The Elk Mountain pilot., 1919-09-18
CHAPTER XVII.
The Little Dagger

CHAPTER XVII.
The Little Dagger
Lerou1 staggered back against tie
wall and stood there. scowling like .
devil. It was evident that my answer
had been totally unexpected.
ibid you know this, madame9" cried
Leroux nercely to Jacqueline.
YES" she replied.
"You lied to shield yourselff"
mo. to shield him." she cried. "Be.
cause he was my only friend when I
was helpless in a strange city. You
did not steal my money, did you.
Paulr' she added, turning swiftly upon
me. mo. you have paid me. You
were keeping 1t for me-"
you lie. d-n Your yelled L.
roux. and he struck her across tAs
mouth as he had struck ne.
writhed in my bonds. pulled the
heavy table after me as I tried impo-
tently to crawl toward him. sending
the. wheel flying and all the papers
whirling through the air. cursed Le-
roux AZ blasphemously az he was ours
ing JaeQueline.
And at the door was the pale face
Of Philippe Lacroix.
Leroux turned ON me and kicked me
savagely and dragged the table to the
far end Of the room and struck me re-
peatedly. while struggled like q mad
man. The oaths and excavations that
streamed from my lips seemed to be
uttered BY another man. for heard
them indinerently, or rather some
thing that was !. deep in the maze Of
my personality. heard them-not that
pitiful, puny. goaded thing that fought
In It's bonds until 1t ceased, painting
and exhausted.
There followed Q long silence, while
Leroux strobe furiously about the
room. AT last he stopped: he seemed
to have made up his mind.
I Jaw Jacqueline looking at me. I
would not meet her gaze. but at last
her persistence compelled me. Then I
saw her glance toward the wall.
The two broadswords hung there
within arms reach. above the broken
mirror. Ny heart leaped up at the
thought Of her valor. She had 10
mind to yield.
But I shook my head iwperceptibly
II answer and looked down at my
bonds.
had been trying hard to devise
some method Of freeing myself. Ny
struggles had relaxed the ropes
around my wrists suficiently to allow
my hands two or three inches Of move
ment. and I hoped, BY hard work. to
loosen them sufficiently to enable me
to get at least one hand free.
Then felt that something hard was
pressing into my back. just within
reach Of my right thumb and fore
1nssf. let my thumb and 1nge
travel up and down 1t. It had tie
form Of q tiny knife with . heavy.
rounded handle.
And suddenly I knew what It was.
It was the knife with which Louis
d'Epernay had been Killed.
could Just get my finger and
thumb round the point Of the blade.
Tho ropes scored deeply Into my
wrists As worked at 1t, but I felt
the lining give, and presently I had
worked the blade through and had the
knife out by the handle.
But It was made for thrusting more
than cutting, and I had to pick the
ropes to pieces strand BY strand.
JacQueline had been imperceptibly
edging away from her father and LIE
roux; she was now standing immedi-
ately beneath the rusty swords. And
outside the door still perceived La
croix, motionless.
It flashed across my mind that he
understood the girls desperate ruse.
and that he was waiting for the ISSUE
I picked furiously at the ropes which
bound my hands, and 4 long strand un-
coiled and whipped back on my wrist.
Leroux seized Jacqueline BY the
wrists and dragged her across the door
to me.
Look at mimi" he yelled. Look
into his face. VIII you marry me II
I let him go freer'
mol" answered Jacquelins.
n swear to you that he shall Be
thrown from the top Of the cataract
unless you, give your consent within
i've minutes"
"Never!" she answered firmly.
II will denounce your fatherl"
"You can't brighten me with such
stuff. am not q weak old mani"
"You will think differently after
Charles Duchaine has been hanged In
Quebec JAIL" he sneered.
His words received a wholly unex-
pected answer. The dotard leaped
forward, stopped down and picked mp
the heavy roulette wheel.
He raised 1t aloft and staggered
wildly toward Ieroux.
CTO BE CoNTINUED.)