Show S SERIAL ch E RIAL I 1 STORY d i 1 the hah poo amm I 1 A or 0 tp of flame flanne MINIMS MM c W T aa 9 A sy I 1 LOWS LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE r by br ellsworth young copyright IM by louie josept bucs SYNOPSIS 4 1 the th etory story et at monte alonte carlo with col terence 0 rourke a antl military 1 tary free lance and so methin ol 01 of a gamb gambler 1 in tit hia hotel leaning on 1 ahe s te balcony he lie beautiful firl girl who suddenly sud udd donly aly en enter terean tp the elevator and p names from eight at the gaming table a ble 0 rourke nomen nom en two macit watching him jilin one li in the lion barite olynn while his ills companion Is viscount uee des a dualist the viscount viB COunt tf tall ain hi tia french government hap ha directed him min to an as a man who would undertake a secret at ills hi apart ant 0 rourke who had agreed to un the lie finds a letter the viscount arrives hande lands a sealed package to 0 who ie in not to or open en it until on the ocean A pair of walnty y slippers are peen protruding from under ft a door dooiany wity curtain the irishman lehman Ir finds the owner of the mysterious feet to c be hie film wife lieu trix from whom he had run away a year ear previous tr tt ey y arc are reconciled and opening the letter he lie finds that n rangoon law firm offers him pound pounds for ft ot jewel known aa an the fool of flame und left to him by a dy ina friend but now in k keeping ing of if 1 one I t named in alt Ollo urke doret tho nobleman in a duil duel the wife bide bids farewell and he lie Os to oon soon return with ith the reward ho ile die dis covers both olynn glynn and the viscount vie count on board the ship an he finds Ch ambret there li Is an attack ly by bandits and hia ills friend dip dies tel telling lins 0 rourke that he has left the pool of flame with the governor re general who at night might of a signet ring van the colonel will doller over the it ends lewel wel arriving at algeria the irishman ande the governor general anny avny de des makes mak a appointment wind nd telle tells 0 rourke that he has tins gained possession of the jewel by stealing te aling it in III a duel Ono urke masters the viscount vie count secures 1 of the pool of md and starts by ship for rangoon lie ile find i the captain to be a muggier smuggler who tries to steal the ain jewel it in finally secured by the ca captain and creppes to land with the aid of in one danny and hie his sweetheart ewe etheart 0 rourke recovers reco vcra the pool of biame on board chip once more bound for rangoon a my loua lady pears comes it upon n a lascar bout about to attack the lady w who it Is a mrs rynne and kicka kicks the man into the hold elarms 11 she in 1 en an route for india on a mission for or the king CHAPTER continued now danny happened to ha haxe e off the first afternoon watch fron the bridge saw him come up the engine room companion ladder dive into the room for his dinner and later emerge picking bis his teeth and grinning self complacency until hia his master could have kicked him bad had such a course been politic before the crow crew or even consistent with the dig alty of bis his office A nord to sa to ye sor if it I 1 may make so bold glanced at the helmsman and nd having long ainee made up bis his that the man waa was competent left him in possession of the bridge for a space and joined danny below j what la Is it i danny lowered his oice to a hearse hoarse whisper kapo er ele a on black dloie up there sor for the love of hiven and dont look surprised at moved a few paces aft long the rail to a point whence be could see bee the head bead and shoulders of the helm helaman man well Hs tie aai thiu thlu I 1 1 I cud swear to or but loelf shots mortal leary av v these laguis to ye ani end and come comel come out nith iab it danny 1 sure sor tie the berrang have SO to chanced to notice him sor glanced down to the fore deck where the personage in question was standing at ease case what of him he u inquired running his ee eo over the canoes superb proportions tie id take me oath to cor or but im chinkin th inkin bos hes the man who boarded the at suez sor and as for the I 1 run against on n the deck yer honor hes his mortal twin jib h commented thank cosm ft danny lie continued to watch the until the latter as if it influenced by the fixity of the regard rc gal tumid turned aad and stared directly into es eyes for ft it full minute be he gave him bim iok look for look dark eyes steadfast and unyielding above ble bin fine aquiline nose noise then calmly turned hie his back returning hia his contemplation of tho the tur bulent horizon horl ton an instant later quick came up to relieve and eight tight belle bells sounding danny dived below to take tr arnos nos place I 1 r impressed by the incident till StIlL for t e to tuen mention tion 1 it to itar of ur the 1 1 I owl tArs he be retired to thick it U over and spent a long hour constam ing on an indifferent cigar and studying ibo the crocks cracks in the bulkhead between his room and the cabin without profit however larl ing more substantial proof than Dant dantas js suspicions 11 be he could arrive at no title conclusion the night pasted passed without incident the second day dawned the counterpart of lie its predecessor and wore were eway away quietly enough it fell to to eland stand the first dogwatch dog aitch from four to six alx lx in tho the evening shortly after he lie ascended the Irl dg it wae was his happiness to be joined by mrs who improved the moment to express her gratification with the propitious tide in her affairs the kings courier was pleased to declare herself very well pleased indeed though ehe she admitted under jocular pressure that she site considered she was roughing it captain quicks quarters were by no means al and tho the bill of faro fare while substantially ly 4 lacked something of variety but that woe was all a part of the great and fascinating game she the played the game of secret service to ills HI majesty edward edword VII not that alone but she was comforted f by the assurance ase urance that her voyage would eoon soon be over her mission discharged her responsibility a it thing of the past she would be glad to see bombay one never knows known you know colonel oro urke she said with a little r casturo aturo