Evening journal., 1922-09-16
CHAPTER M
The Apache strIkes Back.

that he had better resign himsel
TO stop on indefinitely at the Gran'
Hotel de rUniyers and .... se'
what he should see.
That fatality on which he had s.
bitterly reflected, had him now fair
ly by the heels. Impossible-ant
the more so the longer he ponder
ed ito credit TO mere coincidence
the innuendCts uttered at the cha
teau by Mr.. Monk and his party.
NO: there had been malice ir
that, Duchemin was satisfied, II no
some darker purpose which per
picked the most patient scrutiny.
Now malice without incentive Is
unthlnkable. But Duchemin search
ed his memory in vain for any
thing he could have said or done "a
make anybody desire to discredit
him in the sight OF the ladies OF
the Chateau de Montalais. Still
the attempt so to do had been un-
mistakable: the Lone Wolf had
been lugged into the conversation
literally by his legendary ears.
Surely, one would think. that
nocturnal prowler of pre-war Paris
had been so long dead and buried
even the most ghoulish gossip should
respect his poor remains and not
disinter them merely TO demon
strate that the past can never wholly
die
Had he, then. some enemy OF old
III 90 fhnEa glaalf
surfaces?
An excellent visual memory re-
viewed successfully the physical
characteristics OF Messieurs Monk
Phinuit and de Lorgnes. and their
chauffeur Jules; with the upshot
that Duchemin could have sworn
that he had never before known any
of these.
And Madame Ia Comtesse7 In re-
epect OF that one memory again drew
a blank. but remained unsatisfied.
When one thought OF her some re-
mote faint chord of "reminiscences
thrilled and hummed. but never rec
ognizably.
Setting aside then the theory OF
positive personal animus, what other
reason could there be for the effort
to fasten upon Duchemin suspicion
OF identity with the late Lone Wolf?
A sinister consideration, IL any,
and one, Duchemin suspected not un-
connected with the much-talked-
about Jewels OF Madame de Mont
alais.
And then. partly to kill time. he
resumed his character as the pedes-
trian tourist.
He took the road In the heart OF
a day even more oppressive than its
yesterday. In the valley of the
Dourbie the air was stagnant, life
less. After eight miles OF It Du-
chemin was guilty OF two mistakes
OF desperation.
In the first instance he paused In
La Roque-Sainte-M Marguerite and,
tormented by thirst. refreshed him.
self at the auberge where the oa-
rouche and guide had been hired to
convey the party from Montalais on
to Montpelier. The landlord re-
membered Duchemin and made be-
iieve he didn. serving the way
farer with a surly grace.
Duchemin drank sitting on
bench outside the door OF the au-
berge. He could hear the voice Of
the landlord inside. grumbling and
growing. 10 what purport ne
couldn't determine. Before Duche-
min was finished he found himself
the cynosure of more than few
nair Of eyes set in the ill-favored
faces of natives OF La Rogue.
one gathered that the dead guide
had enioved a fair amount of local
- %
while Duchemin drank, a lout OF
q lad shambled out of the euberge'
caught and saddled dreary ami
mai. mounted. and rode on In the
direction Of Nant.
Then Duchemin committed his
second error of judgment, which 4
in thinking to find better
and cooler air on the heights across
the river.
Accordingly he crossed the Dour-
bic. reached the top in bath of
sweat. and sat down TO cool and
breathe himself.
The view was splendid. almost
worth the climb. Duchemin could
see for miles up and down the val
,ey. Across the way Duchemin
identified the figure OF the landlord,
standing in the door of the aub-
erge with arms raised and elbows
4brsst out on level with his eyes:
the pose Of a man using held-glass-
es.
Having rested, he picked himself
up. found his road, a mere trail OF
wagon tracks, and mindful of the
cooling drinks to be had in the Cafe
de rUnivers, put his best foot fore
most.
After time something, call Il
instinct. impelled him to look back
the way he had come. Half a mile |
distant he saw the figure Of a peas
ant following the same road. Duche- |
min stopped and waited for the 9TH
rr to come up. But when he stop
bed the man stopped. sat him down
apon a rock, filled a pipe. and con-
'picuously rested.
Duchemin gave an impatient ges-
ure and moved on. After another
nile he glanced overshoulder again. /
rhe same peasant occupied the same
elative distance from him.
In dusk of evening he, stumbled
lown into the valley again and
truck the river road about midway
,etween the Chateau de Montalais
nd Nant. At this junction several
dwellings, clustered. Duchemin no.