Show CHAPTER XIII port after seas it 11 moment I 1 was too spent to notice anything then to my lily inin gleI joy jov nil ancl i ellef I 1 raw that it was helen ado io hit lidid tit eliy door find I 1 should tune have clasped tier lier lit in my arina but us its lie he turned iLd nip me she lifted a re hand dick she wills were in danger dnn por theres a inn inan here it lawyer looking look inn for itol bob ort ert mcallister they come from froin the lie town lies known mcallister nil fill ills life what shall we 0 o do to I 1 lit lie lier r aghast while it grent resentment tit nt tho u bays ns of hite fate gilted lilted iny m heart I 1 had striven hari hard for fin our safety and lilt lind fought in ill lie face of als odds to 0 o teach re left the lie island and gilld ilow to lip lio greeted teil 1110 tills this flow could we 1 escape tile the room with its dinglo lionil lii nil was in ili shadow lindow I 1 could count on it the re tind the ent c ir aboss iny cheek should I 1 nap take tw tilt cli alice find try to enss for or of should li we Q run for it risking risk in liotti i th danger of f burst and elyj T ile of ci lure toy liv tile slaves ne I lint it would le ile almost certain and ali thell suddenly in ill it 11 flash tin no didolce was uni lert left fit me I 1 leipard tile footsteps I 1 oot stops on in ifie and a later andrew stood before fit inc nt lit lil hb licely tilt lie stranger i owr leoin I 1 lind had nie annl 11 on oil aek on oil my wily way to the io boit I 1 t of 1110 ill devil Il leres tilt 1111 old friend of yours vonis unit ort 11 suld nid with news for you on front from your hoine at tile lie cords words the liu man stepped forward cordially donough nil and with etli ont stretched chod lennil but lit ns as out our fingers toll ched nril find lie he looked me in ili lip lie face I 1 could rend read to n my mv lion horror or first perplexity then lion growing doubt and tit nt last certainly ills gree died upon pon ill his 4 lips and he sharply f toward the Scotch illan tills boh bob mcallister lie cried andrew mcallistor McAllist ster tr stored ns it 4 well ivell h might then with etli lilt tar of queried not clobert mcallister wilia do you ou mean by that it seemed to me file it was time for me to to take it hand alint madman lieve you ou liero here uncle I 1 exclaimed hell lie telling you iou next that youre not andrew IMe Allister Is lie drunk or crazy but the stranger having alas right upon ills his side elde avns not so easily easley put town down and ns as I 1 had a chance to take a closer look at will I 1 could couii ID my divinny dl di sinny that lint its his wiry figure till binl I 1 keen rent tired face with aright airl til ayt peering from under tufted puli rows ho betokened it filitti of action mcdoll and lit 1 once lie fin trip ine readily enough lii 1 I do riot not drink auns young tuan lilt nicil ius illy brains I 1 dorp darp venture tire eimil to ii your own then turning turn liis it to tor ter lie continued 1 I ax nn tely what I 1 say iny tills youth hears irnia it re riny anny a resent blance to my illy client lint but lie Is riot the niall I 1 imp have known robert mcallister since sin no lip lay iny in ili ills his criddie cr nillo ildie tim nian inan Is shorter ij in the lie shoulder sli ills voice Js IH deeper tits ills evvs tire Ilg liter ln in it score of ways hr he from tip the other I 1 khe give you yon my lily word rny my oath if you like lie he Is riot not your nephew at once I 1 determined to lanzard a bold stroke eisile Ui sile 11 I 1 cried we waste time whether I 1 tint nm your nephew or riot not makes no difference now these slaves of yours ours have 4 then rose swinging up a trip trap door and tits men ibell rittia K tit alip island ne iio t berh aps tit sit any 1111 ont an hour froidl wv now we e allay inn till lip be ills aarond ourselves chos first ir t if my in life it Is sp arod ill prove ills 1114 ili min to to to be it jill ind it a client 11 mj aly gem however was S doomed to r fil 11 luie lure with n braver mail ann it would I 1 li elleve lino have succeeded but as it II wivi mcalli acis I arc intend id of Dare lity unil all ills morbid fours fears if it i surp rl warp ia now thoroughly anti anil thus lie nn nil ard aln they wont attach if yet et ive boon watching bulling them still it t work ork on nt their and if they the ali y to do IK fie lidded it still blacker lf iki glit tive lit fit nip file 1 I want no spies dinong i moil illy tro troops olm after a mo maw th wight lie turned to the stranger Ft ranger veil ho he challenge you ou hilvers fire sidd to LP be artful ns as the devil dall ilow can you vou cioe pro veto to tit tup tills lad Is not robert mcallister 1 I ito lawyer for nn air instent it triin asked alave ilave you ou tiny letters front your nep nephew how 1 I have bine INI McAll cAllister lster answered half 11 dozen doen nt at least in my chest up bairs ta irs I 1 heard tk nd question find with n slaking heart vint hint the lawyer meant to roii coni pare iro m my handwriting with acal 11 was MIS evident el nt and it was us obvious illse that I 1 thild riot not meet the HIP test for foi in illy fingers thou rh li ful with n rifle ride lime have never billed the pol and I 1 hip have always blui nl ui written when lit i forced to write alte in a no not most t ill formed arid sprawling hand that it would mh resemble the writing of robert kobat INI cAllister there not one chalaco challco clin iKc it in n R million nill llon I 1 felt unit that I 1 was mas loomed doomed anti anil wm now the lawyer spoke again re ills plan then pet get iltem lie order ordered und and in tile meantime usk ask tills this gentleman to write toi you ott on it a or awer tile the of tile 