The Washington times., 1919-05-30
"The Dark Star"
By ROBERT W. CHAMBERS
Use DumOnt, the German Spy, Real
ICES That She and Her As
sOciates Are Trapped

fighting who In this fool OF a placer
BY Erik! I'd like to know whom
I'm to fire at.'
Use Dumont. creeping along thu
wall, looked fearfully down A.
Weishelm, who no longer moved
where he lay on the dusty floor.
with eyes and mouth open and his
distorted face already half covered
by a wet and crawling scarlet mask.
Brandes and StulI are betraying
US" she whispered. "They are kill
ing my comrades-on the stairs
down there"
IF that is true" called out Nee
land in low, cautious voice, you'd
better wait a moment, Sengounr"
But Sengoun's rage for combat
had already filled him to overflow
ing and the last rag Of patience left
him.
81 don't care who is fiEhtinRs'
he beloved. ITS all one To M,
Now Is the time to shoot our way
out of this. Come on, NeeIandt
Hurrah for the Terek CossacIal
Another town taken! HurrahP
Neeland caught Use by the wrist.
You'd better get free Of this
house while you cam he said.
dragging her with him after Sem
goun. who had already reached the
head of the stairs and was start
ing down. peering about for a tar
get.
Fire at Same Instant.
Suddenly. on the landing below,
Golden Beard and Ali Baba ap-
peared. caught sight Of Sengoun
and Neeland above. and opened fire
on them instantly, driving them
back from the head of the stair
case flat against the corridor wall.
But Golden Beard, seeming to real
ize now that the garrett landing
was held and the way to the roof
cut on, began to retreat from thu
foot Of the garnet stairs with All
Baba following, their restless, up
ward-pointed pistols searching for
the slightest movement in the
semi-obscurity OF the hallway
above
SengOun, Tuning and fretting,
had begun to creep toward the
head of the stairs again, when there
came a rafting hail OF shots from
below, a rush, the trample Of feet,
the crash of furniture and startling
slam of a door.
Downstairs straight toward the
uproar ran Sengoun with NeeIand
beside him. The halls were swim-
ming in acrid fumes; the floors
trenfbied and shook under the
shock as struggling. fighting
knot OF men went tumbling down
the stairway below, reached the
landing and burst into the rooms
Of the Cercle Extranationale.
Leaning over the banisters, Nee
land saw Golden Beard turn on Doe
Curfoot, raging, magnificent as =
Viking, his blue eyes ablaze. He
hurled his empty pistol at the
American; seized chairs, bronzeA
the clock from the man
tel. and sent a storm OF heavy mis-
siles through the doorway among
the knot of men who were press
ing him and who had already
seized Ali Baba.
Then. from the banisters
above Neeland and Sengoun
saw Brandes, moving stealthily,
swiftly, edge his way to q further
door.
Steadying the elbow Of his pistol
hand in the hollow of his left palm.
MS weapon level, swerving as his
quarry moved, he presently fired at
Golden Beard and got him through
he back. And then he shot him
again deliberately, through the
body, as the giant turned, made .
nenacing gesture toward him: took
IN uncertain step in his direction;
mother step, wayering, blindly
then stood swaying there
IndCr the glare Of the partly shat
cred chandelier from which hung
OnS shreds of crystal prisms.
And Brandes. aiming once moro
With methodical and merciless pre-
.ision. and taking what time he re-
luired to make a bulPs-eye on this
;reat, Keeling, golden-crowned bull,
ired the third shot at his magnih-
ent head.
The bronze Barge lion dropped
rom Golden Boards nerveless fst:
he towering figure, stiffening, fell
've= rather slowly and lay across
he velvet carpet as rigid as .
great tree.
Brandes went into the room,
caned over the dying man, and
i-ed into his body until his pistol
vas empty. Then he replaced the
Exhausted clip leisUrely, leerinE
own at his victim.
TO he CONTINUED ToHoRRowO