The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-03-22
CHAPTER Il HOW SHOULD I FAIL?"

We snail really Durn our DOatS behind us by doing that" unused Sergeant-Majo Vittorelli, still per- haps little doubtfully, as he stood before Major Riccoli, the same day, in the hut used by the latter when he visited the post.
 We shall. Are you afraid, Vit- torelli? You-a Corsican?"
 T am afraid of nothing, mon Commandant," replied Vittorelli, with more truth than modesty. But it would break my heart if you failed.'
 Fail I? I am a Man of Des- tiny, and how should 1 fss.l? Once inside the citadel, everything will be easy. Getting inside has been the difficulty-for the last thous- and years. Nature has made the place impregnable, and man has proved on Natures handiwork And we are going ot march in un- opposed. Not merely unopposed either-but actually invited"
 "A spiders web, mon Comman- dant?"
 Well? Are we flies? Or are we wasps, hornets?"
 And the men, mon Comman- dant?" ventured Vittorelli, who though ignorant, rash, egoistical and impetuous, as well as being the fastastically devoted and ad- miring disciple of Riccoli, was sane and possessed of a shrewd peasant motherwit and common sense. Can we be certain that all the NC.O's, corporals and legionnaires will be amenable, obedient?"
 Tt will be a bad day for anyone who is not, Vittorelli," smiles Ric- coli
 Tt would be bad day for us, mon Commandant the day on which some of them, even min ority of them, decided to remain I-er-true to their-er
 Decided not to throw in their lot with mine and seize their glorious chance, the chance of ris- ing from slavery to power, position, wealth? Only fools, clods, towards, weddings ."
 There are such people, mon Commandant
 "Yes-as Captain Voulet discov- cred when he tried to found his Empire in Sahara in 1897. But he was mad, of course. Hopelessly mad. A megalomaniac. And then he had a partner, too. Captain Chanoine, who failed him. That was where Voulet went wrong one of his mistakes, anyhow.
 And we can learn something from the mistakes of Voulet. And then again he was dealing with stupid unambitious officers, and was compelled to show his hand too soon. Bad luck and mad man. agement ruined his scheme; and part of his bad luck that he had no inaccessible impregnable base from which to operate. He simply went out into the blue-out into the desert-and you cannot found an Empire on sand, and direct it from under a palm tree.
 Here we shall have for our base and the heart of our empire Ia citadel, 8 city, and a country that has never been conquered
 "Yes, Captain Voulet was both unlucky and fool. I am man of destiny and not a fool. Fate has led me here to the very spot, and created the very circumstances necessary for the fulfilment of that destiny"
 Without doubt, mon Comman- dant. But the men? It seems to me that success will depend upon enc of two things; on the one hand whether the legionnaires are kept in ignorance long enough; or, on the other hand, whether they can be won over to-er-abandon their old allegiance and follow you"
 "Of course, mon enfant. I know all about that: I intend, first of all, to get them inside the Citadel. They'll simply obey orders and car- ry on, in the ordinary course of duty, till the moment comes for seizing the place. The garrison of this post will march as escort with me across the Mekazzen country to Mekazzen, and into the Citadel. All they will know or care-if they know or care any, thing at all-is that their Com mandant is on diplomatic mis- sion to barley with the Kaid.
 When the time, and my plans, are ripe for the seizing of the Citadel, they will simply obey or ders.
 When am master of Mekaz- zen, and have garrisoned it with the rest of my command, will be the time to find out who is for me, and to make it clear that he who IS not for me is against me. Also the exact fate of him who is against me"