3 alir lind the words uncle und ofir now more is liot lili a inore cortlin i lit in tile world than tills mat truth lit in diw he I 1 nil ml will HI mill ull anil 1 I could feel that lint tho ali grangeras grangers Gr stra angers ilger 4 bilski ind lilt ills etli t or or of twing litan tit n tit lie right were inning haing their effect on oil mcalla McAll bler very lie agreed and us it lie lit motioned 1110 0 o crino I 1 not noted edwith with it pin pang that lie Il hindu litle tilt gesture with ills left hand while ills right hold ills pistol aimed nt lit mv lily breast lit in it a manner which reminded file 1110 of bar ony clere tire paper ink und and quill lie said 1 I will net get tina lie letters lct anil and to tile me liu lie aimed lit in it manner which sliomo apol 0 volumes place your ills tot tol on oil that chair then come hither and write ns as lie suggests for one second I 1 thought of drawing then till and there find of trying to 0 o drill mcallister mcalla iti r with a bullet but 11 moments reflection shoved mo file tile the fol folla ly of such n course sp A hundred to one lie would kill me file first and even if lie did riot not and mv illy shot went halile there would still ile e the lie stranger and the Inar markons maroons to reckon with etli and though there denied ee nied indeed imal small choice between lying now flow or litter later when lily false falsehood hold stood revealed roen led iet et there re tit the slender chance that sonie rome thing might intervene terene ln to pave eino ine file find on tills tills hazard I 1 determine debei mined to rely rel accordingly 1 l I 1 priced my mv pistol on the chair till und strode over oer to tile table with etli nn nil air lr of confidence which I 1 was far from ft feeling mcallister llster hall and ills his weapon enion to tle the stranger with a word ord which I 1 could riot not catch and I 1 could bee by tho the in ili which alch tle tile lawyer handled the pistol that lie was a man who lio could shoot ns vc well ns as argue ali and thus mcallister McAll lster the stairs while alle I 1 pulled tit alio inkhorn toward me art and antink bating on tInK myself a show of preparing to write during nil tills this timp time helen lind re millnea quietly in a corner or of the lie room without util ring n sound but bill now she crept timidly forward fonnie and stood behind tile the lawyer ns though seeking tits ids protection oil slie site mur murmured inured with such terror in fit tier her voice ace that I 1 half thought site she lind deserted tile me a n opyl spy 1 how horrible I 1 nut but you will protect us wont you iou 7 you won t let hirn him L escape now few of us in tills this world are armed tit lit nil points find the stranger able ninn nian though lie he was was not proof against the pleading of tills this frightened lass you may trust me lie he answered grittily grimly enough and tits ills gaze indeed was fixed so firmly on my fuce face that I 1 doubt lit in the semi darkness 0 of f the room whether lie even een saw 0 tho a tender slender cord m nelch aich in failing for tin nn instant before tits ills eyes but I 1 saw nw f and understood and gathered like a tiger for my spring for a second or two nil was quiet then suddenly the lie lawyer uttered a queer throaty both hands blinds new flew to ahli neck find the pistol mercifully without being discharged fell to the floor instantly I 1 was upon him and almost in the lie samp same motion 1 I 11 and tit gagged him with my kerchief caught him ns its he reeled and laid him film on oil the floor liis his face already purpling for luck lack of air then still in less time than it takes to tell li it helen released the grip of tile the strangling cord and till with little trouble for lie he lay lav like putty in our hands handa we ve hound bound him hand tind foot and next though moments were wera precious helen snatched the scarf front from her neck and bandaged ills his eyes then cried quick I 1 to tit alie e ao southerly point theres a hont bout there its our only chancel an and rushing to the door she unbarred it and threw it open for tin nn instant I 1 thought that she and in lost tier her wits for what was the use in attempting to escape it we tive thus told the lie lawyer of our destination put but the next second I 1 understood for with finger on lip she caught up lip my rifle find and pistol thrust them into my illy hands and motioning me to follow led the way on tiptoe down the halt and into the dining room then hurriedly hurrle dh explained theres a pit under the flooring I 1 found it yeste yesterday iday weve thrown them off the now we can hide even in tills this crisis I 1 could not help I 1 ild admiring mIrIng her cleverness they would search for us on the island night was avns at liand the slaves would shortly attack for a time indeed it seemed that we were safe and without tin an instants delay helen made for the closet cloret in tile the dining room dropped on her knees fumbled for a moment in the darkness then rose swinging up with tier her a trap door I 1 gazed downward into impenetrable blackness I 1 surveyed the chasm doubtfully speculating ns as to its probable depth iut but tills this was no time to hesitate and handing my rifle to helen I 1 slid town down wiard until I 1 hold held on hy by my lily hand handi i alone then striving to relax ns as much 11 ni possible I 1 let go to my lily relief I 1 struck bottoni bottom almost instantly the pit could not have bern been more than tight feet deep at once I 1 stretched ny my arnis upward mid after a few nio mo q f bulot maneuvering the door lind imd closed 0 over er if us q find and we G stood aide illy by side in ill tit lie ginn gloom iii TO ur CONTINUED |