah-if they
have taken her. ] will declare an
other war on the world, all alone.
NY electro-mirror will pay them for
her"
He stood up again. anG by a prodigi-
Gus effort of will controlled his tor
ture, calmed his anger. and relaxed
his tense nerves.
Come" said he.
Then the one man began his strug
gle against 800 others. Strong. sup
pie, light. now serpent. now lion,
he bounded, climbed, sprang, advanc-
ing slowly but steadily toward the
entrance to the grottoss lying to the
west flank OF POiE de las POrtes,
barely nifty PAGES from the still mo-
tionless soldier at the summit.
Seyerac hid behind rocks. slid, tear
L. NANr h.