Evening star., 1921-03-27

to pursue once they got hold Of the
silver there were ten cases. and
each could be carried easily by two
mem nobody can tell now. But SO
iar' davidson was right. They were
,, IN the cabin. He expected to hear
the sounds of breaking-in every mo-
| ment. But the fact was that one OF
them (perhaps Fector. who had stolen
papers out of desks in his time)
knew how to pick A lock, and ap-
, parently was provided with the
tools. Thus while Davidson expected
every moment to hear them begin
doWn there. they had the bar off
! already and two cases actually up in
the cabin out of the lazarette.
IN the diffused faint glow of the
skylight the Frenchman moved no
more than statue. Davidson could
nave shot him with the greatest ease
but he was not homicidally in
clined. Moreover. he wanted to make
sure before opening fire that the
otners had gone to work. Not hear
ing the sounds he expected to hear,
ne felt uncertain whether they all
were on board yet
While he listened. the Frenchman,
whose immobility might have but
cloaked an internal struggle, moved
Forward pace, then another. David
son, entranced. watched him advance
one leg. withdraw his right stump,
the armed one, out of his pocket, and
swinging his body TO put greater
force into the blow, bring the seven
qound weight down on the hammock
where the head of the sleeper ought
to have been.
Davidson admitted to me that his
hair stirred at the roots then But
for Anne. his unsuspecting head
would have been there. The French
mans surprise must have been sim
ply overwhelming. He staggered
a a hn itybf
| mock, and before Davidson could
make movement he had vanished
bounding down the ladder to warn
and alarm the other fellows.
Davidson sprang instantly out. OF
the boat, threw up the skylight flap
and had a glimpse of the men down
there crouching round the hatch
They looked up scared, and at that
moment the Frenchman outside the
door beloved out 'Trahison-trahi-
son" They bolted out Of the cabin
falling over each other and swearing
awfully. The shot Davidson let off
down. the skylight had hit no one,
but he ran to the edge of the cabin
top and at once opened fire at the
dark shapes rushing about the deck.
These shots were returned, and a rap
Ia fusillade burst out. reports and
flashes. Davidson lodging behind a
his revolver clicked, and then throw
ing 1T down to take the other in his
right hand
he had been hearing in the din the
Frenchmans infuriated yeIls .Tuez-
le!-tuez-le" (Shoot him-shoot him,
above the fierce cursing of the 9TH
ers But though they fred at him
they were only thinking of clearing
out In the flashes of the last shots
davidson saw them scrambling over
the rail. That he had hit more than
one ne was certain. Two different
voices had cried out in pain. But an
parently none of them was disabled
Davidson leaned against the bull
wark reloading his revolver without
haste. He had not the slightest an
prehension of their coming back. On
the other hand. he had no Intention Of
pursuing them on shore in the dark.
What they were doing he had no idea.
Looking to their hurts probably. Not
very lar from the bank the invisible
Frenchman was disappearing and
cursing his associates, his luck and
all the world. He ceased; then with
sudden. vengeful yell. It's that
woman.-it's that woman that has
sold us, was heard running off in the
night.
Davidson caught his breath in a
sudden pang of remorse. He per-
ceived with dismay that the strata
gem of his defense had given Anne
away. He did not hesitate a moment.
1t was for him to save her now. He
lcaped ashore. But even as he land
ed on the wharf he heard a shrill
shrek which pierced his very soul.
"The light was still burning in the
house. Davidson. revolver in hand.
was making for it when another
shrek. away to his left, made him
change his direction.
X X X X
GLE changed his direction-but
very soon he stopped. 1t was
then that he hesitated in cruel per-
plexity. He guessed whta had hap
pened. The woman had managed to
escape from the house in some way.
and now was being chased in the
open by the infuriated Frenchman.
He trusted she would try to run on
board for protection.
"All was still around Davidson.
Whether she had run on board or not,
this silence meant that the French
man had lost her in the dark.
Davidson, relieved. but still very
anxious, turned toward the riverside.
He had not made two steps in that