Show T e 1 I I I y COPYRIGHT OD DY CO 1 r CHA CHAPTER VII 8 The Race to to the Swift I THE uE rogues were at my mercy but I I had no DO thought for tor that I was transfixed with horror for tor forthe forthe tort t the tile nightmare which I had rejected reject d 2 had become an accomplished d fact Though Bugle and anU Rush were t still sp speaking I had no Idea what they said r Then the disorder pass passed passed- d and antI my brain seemed to leap Into life The car I must get et to the car r. r t Pharaoh bail bag had a n start of ot an hour and a quarter or more but I knew the way to the cottage better than he At once I sa saw that to thread the Ufe woods In the darkness would take me five fire times as ns long as s to go o by bythe bY the lane But the way to to the lane I was barred barred barred-barred barred by those cursed r. r L hea headlights that I had found so fur futile fu fu- r tile the ten minutes ago I For an nn Instant I glanced about me Then I picked up the lamp and amI hurled It Into the grate The base of ot the lamp was of ot china and aud heavily built the crash of ot Its fall was frightful and the Ule flames leaped up like streamers to lick lick- the breast of the chimney with within in and without Now I had expected fed that Bug Bugle e 4 and Rush flush would both of them make for the sitting-room sitting door And nd Bugle did But Rush s stood up on the bench to look Instead through r f the window I was proposing to tor use useI I suppose the fellow was lazy and laziness brings no luck Be Bet t that as It may I hit him between r i the eyes before he could think and vaulted out of ot the casement on the flags And then I was In the closed car carand carand carand and was storming down to the bridge My Journey may be Imagined imagined-I I I Y drove In a midst of ot fear K I entered the track at five mInutes minutes minutes min mIn- r utes past prist ten and that eight minutes minutes min min- utes tiles later I was stumbling across the cl clearing to find the path to the cottage by the light of ot my torch Do what you like said Freda FretIa i I I 1 tell you OU she's g gone ne I I You know where she is Is said t. t Pharaoh and lighted a cigarette I The man was sitting half on the theta ta table le swinging a leg Freda was standing at nt the foot of ot the little staircase with one of her hands hantIs behind behind behind be be- hind her and antI the other one up to tober her ber breast Max lay asleep In his cradle and Dewdrop De stood quiet and blinking You know know where she Is said c Pharaoh quietly enough That I do not said Freda Freda- and flung up her head Her man was i J r iL 1 At n t l H 4 The Toe Man Was Sitting Half on the Table gone bone and she was but waiting for forme forme me to give ghe over over the tho child Did she take the path to Witchcraft Witchcraft Witchcraft Witch Witch- craft 4 tJ Nay said the foresters forester's wife she took the path that she knew Think again said Pharaoh Crouching without the casement I 1 saw v the girl wince before the Ice of 01 his tone but though she wa was now nowery very ery pale she gave him back look took for tor look As I drew my pistol pistol pis pis- tot tol I beard her steady reply I tell you she took that path and as she spoke she pointed ou out of ot the window directly over my head And as she pointed Eh she looked In the same direction and direction am saw my face She started over ever so slightly bu but that was more than enough As laI I Je leveled my my weapon Pharoah Pha Pha- roah swung round arid and fired but hi his k T I pistol was yet In his pocket and his ils bullet went wide of ot my ear And then In a flash he had hatI flung himself off orr the table and all aU the can candles les were out So I I. threw away a chance In a million That the foresters forester's wife should have s seen en me was sheer bad luck There was only one thing to be bedone bedone bedone done for the moonlight was all aU about me and Pharaoh and Dewdrop Dewdrop Dewdrop Dew- Dew drop could see me without being seen een I 1 fell feU on my face tace writhed my way Into the shadows and darted across to a tree that stood some twelve welve paces off And there flat against the trunk I took my stand with my eyes on the door of or the cottage which was full fuU In the light I was read ready now v nt at last and the moment I saw th the door move I fired tired at the latch This had the effect I desired for the door did not move again I was now as composed as I had hadeen been een distracted for the knowledge that hat my darling was safe had made me another man My nerves were steady teady my br brain ln was clear I felt like Ike a giant refreshed and I saw at t once that my lady must be at Witchcraft One minute later I 1 was behind the he cottage and antI was running as fast ast as I could for the Witchcraft path ath I was more than halfway to the cross ross roads when Sabre touched my hand With a leaping heart henrt I It at t once took hold of his collar and ran an by his side Thirty yards on he be stopped Nell NeU I said quietly Nell There was a a rustle behind me As I turned round her arms went about bout my neck I I 1 heard shots she breathed Youre You're not hurt Not a scratch my queen Thank God thank God She clung t to me desperately Oh John I cant can't spare pare you again Ever Ewer