Show ARID GOLD by ELLE RY he CLARK CLARIC ag service C copyright OPY right im 1926 by dobbs bobb merrill co CHAPTER VI continued 9 almost nt at once however I 1 dincov eil that for tit at lent least a portion of illy m urney I 1 could not depend on a well odden rond road if there was a path it ailed tile me find and presently confront confronted ekI I 1 ya a thick belt of trees there seemed fur for me to do but to plunge joiy sn in I 1 took mv iny time picked my m care and had just begun to t e light ahead then when I 1 suddenly wd ird some oine distance away ana the sound I 1 galloping hoofs at once I 1 ret nein and red 2nd what mint the lie captain had told nie me the residents res of the fort and mak g g up cp illy mind to tilde myself I 1 rust apart as hastily and noiselessly i i I 1 could the branches of a large lai e iti A in hunt front of me and was soon ef cf equally concealed and none too on in for I 1 could hear much nearer ao an lefore the same unmistakable at of hoofs then silence followed athe breaking of twigs beneath ap oa caching ching footsteps and presently to IT y left here appeared lit in view lie file ares of two men inen earning carrying what emed denied to be tile body of a third in air arnis arms and for an instant I 1 ought with horror that I 1 had find come om am the barbar ldes of the sea to en worse on oil the land for ahe the uncertain moonlight tile object their arms appeared to me to io be bf b crimson as it if literally abed in blood I 1 without much ceremony the bear ai louthis of this sinister burden half threw lad la d it down upon the ground lere it remained motionless without und and aid apparently without life ballve alive it must have been for I 1 now ard the voice of one of the two fig assaying es suing saying why dont we slit silt ills his roat broat for him then I 1 hen it will be a re thing now in spite of all that I 1 had bad seen t death find and violence I 1 had by no earls ans become reconciled to them and bever or whatever tills this helpless peature bratun might be I 1 made up my m mind at al it if I 1 could help it I 1 was not going stand liy li and see murder done and though I 1 knew it was not Je e coure course of prudence I 1 had til already ready HEW ho 4 L e that my pistols yere were clear I 1 1111 belt ind and wits wab just about to step ithe the eilo edge of the brush with alth raised to lo lull call it n hibit in III the proceedings n to nn my relief a second voice olce tin an fred oli mi nonsense theres no nied need ithac Quasti is a good what vital ate to kill him for iles hes it too lie t manage mina gt fail if lie i tt look liere here M it if we come back after its all ler r and lit let you uni go aull never tell you ion what aliat liat do 10 you iou say sai nt ail tin an instant later the same w addea addad there look at that th it iles lie ezria I 1 haking ills black head oy oft of tour arl le lie le wont tell so the e ot of having blood on our hands grudgingly as it seemed 18 nip ginlun assented youre loure too ed hearted lie he cornil but have it your own way M i it t I 1 e 6 et ct into trouble dont say I 1 dian didn t wora warn you ou suppose somebody caroe es 3 along find lets loose rou i nou low what atiat we would get from the majr lajer I 1 followed silence during which eirk davv one e of t the figures stoop over the mass on the alie ground then to 4 relief I 1 heard tile th second voice lain 0 KO o fear he start bile uie for lashings in a month and as anybody fin ding him and turning loose you ou know ow yourself sour self no IS coming to this godforsaken Gon Goa forsaken i 1 there is nt a chance in a all seel 04 let the 1 old I 1 I boy lie eh walt tant be ins his Is head lie he 10 1 to go 90 to the hot place just yet et YOU u boy 1 f allure tile MarV reference 1108 to t tb clr gilig end the th itai 0 it the recumbent figure to t alide inart of tile mystery clear ia t ti I 1 aird lri i ia man evidently a negro was aa it ild CId and evidently also er abiusi lust have baa deceived tue me as ai to ills wounds or they could not lot have talked with will such unconcern of leaving him and corning back litter inter to delell release e him apparently also the first find more bloodthirsty of the pair was now willing to yield to ills companions reasoning for as if tile the matter were finally settled lie he suddenly exclaimed but I 1 say what a hoax on oil the old colonel and alid he fit thinks nil all tile the time that iles hes fooling the major why its as good as a play the other find and clearly the more good natured gf cf the two burst out into a roar of laughter then the pair became serious again well said tile the first voice we IV mufit get back to the P port or t and tell the major goodby good by about an all hour after sunrise see us agn hi and with our pockets full or of gold I 1 heard their footsteps retreating through till the bushes find and then men after fin an interval tile sound of hoofs gradually growing fainter in tile the distance I 1 left my hitting hiding place and with mingled feelings of curiosity lind and trepidation mode made my way cautiously toward the spot where eliere I 1 imagined the abandoned negro to be lying my sense of direction led me true but even if it had not I 1 could hardly have missed in tile the moonlight the brilliant splash of