The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1938-12-08

with many secrets arcana Of the
universe. He has sat in the seats
of the mighty. Of that I feel
assured.
We had only one irreconcilable
difference between us. He pro-
claimed himself a democrat, a
man of the people, while I am an
aristocrat by preference and con-
viction. This was not a pose with
Ord. Nietzsche was to me a god,
to him anathema. Strange, if you
knew the man.
I first became interested in Ord
when I observed his conduct as
acting foreman at my King Solo
mon mine. He possessed the gift
of command. He knew how to deal
with human mules, how to get
work out of them, how to make
them respect authority. I began to
plumb his depths and found them
astonishing. The breadth of his
knowledge amazed me.
We both had our hidden lives,
Ord and I, and one reason why
we found the company of one an
other agreeable was that we did
not pry. Yet he excited in me a
profound curiosity. My speculation
concerning him crystallized on an
occasion when we were travelling
in the Mediterranean.
I wished to traverse the Ligurian
Alps afoot so that I might COM
pare them with my own Sierra.
Ord refused. He refused with dis
proportionate passion. He de-
clined, in fact, to set foot in Italy.
We parted for some weeks while
I visited Florence, Milan, Pisa,
Rome and Venice.
I rejoined him at Cairo, where
he had taken lodgings at a lowly
inn in the native quarter, although
he was munificently provided with
funds and practiced living on the
grand Scale-an art in which I
never could compete with him.
One afternoon toward sunset
Ord and I were climbing the hill
toward the house. We paused
to rest. He sat on boulder and
his stick disturbed something. A
rattleSnake, and it struck quickly.
drew my penknife to cut away
the flesh intending to cauterize
it. Ord observed me and with
an agonized cry fled into the
house. I pursued him and found
him swallowing a tumbler of
whisky. His ankle was swelling
rapidly.
"I'll fix that in a jiffy," I said.
He turned a strange, yearning
look upon me and in his eyes I
read despair. mo-" he said, at
is better I die this way-because
if you use that knife on me-"
Juan Vasquez had the blade
heated. At signal from me he
threw himself upon Ord. His
strength is like a gorilla's. 1
SlaShed deep at the wound, then
got down myself and sucked out
the poison. I was encouraged to
see how well it bled, draining out
the venom. The swelling subsidized.
But the bleeding WOULD NOT
STOP. The dark, venous fluid
guShed from the slight wound
had made. I twisted on a tourni-
quet. 1t did no good. I was aghast.
There was no coagulation. Nor
mally such wound shameless itself
when the blood reaches the air.
But John Ord was quickly BLEED
ING TO DEATH and all my skill
as a physician could not prevail
to prolong his life. He was an old
man, well past TO.
TOO LATE
When the thought suddenly &C.
CURED to me to question him, to
learn if possible something of his
hidden past, it was too late. The
pallor of lifelessness was upon him.
Why do I indite this screed? 1t
is years now since that dreadful
scene and I have had time to think.
My conscience is clear.
If John Ord had secret, I
have respected it. But if he had a
secret it comes to me that I have
been entrusted with it for a pur-
pose. Was the John Ord whom
I knew Johann Orth, heir to the
Grand Duchy of Tuscany, descend
ant of the great HapsburgS, kin OF
emperorS, self-ordained to wander
the earth a voluntary outcast from
his kind? 7 do not know. I can
only conjecture.
His body lies under a cairn OF
stones. I wish to be inferred beside
him. One headstone will suffice
for us both with the inscription
Here lie two men who found IN
one another the joys OF friend
ship" All else, my dear Carse, is
idle speculation. Ju a n Vasque2
will point out John Ord's ina
resting place to you.
George RarthOlS, M. D.