since you left leCt Ive I've been half haIr out ut of ot my mind You see see without without with with- out ut you Im I'm beggared youre you're allIe all allIve Ive I've ve gotHer got Her ner tears were were wet on my lips as s I strained her against my heart Come along my lad lady Well We'll talk alk when were we're out of ot the wood Less than 10 minutes later I lifted lift lift- ed d the Rolls RoUs from a thicket et andon and andon andon on to the road Freda appeared said Helena nelena at lIat a quarter to eight It seems that hat she missed her train In a final frantic endeavor to do as we said We Ve told her to deliver dellver the letter lettero to o Geoffrey or Barley alone Ten times Imes she took that letter to your cousins cousin's Salzburg address 10 times she was was' asked to leave It and 10 times Imes the poor girl refused When she had missed her train she determined de- de determined to try once more and this his time they managed to bluff her hernto Into nto giving It up Well Nell the moment moment moment mo mo- ment I heard her story I 1 knew that the he damage was done so Sabre and antI andI antII I made for Witchcraft as fast as ever we could I confess I was rather worried And even when Pharaoh arrived arrived as as he did about half past nine I nine I couldn't be sure that hat hed he'd missed you for he might have dealt with you and anU come on for me I watched him take mIce the path When they'd gone I made sure of the Rolls RoUs and came back to io watch watch and and pray The Tile darkness was very cry tr trying Ing for the path as you know was In shadow and I had to watch for tor you both And then far away In the forest I 1 heard two shots When I 1 told her what I had learned which except that my cousin cousin cousin cou cou- sin was safe was little enough enough- We must make for tor Yorick she site sheI I said Pharaohs stranded and ant that will give gl me a chance chanc with chance with my brother I mean If It Valentines Valentine's bored enough I may be able to get gel him to go away If It I offer him the Carlotta he may see the point of ot a month at Juan Juan les les Besides If It we want your cousin Yorick Is Is where here he will be Hes He's certain to tob tobe tobe b be watching the castle its castle Its It's all nU he can do He probably visits visits' Plumage Plumage Plum Plum- age as as you did today But lie he he knows that when we return It willbe will wll willbe be to Yorick Itself Very good said I. I I take I It we drive to the door Oh yes Its It's safe ante enough now You think you'll youn get Valentine off orr by an early train He keeps late hours If rr I le let him have the Carlotta I might gc get him off oft tonight Hes He's a creature o ot of Impulse you know v. Paint the toy bright enough and antI hell he'll want It a at once Why not go to I Isaid said And use your original plan t tI I Weve We've only to find my cousin and antI that should be ens easy enough Let Pharaoh go back to Yorick And then one night well we'll cross the moat mont by the foot bridge and do him In Im Tin afraid to wait walt my darling I If Pharaoh gets ets his foot In again I think hell he'll play the card In his sleeve And the card that hes he's got ot otIn In his sleeve Is putting my brother wise She drew In her breath Once Valentine knows of the gold Its It's no good killing Pharaoh for three weeks later another will reign In his stead My Iy brother will talk right and left leCt So you OU see for that reason alone Valentine must be beI I 1 gone bone before Pharaoh comes back The miles streamed by In silence and I I. I think It was Just past midnight midnight midnight mid mid- night when I switched the Rolls oft orr the Ule road and Into the entrance- entrance drive As our headlights Illuminated the gateway I saw that the curtains were gone and the gates were shut but a wicket In one of ot the leaves was open wide and a servant was standing beside It shading his eyes He had of ot course se seen n our lights from the porters porter's lodge and h had d opened for Captain Fnning as no doubt he had done before As I brought the Rolls Roils up to the wicket I saw him start Then he opened the door for his mistress and bowed to the ground Come John said Helena quietly quiet quiet- t- t ly 11 She turned turne to the man man Shut the wicket Hubert and watt walt In the lodge The car will stay slay there In a flash she was In tb the courtyard courtyard court court- yard with Sabre and me b behind The doors were open and Helena sped up the staircase which led to the principal rooms Helena's ear car was fast to the library li library library li- li door After a moment she passed to the dining room There for a moment she listened Then I her hand went event out to the handle and softly opened the d door or A girl was standing on the table regarding herself In the huge ItalIan Italian Ital- Ital Ian an mirror that hung on the wall Her dress did not become her her It It was so much finer than she The scene was too coarse to be com- com Ie ic c. c Some girl from the streets of Lass was trying on Helena's clothes lothes Champagne was on the table and andon andon on n the floor noor The Count was lying fiat flat on his bis back His condition was most apparent To say he was drunk conveys comeSs nothing The girl had seen us In the mirror mir