Evening star., 1928-05-11

UteH CUT Uy BiaIlCiu& UiUW AIUHl
Peters barrel, looked dazedly at her
before leaping to her side. Matilde
reached her at the same time.
"She has tainted, and no wonder"
cried she, her voice shaking. Then she
sat up straight and put her hands TO
her BOSOM her eyes fixed on Starcourt's.
we shall be freel / knew they would
come. Something told me they would
comet After all these years-ail these
yearsl How wonderful! Jonifer deadl
No one left but you and Gerane and
mel But now must brush her hair
and dress her for--What are you
doing?"
He had leaped to his feet and was
closing the door. Before answering, ne
dropped the bolts into place. Then he
passed his hand over his forehead, as
| Ii to clear away fog that was both
ering his eyes.
I'VE must lock them out They must
not get in herel We"
Lock them out?" she almost
screamed. open that door! I have
prayed for 20 years for them to come
and you close the door In their faces
and"
"Hushl my dear Matilde! / am keep
ing out the others--not the soldiers.
Don't you realize that some Of them will
rush In here-Ahl Just as thought
closed 1t in time. Some of them
! are trying to get In alreadyl Lucky
thing I thought of---~but waitl II
may be Broadaxe or Strade or Mastil
Hello! Is that you, Julius? Who Is it?'
Matilde spoke, calmly now ut Is
none of them, Col. Starcourt. You will
find their dead bodies where the flght-
ing has been thickest. They are like
Jonifer Davos. Their forefathers fought
| with the Duke OF Droon. Come! Garry
her to her room. Then leave us. !
Will care for her. She needs me now
more than she needs you. She must
| open her eyes on a friend They are
scarcer and rarer than lovers, my
friend"
He took Gerane in his arms and car
ried her into the room beyond the cur
tains. AS he laid her on the couch he
bent and kissed her forehead
Now you are all mine, Gerane--all
my own. darling There is no one else,
poor. poor little girl"
Ills impulse was to seize weapons and
rush out to join in the conflict, but
common sense stayed him. He could
do nothing: he would be an easy target
for a score of deadly marksmen, and
his place was with Gerane. the daughter
or the man on whose head the crown
had put price.
Running to one of the windows, he
peered In the direction of the gap. His
heart sank. There we're less than so
dragons in view, and they were still
standing motionlesS, short distance
from the entrance. They were out
numberedl He could see the robbers
running toward them, spreading out In
wide, struggling formation. To him 1t
looked as though the soldiers were at
a loss to know whether these men were
friends or foes, for as yet no shot had
been fired.
oh; Heavens" he gulped They will
pick those boys off as II they were
rabbits What is the matter with
them?" In his excitement he yelled.
forgetful of distance and his own isola
tion: AT them! Come on! Don't stand
there and"
Then the robbers began TO shoot. He
saw them stop, take aim, and fire. and
tnen, leaping In zigzag fashion, run for
ward again. only to halt and shoot once
more. Sick at heart and groaning he
turned away.
suddenly he was conscious of a dart
ing, cruel pain In his head. He put his
nand up to feel and took 1t away In
stantiy, wet and sticky and warm. For
moment he stared at 1t in the faint
light from the window crack. And Al
once he was the soldier again. His
brain cleared. his nerves and muscles
were alive and responsive.
Hurrying over TO one of the pals OF
water near the door TO the kitchen pas
sageway he washed his face and hands:
then, with nervous. impatient fingers,
ne wound a towel about his head, knot
ting 1t tightly at the back.
The room was heavy with acrid
smoke. gravy dark; the atmosphere
charged with the smell and dust OF
powder. was suffocating. He stood
looking about him With narrowed
pinched eyes. There were three dead
men In the room--two over yonder by
the door. He must get them out OF
the way and cover them up before
Gerane appeared. She must not see
them.
But what OF her? Was she still
He strode to the curtained door and
listened The sound of women's voices
hushed and low, came TO him, squirting
him to swift action. Dragging the
bodies OF Jonifer and Peter to the far
end OF the room, he covered them with
curtains ruthlessly jerked down from
the windows.
ne Was lAluS cIipioyeu Wnen SUD-
denly IT dawned upon him that the
nring not only was nearer, but had
also increased In volume. Sprinning
10 window. he glued his eyes to the
crack. expecting to see--Iiis heart
leapedi He began TO yell like an en-
thusiastic boy. madly, exultingly. The
whole lower end of the meadow swarmed
with dragons, while from the mouth
OF the crevasse a stream OF horse
men poured Scores of them, hun
dreds OF themi They were everywhere
In the fields, along the road.
''Huzzahl Huzzah!" he croaked
hoarsely. Come on. boysl Come onl'
He could see dozens of the robbers