The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-05-26

scheme appealed to them.
1T would be an equal share be-
tween the three?"' Pierre urged.
Between the three" 1 agreed.
Leave the details to me"
We went to our work the next
morning with a new zest. All the
time that we were at work in thu
forest we were thinking of what fol-
tune might have in store for US on
our homeward crawl. We crawled
round each corner, lettering at the
psychological spot always with the
same evil hope in our hearts.
The affair, however, was not so
easy. Sometimes we were seen from
above or below; sometimes drivers
were too careful. On the fourth day,
however, success rewarded our per
severance. A small automobile which
I had spotted from a distance came
round the corner where we were. so
to speak. anchored, driven with that
full measure of recklessness which
only a Frenchman, anxious to have
his engine. can obtain. There was
wild cry from the driver, a crash
into our wagon, and over went the
automobile and man down the side
of the precipice.
/ It was I who clambered down to
where our victim was lying, and drew
| a pleasing-looking black pocketbook
from the inside of his coat. After
ward I felt his heart, and discovered
/ that he was alive I ordered Pierre
/ to move the wagons over to our own
side of the road, and We secreted the
| pocketbook among the logs we were
carrying. Presently a public touring
car from Cannes, on its way to
| Hyeres. arrived. The accident was
I explained; room was made for the in
/ iured man; and a liberal pourboire
| was given us, collected among the
/ passengers. We then made our way
/ home, and later on. when we had
/ lighted our evening fire, we opened
7 the pocketbook. I divided the money
/ into three portions. but I spoke to
/ them as a master.
Listen. Jacques, and you, Pierre"
I Z said. Il am a man Of justice. but
/ although I am one of you, I have
/ travelled beyond these forests, and
/ know the world. If you take this
/ money with you to the village tonight,
| you will be drunk, the truth will be
! known and we shall all go to prison,
1 viii swear to you the woodcutters'
cath, the oath across the flames. that
your share shall be saved. But go
| TO the village tonight with twenty
francs each, the pourboire given us
by the Englishmen, and let me keep
the rest for you. or hide il for your
selves"
They had just sufficient wit TO
realize that I was their superior in
intelligence and that my advice was
good. So We growled an oath in the
strange dialect of those parts. and I
gripped their gnarled and knOtted
hands, which reminded me always of
/ the roots of the trees We felled.
Our next adventure, engineered in
milar fashion to the last. brought us
a matter Of couple of thousand
| francs. This time. however, there
was trouble, for the drivers neck
was brokwen as he pitched head fore
| most from the seat of the car: and
| his wife who was only slightly in
| jured, gave vigorous evidence as to
the position OF our wagon and the dis
/ appearance Of her husbands pocket
/ book after we had dragged his body
I up from a ledge of the precipice A
| gendarme from the neighboring vii.
! lage visited US that same night and
made a careful search through our
| belongings. There was nothing to be
/ found, however. and leaving all speech
/ TO me, my companions escaped suspi-
/ ciOn just as I did. Afterward. how
/ ever, I spoke to them seriously.
Comrades l pointed out, this
| game is too good to last. For a time
/ we must go warily. Afterward we
| will seek one more adventure. which
/ we must select with great care, for
/ it viii be my last. II it is success
| full, shall leave you. Afterward you
/ two had better bury your savings in
the ground and abandon the game,
for it needs brains to be made success
ful, and you two have not the brains
of rabbit between you"
They knew that I was right, and
they held their peace. 1t was
month later, indeed. before we made
our last coup, and it ended In very
different fashion from what I had
anticipated. From my lookout place
on a stretch Of the road above the
wagons, saw a gray touring car,
piled with luggage and golf clubs, APP
preaching from the direction of Can
mes. There was a girl in front. seated
by the driver, and an elderly gentle
man behind. I called down to the
| others.
Comrades, this is our chance" 1
announced. Move the wagons on
around the corner, and be prepared for
what may happen"
What did happen was not in the
least what had expected. From
! where I lay, crouching amongst the
scrub, I could see that something
was wrong with the car The chauf-
feur was rocking in his seat, and the
car was swaying from side to side.
But it was the girls face from which
1 could not remove my eyes. She must
have fully realized the danger she
was in, but she showed not the slight
est signs Of fear. She leaned over and
| tried to put on the foot-brake, succeed
| ing so far, IN fact, as momentarily to
check the progress of the car. The
| chauffeur, suddenly Selling his oppor-
tunity, jumped from his seat and rolled
over in the dust. The girls foot ap-
parently slipped from the brake, and
the car once more gathered speed.
1 saw her eyes, as the car came
| humping down the hill. heard the wild
shouting and EXPLANATIONS of the old
gentleman behind and +bara oor,o ..