, 1923-04-02

Neither Trehearne nor anyone else
could imagine how Frank had drawn
upon himself the vengeance OF the
old sultan. Common report had 1t
that somehow Franks had betrayed
h secret which he was supposed to
know--tle secret of that great
wealth, amessed from old pirate days.
the like OF which no man south of
China had ever known.
still. this was nothing more than
bazaar gossip.
Trehearne was not worried about
any secret; he never bothered his
head with such abstruse things. He
was worried, much more practically,
about himself. He was haunted by
the possibility that. after all. some
human hand might have driven home
that steel blade.
It occurred to Trehearne. very
naturally, that he would like to put
some pointed questions to Rails
Hamed ben Yusuf.
At this junction Hamed's ship the
GageIIe returned from a voyage on
a hot. sunny morning. With her
came a native craft from Manila,
which sailed erabwise and made as
tonishinE leeway. and which bore the
fat. droopy-eyed youth known as
zahri ben Muley.
Trehearne puffed down to the
white beach, with all the world and
it's wife, TO see the Homecoming of
this venturerN into far lands.
It was worth seeing. after a
fashion.
zahri was comfortably drunk.
spilled himself into the surf and
ruined q new silk hat, and came out
dripping but fairly sober. Rais
Hamed looked on with a paternal
tolerance, tugged his gray beard,
and CLEANED in his coal-black eye.
Evidently these two had met some
where at sea
Zahri gruntsd UP to the waiting
councillors and listened to a speech
OF welcome with very bad grace. and
after a few minutes decided that he
had heard enough compliments. so he
waved his hand inc walked through
the crowd toward the palace.
One OF the councillors beloved
something after him. He turned and
beloved a reply.
ct came alone because I came
alonel That is enough. Allah knows
where Tuan Hvarson and Sultans
Lou-I1ou are. but I think they will
be along later"
Trehearno. who understood Span
ish ex~cellently. perceived that Rails
Hamed had gone out to meet zahri.
and had schooled him in what to say.
So T~rehearne went home again,
with an uncomfortable idea that Rails
Hamed was an efficient devil by him.
self. but hat when Hvarson got here.
he would have bid Grandfather Satan
to help u things. and then there
would be all hell to pay.
The following day Trehearne saw
that the Gazelie was gone again from
the lagoon. and he did not have to
be informed that Rails Hamed had
gone with her-somewhere. This
made him breathe a little more easily.
That evening, after his native wo-
man had cleaned up the dishes and
gone home. Trehearne lighted a
candle at his desk and sat there.
thinking of Franks.
Suddenly. however. he glanced up
with a start. and saw a girl known
as Cerise standing before him, a
white piacsrd under her arm.
what the devil" his exclaimed.
"1s that a fitting way TO greet me,
monsieur? Mile p~olochonsi ITEMS
tot tranquille-I have business to
transact with you; and there are few
men who would not listen when 1
say that in their earsf" she esid.
This was very les true. In
deed. that rrehearne relaxed in his
chair and stared quite ignorant that
the young lady who viewed him so
smilingly had received certain pieces
of gold from Rails Hamed for the
purpose OF inducing her to transact
this business with Trehearne.
It could not DO denied that Cerse
was an adorable creature. Trehearne
had seen her more than once, but
never 90 ~attractiveiy close.
Her huttering silken garments were
calculated TO reveal as we'll as to con
cezl, and there was no one in Sibuko
to object to this. The council did not
pretend that the sight of n marvel
ously rounded bosom or a thigh
which would have drawn ~rapturous
signs from Phidias caused them any
particular pain.
Trehearne rallied desperately. for
he had no illusions.
Come. my dear girl" he said in
stumbling French. IT have no bust
ness to transact with you Cerise!"
She laughed. very prettily, Is she
laid upon the deek a very fairly
made oiuja.board.
"You have the pointer" she said
land I have the board. Now. be-
tween us, I imagine hat we might
do a good deal with this outnt, non?
I shall sit across the desk from you,
and We shall work together. chr"
Trehearns considered this. and
finally nodded with grave solemnity.
by all means"
He set the board neatly before him.
and upon Il the pianchette glider.
and put a new pencil into the clip he
used.
you see." he explained. some
times I get a control that wishes TO
write instead of to spell by letters.
1t amt often. but sometimes"