mir- or Her hands clapped fast to her cheeks heeks she was staring at Helena's reflection with starting eyes ees To confirm the mirrors mirror's report she shot hot us one glance of ot horror then she he crumpled and sank to the table dra ragging dragging the dress about her Iler and shrInkIng as though from some vision Islon which was but waiting to give her the Judgment that she deserved Helena went to her quickly and touched her arm Dont be afraid she said qui qui- etly III If you do as I tell you Ill I'll Illee see ee that you come to no harm She turned to me to speak English Eng Eng- Ish Ush Can you get him on to the terrace terrace terrace ter ter- ter- ter race and bring him round 1 Ill try said L But I haven't a lot of hope With that I picked up the Count and carried him out But the fellow was too far gone He Hc would come to his senses In time Ime but nothing that I could do would hale them back No good said Helena quietly Hopeless said I. I Hes all aU In He may come round by midday but he wont won't be fit to talk for 24 hours As the words left lett my mouth the castle clock told us the time A quarter past twelve We must get him awa away away- said Helena Now at nt once Theres There's Theresa a train that leaves Lass for tor Innsbruck Innsbruck Inns- Inns bruck at one We cant can't put him aboard at Lass Lass Lass-he's he's hes too well wen known but I guess the train stops at Gola that's Gola-that's that's ten miles on The girl will have to go with him and antI see that he comes to no no harm ha Although I could see that It was drastic I 1 had then nc no Idea how monstrous was the action which she proposed Her Her brother was her liege lord when he the succeeded her father she was the tube first fi of ot his vassals was vas to go on her knees to put her hands between his to swear to honor his pers person n and ever er maintain his freedom and antI all nn his rights And this was no matter of form For better or worse for tor more than five hundred years the body of ot the I Count had been sacred In the eyes ees I of ot his Itis house Times might change e but not Yorick Its Its Its' motto held On that handsome July night Helena snapped the tradition and nd broke her oath Not a servant would have dared help her After perhaps five Ove minutes our plans were laid Whilst Helena spoke with Mona rona the girl from Lass I scrawled a note to Pharaoh and boldly signed It V Y Y Dear Faning Sorry but Im I'm fed tell up Ive I've had enough of ot Yorick and Im I'm going to to- night I dont don't know where but Ill I'll probably got get a train See you again somo day As I laid down my pencil pencil- do very well said Helena Hel ena He never nover writes so nobody knows his hand Leave It there on the blotting And now we must go A moment later later- our strange procession pro pro- procession cession took shape I Helena led the way and I brou brought ht up the rear with the Count on my back while Mona minced between I Ius Ius us bearing her shoes In her ber hand I Six paces away from the gates I Itald laid m my burden down down Is your back all right breathed Helena Yes thank you my sweet At once she fhe turned to Mona who was drooping beside the wall If It you cross that bridge the porter will see you ou and you ou will be chased and caught In La a few minutes minutes' minutes minutes' min min- utes' utes time however howe the porter will leave cave his lodge You'll know when hes he's gone one because then the wicket will open The moment the tle wicket wicket- opens cross the bridge Then run rundown rundown rundown down the drive until you ou come to the woods Walt Wait there at the edge edge- of or the meadow and the car will be down In five minutes to pick you up It uIt Is understood my lady You will wait without fall fail on the right-hand right side of the road Without fall my y lady With many misgivings we left leCt lefther her and hastened the way we had come This time however we left the postern ajar We h had d found he her bedroom lighted light ed etI and left It so so-nn so an open wardrobe declared the rape of the frock and DOw now we only waited to set wide open the d doors ors of ot the principal 1 ws I- I t f tl fl r As the Porter Stepped Out of His Lodge rooms Then we went down to the courtyard up courtyard up to the last of ot the jumps lumps As the porter stepped out of ot his lodge lodge lodge- Why didn't you tell teU me said Helena that his lordship was gone The fellow renow looked scared I I 1 I didn't know my lady I II II II I- I I thought his lordship was here He ne went this evening He ba says s 's so 50 Hes He's left a note The porter put a hand to his head No one has gone one out my lady since past half nine And at half- half past nine m my lady I know that his lordship was here There was a n startled silence Then Then Then- Fetch the watchman night-watchman said Helena The man ran Into the court courtyard ard and disappeared In a flash the wicket was open and I Iwas was outside As I heaved him Into the car I saw a bedraggled figure hurrying on to the bridge I laid the Count flat fiat on the floor boards and put his coat over his face Then I took my seat at the wheel and started to turn the car r round und Helena was speaking Rouse the other watchman and the warden as well The castle Is Isto Isto isto to be searched |