Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1923-05-16

the servant, Flu All, who was still
tightly bandaged, lying near the door.
They faced each other. The great
black rushed again. Lexington Crap
pied. parted, and they swung around.
He could do nothing with his knife.
Another wild down thrust from the
Nubian, a lunge with lion power in it.
Gray foam stood out upon the Negroes
lips. A mighty hinge of ebony was clos
ing upon Lexington, who felt his legs
giving way, and the borrowed knife
pried steadily out of his hand. His
head was gradually being forced back
ward Catlike he writhed loose his
right arm, and flashed a blow to the
black neck hut it was like hitting a
rug. The African was mounting hot
ly. For all that life meant, Con chung
TO the dagger-arm. He was lifted clea"
of the floor, to enable the black to adj
just him at his leisure for the final
stroke. All the agony of life's untast-
ed cup came to Lexington as he
thought of Helen. He could see her.
Suddenly the Nubian cried out and
seemed to lose control. He dropped
Lexington, who snatched the weapon
from him. He was screaming and
stamping. Upon his shoulders chung
a small white-faced monkey, his teeth
holding deep, eyes staring out at moth
ing. The Infatuated black would sum-
mon the entire palace with his bowls.
Con drove the dagger twice below the
ribs, and the giant toppled into silence,
while the little beast bit and bit, doubt
less repaying black cruelty and white
friendship at the same time. BeSur
turned inquiring eyes up to Lexington,
who had no time to express thanks.
Retaining the Nubian's weapon, he fled
past the gagged and fright-ridden Flu
All, and out of the apartment, lodging
down the corridor. There were run
ming shuffles behind him. He gained
the door to the stairway and stumbled
down.
Having entered the passage from q
known direction, Con had no difficulty
location of the air shafts His thoughts
were a riot of things, beginning with
their talk in the open near her moth
er's grave. Almost before he expect
ed, he saw Andrew March, who was
searching for him. Many were with
the elder American, including the in
terpreter.
"How far did you go?"
ear enough to hear tho oak leaves
blowing outside her window"
"You cross-noY queried the Ara
bian.
eyes"
He recOunted their morning meeting;
his return to the mines the strange,
silent malice of the dwarfs who had
allowed him to go on into the fumes
from the devotional; what he had
seen over the rim of the wall; the
blachness that had fallen, and then
the events beyond the stairs.
'You have profaned the holy Of
holies," said March. "They have no
higher religion There is no end to
your crimes" March was smiling
gravely. Oddly, it did not seem to
Lexington that he was talking to the
father of his princess. March seemed
to forward no such parental claim.
"What arrangement have you made
here?"
''For today we are secure. After
that, it depends upon what disposition
is made of the four who were taken
away this morning on our account"
cit is a gift" said the sailor.
Gle means our lives" explained
March. Gle cannot always influence
his men to think as he does. They
are not inclined to make much Of
American aid"
"Will they give US up" asked Con.
"Today no." replied the Arabian,
grinning in the torchlight.
To Con, in his present mood, today
was forever. In his health, and the
power of new love, he could not think
of life coming to an end. ever. He felt
invincible. TO March he said:
To-day we not only escaped from
their big walls but fooled their wise
serpent, and even returned to the pal
ace. to the apartment of their prin-
cess"
1.-THE same boy" unused March, with
something like despair in his voice.
"That's the spirit that brought you up
the cut in the road when the riders
were coming down on u.s. and you
were going like that, one night in Gin
cinnati."
"Things are just beginning" said
Con, rather absently, as he walked
abreast of his friend, while the Ara
bian with the torch followed with his
hobbling workers. The latter were
talking softly.
"What is it they say?" Con had
turned sharply.
The Arab ex-sailor smirked uneas-
lily, then said: "They want their four
brothers"
"Where are they?
''In the city, perhaps to die, because
you"