The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-04-13
Chapter 29
FOUND WANTING


 FOUND WANTING
 Jules Maligni struck an attitude and registered" shock.
 'I1l kill him I'll shoot him. I'll break his neck '
 Hush; don't be silly. It's you who are exaggerating now" insist ed Margaret. Perhaps he'd had more wine than was good for him, too. Listen, Jules ;. and Mar garet laid a hand upon her hus- bands outstretched arm.
 I'm not making a complaint against Raisul I mean I'm not bringing an accusation against him and asking you to punish him. I don't want vengeance, or any non sense of that sort. I simply can't and won't be left alone, while we are here. I don't want you to quar- rel with Raisul, but I do want you to grasp the situation, and un- derstand it without exaggerating lit"
 "The scoundrel! I'll kill him." re- peated Jules, clenching his fists and scowling ferociously. m break every bone in his body"
 Did it ring quite true?
 Margaret searched her husbands face in poignant anxiety.
 Certainly his last threat had been uttered with less violence and vig- or
 But no, why should she think such a thing?
 Doubtless he had realized, even while he spoke, that his hands were tied by her very presence there in Mekazzen, and that he could not treat Raisul as he longed to do, or give him the tllrashing that he certainly would have given him, had they not been in his power.
 Of course Jules was thinking of her safety rather than of his de sire for vengeance.
 That was why one got the im- pression that he did not quite mean what he said, and that he was play ing part. Even in the midst of his righteous indignation, he had remembered that, for his wife's sake, he dared not punish Raisul.
 You'd like to, I know"
 Like top' cried Jules.
 T mean you are burning to horse whip him, Jules; but your hands are tied-while we are in the Mekazzen country. We are ab- solutely in his power So don't talk about punishing him-don't even think about it."
 Perhaps you are right" acqui- esced Jules. of course you're right. We are in his power"
 Don't think about punishing him." repeated Margaret. Think about getting away, and about pre- venting anything of the sort hap pening again. You mustn't give him the chance of drugging you again, and you mustn't leave me alone, Jules"
 q don't see how I can prevent his :" began Jules.
 But of course you can," inter- rupted Margaret, If you don't sit drinking with him, or eat with him in his own apartments
 And I'm afraid you'll have to be left alone sometimes, my dear. Be reasonable. I can't be inside the castle always"
 Its nighttime I'm thinking about, more"
 T may have-I certainly shall have--to be away for days at a time, perhaps weeks at a time, be- fore long,"
 "JuleS!"
 "Margaretl" mocked Jules.
 Look here, Jules, if you've really got to go out of this place before we cah leave it for good. I'm com ing with you. I'm quite as strong as you are"
 You are! Then you can manage Raisul, all right, I should think, without all this fuss"
 What I meant was, I have as much endurance as you, and can ride as far, and rough it as well. Did l make any complaint on the journey down here? And we rough ed it pretty well then"
 That was different. We were travelling at leisure then-like tour ists-with young caravan, and in reasonable safety. This would be different-without the Kaid's protection and an escort and guides. We should be in enemy country, among all sorts of trouble raiders, robbers, hostile tribesmen Bedoui, Touareg. If you fell into the hands of some of those birds you'd wish fifty RaiSuls had got you"
 If you leave this castle, Jules I'm coming with you-unless Raisul goes with you, that is"
 DO you suppose Raisuls going where tell him?"
 No, I suppose you're going where RaiSul tells yOu to 20. If he poas