Evening star., 1928-03-31
The Devils S Mantle
4 MYSTERY STORY.
R. PACKARD
MYSTERY STORY
Bv FRANK L. PA

/ bility for YOU ever TOTO prove your m
nocence, and vet just few minutes
ago YOU said YOU had found out tonight
that Tajal All was one of those who
who killed Daddy Tom. l don't under
stand. Peter Surely il is just the other
way around~Since you know that TaJal
! Ali was one Of the murdercrS,
TIA jal All is dead" said Peter grimly.
THAT is the anSwe- TO your question.
/ He died almost before ! graSped the fact
| that he was the man / wanted"
! But Peter" she C.ied. 'even II he Is
/ dead, he was not alone at Daddy Toms
! island When you told me your story
YOU said there were Il lot Of natives and
ship. and II you know that he was
there. then 1t must have been with this
same ship and these same men who are
| here now II we can manage to get
away from here, from this island. surely
we can find our way back. and--and-
bring the authorities and capture them, "
Peter shook his head.
we might do that" he said; but
there is no proof against any one OF
them. and they've native cunning
enough and to spare not to convict
themselves. With Taial Ali 1t was a
different matter. l knew him to be the
man. Not much in the way Of proof
only a laugh-but a laugh one could
{ never lOIAtl. anu --~-~~
II heard it tonight" she said in a
low, strained way.
Yes" said Peter-and suddenly his
voice was hoarse. and he laughed out
] mirthleSSly. Well Taial Ali would not
/ have escaped trial and Conviction~~I
would have seen to thatl With Ta1al
/ All cornered. some of these others might
/ have been made TO talk If they thought
they could save their own skins, But
with Taial Ali gone"
Yes; I know!" interrupted Marion
swiftly. But there is always the con-
ncction between them"
"Connection!" Peter cried out sharp
/ iy--and laughed mirthlesSly again. And
/ If there were! And If they could be
brought to accounts And even II Talal
! Ali wereS till alivel am a fooll ! have
! lost my head tonight because / heard
/ Taial Ali laugh. There is still the muir
der of Jaffray on board the 1Sis--and
there is no connection in respect OF
/ that for Taial Ali wasn't there~~and
none of these men were thereE
/ He felt her hand reach out and creep
/ into his.
! oh Peter-Peter." she whispered
what does it all mean?"
! But now Peter shook his head again
and made no answer--only for while
+ he held Marion's hand tightly in his as
! they went along.
! II was Marion who broke the silence
again.
! 1t isn't because l am afraid. Peter,
| she said hesitantly. 'or because l want
! to think of difficulties. that l am asking
/ this. but, even If there is a way out Of
/ this cave. what will we do then2 This
4 is an island of course, and we will still
/ have To get away from it,"
Il asked Aghar Pind the same qucs-
! tion." Peter answered quietly. Il don't
| blame you for asking it only wonder
/ that you haven't asked 1t before. Ac-
/ cording to Aghar Pind the island on the
! other side of this mountain Is large and
| thickly wooded. and so there should be
no difficulty in keeping safely hidden as
/ long as 1t is necessary. He said that
| so far as he or any of the crew knew
I there is only one man who lives on it
/ a sort of sentinel that Taial Ali keeps
there. as / understand It. The brig
never comes to the island except in tho
night, and there is a small rocky islet a
! little way out from the shore where a
/ light is always shown in answer to one