crimson which had previously caught my illy eye in amazement I 1 fell on my knees beside it and fili all tit at once with a great revulsion of feeling I 1 solved solve the mystery of my delusion the figure was that of tin an inky black negro his protruding eyes staring up into mine with an all expression of abject terror but the crimson was nothing more terrible than the racing silks of a jockey cap jacket breeches till all of the same color a startling and vivid red and with my illy mind thil relieved it wits was with a light heart that I 1 drew my knife front from my belt slashed lied the thongs that bound him find and then though not without some dilli culty managed to remove the gag from ills distended jaws immediately lie he gave a groat sigh of relief find and struggling up into it a sitting posture lie he began rubbing ills his legs to bring back the deadened circulation after which lie he peered intently into my face and not recognizing me file inquired in a deep find and guttural voice who you I 1 lid did not at once reply indeed I 1 was so busy gazing at this strange creature that I 1 only half comprehended its his question lit in stature about the size of a boy of thirteen lie was clearly no longer young for when lie removed ills cup cap to straighten its visor I 1 could see that tits his black binck wool was shot find and idd d with gray ills his face was narrow and wizened and lie ho had tile the flat nose and thick lips of ills race none the less however I 1 took un art instinctive liking to him for there was something open and cheerful in his glance and in spite of tile the harrowing experience lie he had just filst undergone there was still a quizzical ti twinkle lit in tits ills eye and having thus taken stock of this new made acquaintance I 1 answered briefly that I 1 was a stranger to the alie island come to visit friends and had been set ashore only a few minutes ago at once lie he proceeded to bear out my good opinion of him by thanking me profusely and with a thoughtfulness which men of better birth and education do not always manage to display then in much tile the same fashion its as tits his captors halt done lie he suddenly smote his hand upon his thigh find and cried with hilarity oil oh lordy what joke on major 1 this funny thing this d n funny thing 1 it did me file good to see him film but to tell tile truth it appeared to roe me that it wits was about time that I 1 became it a sharer barer in the secret of tills this excellent ast and I 1 therefore suggested that lie might explain to me file just where the hie joke caille came in 1 I jockey lie he explained 1 I ride colonel singletons black devil satan when nobody else can tills this satan I 1 bad ring nag but I 1 got wity way with him I 1 ascertain him anil and ho he ascertain im ille major mostyn got liny mure mare flyaway very T fist two to week ago big sav ep staked colonel very ory wise tie lie no put me up on satan put plit nother boy so biml ad lie he aar up find and throw boy and break lit his d n leg then run awny away himself find and bunia into fence and win major mostyn joke colonel say why you no got get it horse not it raging black devil t colonel pretend get lund say to major satan lest horse but lie no like V versular ver er C cular till ir yun sun race you von again two weeks two hundred guineas play piny or puy all make ranke great night tit nt pil palace lace have race lit at sunrise satan feel t better m r th then in nice ice and cool bent beat flyaway hollow major say all right unco one mile ile find and quarter three dilys days ngo ago I 1 ride satan trial very early in morning lie ile go so fast lie he hy fly wo we think no one know hut but major must hear tonight two friends of major grab me ride me PIT iff tit tie me gag roe me leave me ine here bere they plan tonight colonel bet nil tits his money ley on satan morning conle come no liy if other boy ride satan so mad lie ho break boys neck if no boy ride him rac raw play or pay so flyaway win by canter round alone either wily way colonel lose major win ile he had made the situation clear to me file and indeed it needed a lucid explanation to make roe me understand for I 1 was its as yet quite unused to the strange ways waya of horse racing the on tell him said now I 1 I 1 show way case appen appeared red to be one of diamond cut diamond and I 1 felt that it would be it pleasure to see the biters bit but suppose I 1 said to liy that they catch you ou again its a long time before sunrise ile he shook his hend head no fear for lie he answered confidently 11 1 I go around by way of beach nobody see roe me I 1 stay in woods near track till daylight then come fust fast lie ile paused for a nioM moment then added you ton do me big favor tonight you do one more for colonel I 1 felt no great hesitation for this Is a world where in spite of ourselves it Is liar hard 1 I to remain neutral and already I 1 I 1 felt that I 1 wits was on the side of and tits his master for while tile the colonels plan of deceiving ills adversaries ver saries wits was none too praiseworthy still tile the col course itse of action of mostyn all and ills his friends in was infinitely worse so I 1 asked alln what the favor might be pointed with one skinny firm arm toward the northeast you go town lie he said you tind find colonel in big big house nil all lights bucura enli call aitu balace delight Dell glit you tind colonel cating drinking maybe both lie big red mod race face big belly till nil thyle ent pretty soon dle die you tell him what you ou sue alint you yet dd 10 lo you say nil right keel mouth shut bet money like devil you to do it yes I 1 answered ill do it hut but the colonel never saw we tui before ile iia inny not believe tile me Otla ile he bellevo believe you lie he answered nii lie ile know that sound like major jor then tearing al a bit of ribbon bon froni from tits his cap lie he added if no belleve tiel hel love leve show tills this tell him send now I 1 show you way thus thur a few moments later inter I 1 found myself walking along n very tolerable road toward the lie notorious Dotor loua port of the ovll it wits lonely enough and I 1 kept n lookout but saw no one oile and illI indeed Led few dwellings of ati anny kind until I 1 reached tile the outskirts of the town here there were houses in plenty lint but ill all of them paled before the of tho the patrice of delight a pretentious three story building glittering with lights and from which the sound of music issued invitingly vi presently I 1 found myself within its doors the manager a plump and genial gentleman of color ninde rne me welcome rind after coming to terms lie escorted tile me by meana of tin nn outside staircase to a room aloft olry enough though none too clean here I 1 deposited my rifle and the bundle my few belongings find again descended at the entrance to the clinin hall on tile the lowar r floor bloor I 1 stood for it moment surveying with inter interest e st tile the scene before nie me the color tile the lights tile the noise the laughter nil bewildered and nt at tile the anine time intoxicated and delighted me the grenter greater part of tile the crowd was gathered about a table across the room nt at smaller tables men and women were drinking 1 I 1 crossed the room find peering through the crowd caught a glimpse of a green table marked with squares and numbers nil and behind it an liapas sive she mulatto presiding over a box boxlike structure surmounted by a wooden wheel while lie he chanted mechanically make your bets gentlemen make your bets I 1 tit did not know then that this was the famous game of roulette but the sight eight of the table covered with gold god pieces and the eager faces of the gamblers thrilled and excited me As the game progressed I 1 found that the crowd about the table wa was 8 constantly changing and na as I 1 drew nearer and nearer to the table I 1 saw that the center of attraction was a young man but little older than myself fashionably dressed find in III front of him n glittering heap of gul guineas doub doubloons loons find mol dores evidently lie he was a heavy winner and the crowd was tip pla flauding tits his luck presently I 1 stood almost nt at tits his side and ns as lie he glanced up tin and ills eyes happened to meet mine he threw me a most engri engaging ging smile at once I 1 was impressed by ls good looks and by ills his generally prepossessing air tits his light curly hall in disorder tits his blue eyes eye looking out upon the world as though he were it friend to every one and expected to he be treated as a friend in return and now ns as the mulatto once more chanted tits his stereotyped request for bets the young man who was fingering a pile of doubloons doub loons stacked before him bilm suddenly leaned toward me ine and asked abruptly illow how old are you somewhat surprised I 1 answered nineteen and with a quick gesture lie moved the pile of gold out onto one of the spaces on the board A moment later the mulatto tin nn bounced that bets were closed and wheel and ball started upon their jour ney while 1 I understanding nothing of the play was content to watch the young mans face until the wheel les bened its speed and the ball after a prelim preliminary inary bump or two came to rest with a sharp click then to my as ment I 1 heard the mulatto repent the very same frame nil nit tiber anine nine teen wid tit nt once alire followed huge confusion of amazement and delight and a ballet of tongues that swelled almost to n roar tile the reason for all tills was soon tit ap parent when the mulatto began hand ing over from the bank ban gold and golf gold and still more gold until it seemed to tile me that I 1 had never seen so much money in III my life before As I 1 le lear artieV nei ll 11 inter iter a wonderful tiling thing had imp hall ilene boned I 1 n nineteen had actually been the winning number and tile the hank bank war gnp paying to tile lie fortunate youth thirty five times the sum lie he had deposited tits his total winning amounting to several thousands finds of dollars handful by handful ns as the anoney money crossed the green table he swept it toward h him im with the utmost nonchalance until his pockets must have been oiled filled to bursting then with another smile nt at me he said gayly you have brought me good fortune let us pledge our better acquaintance in a glass of wine slipping his arm through mine he be led the way toward one of the small tables in a sheltered corner of the hall and we were soon seated together in privacy over a bottle of excellent wine here we proceeded with the ingenuousness |