expressive of her allowance for the unforeseen mined she had something on her mind which eho she hesitated to voice though they were practically alone the man at the wheel wa as a nonentity bronze statue in a faded shirt ragged turban and soiled cummerbund then our will be glad I 1 gather to bo lits rid of us madam she smiled deprecatory what would you she asked in french with will a significant glanco up into ea es eyes its not precisely pleasant to be constantly apprehensive the woman oman continued in the same tongue even when uben one baa has a colonel Lol otiel OHo urle to look to for protection ah 1 ma madame damel expostulated the wanderer anderer but what makes ye so positive id not turn tall and run away from any real danger she gave him a look took that brimmed with mirth A man who Is a cow ard she said slowly stand still and draw a revolver when uben a heavy knife Is thrown thron at his head bead quick told ye madam no I 1 saw heard the quarrelling en tho the forward deck cud aad got to the companionway in time to eee see what happened had you not been so in tent on your search for the knife you would ba bae e been seen me an it was 1 I slipped below again without attracting attention hut nut why to get got my re reboh voler er monsieur ie c colonel tins nought but an accident you do not believe that yourself colonel dear for my pan part 1 I well someone tried my door last night after retired ye yo are suro sure doubted disturbed quite I 1 was as awake thinking I 1 heard you come below belou and close your door at eight bells long after ibero there were ere footsteps sor someone neone walking in his bare feet in the saloon then the knob was as turned very gently fortunately the door was bolted someone put a shoulder to it but it held fast I 1 caught up my reboh revolver rev olier er indeed and I 1 am ci reckless u with ith it sir sirl and opened the door myself the saloon was quite empty ye have risked that 1 I 1 had to know with ith so much at stake she said simply endeavored to manufacture a plausible and reassuring explanation to the fact quick danny or dras mistaking their rooms it was none noue of them captain quick vas v as on deck I 1 heard bis his voice almost simultaneously surely I 1 mistake that she laughed nor would your man or mr dravos have been so stealthy so instant to elcara but but I 1 my beary I 1 you will have it Is that mine enemy of the I 1 is one of the crew of the ranee monsieur mrs Pry tint mado made this statement as quietly as us though she were comment ins in on the weather neather dut but her bar belief chimed so exactly with his own that was as stricken witless and at a loss to frame a satisfactory refutation he lie WM silent for some moments in ants bis big lips thin bard line a crinkle of anxiety bet between been bla his brows if it only permitted me to attend to him ho he growled at length yva are right she admitted but I 1 au aw desolated the th mi mis chiefs schiers done faith yeal he h sighed dejectedly his cazo gaze roved the deck aad and fastened upon the berant it might bo b a any cale on of them he h considered ajoue any amy anis on aror instance though the arar serial why dy dye hia more than he ke call it feminine i intuition it if you like the man looks ce capable pable of any thing yea yes but ure sure theres no telling at all no telling abe he concurred quiet quietly lf watch hope that I 1 we can but wait unit imagined the hand at my door there might be something in that 1 I 1 am pin neither nei necious ous nor an im agi native woman oman at all events ill go ball tal twill 11 not happen a second time how illow do jou ou ro poise to prevent lt it sure the simplest way ay in I 1 the he world I 1 myself will stand guard in the saloon madam nut no monsieur I 1 can better afford to lose a little sleep the n have haie ou forfeit your rest real besides I 1 bae bao cecile there ensued an argument without tormina ho he remained obdurate she insistent only the appearance of quick on the stroke of four bells forced them to shelve tho the subject it was as resumed at tho the dinner table and carried out in a light manner ot 0 banter for a time dropped and forgotten apparently by atil 11 but bul CHAPTER the ni night bt fell clear as cry cryltal dal and wonderfully T bright with ith stura the wind went down the sun then rost roso again refreshed and waxed axed to half a sale gale at midnight 0 leaving the bridge left the ranee daiv ing steadily through a racing sea through a world orld noisy with alth the crisp rattle and crash of breaking crests fortifying himself with strong coffee the adventurer settled himself in a chair by the foot of the companion way steps leading up from the tiny saloon that sered as dinin dining groom room for all but the ere crew of the tramp trump from this position he lie commanded both en tran tranna LeB port and starboard from the upper deck as well uell as the doors that flanked them on either band hand to the quarters occupied b mrs ernne and to dravos stateroom alch was as empty and would be so until the next I 1 change of watch atch the succeeding hours dragged interminably min ably quiet and uneventful about six bells the moon got up and its rays flIt ering through the heavy ribbed glass of the skylight filled tilled the saloon with an opalescent shimmer that assorted incongruously with the dull glow of the electric bulbs dull because there was something wrong with the according to bravoy ORo urle w eary enry and ya yaw ning w atch ed the milky rainbow dance upon the half opaque glass o overhead for several of the night til singing of the anver against the lian cos sides 11 tho the deep throb and unbroken surge of her en gines and tho the sustained clear note of the monsoon in her tier wire rigging these combined with physical to soothe the man to lull him into fantastic borderland of dreamt yet of self that he euch such was as his command would not bield to the caressing touch of drou drowsiness siness but merely lay motion loss less and at rest communing with bla his fancy and that led him out of tho the sordid saloon of the hance rance seas that lay ahead of that ships land whither ho he was pro prow to tho the fair to convey the pool of flame abruptly be he leapt leap t to his feel feet wide awake and rind raging A blow was still bounding sounding through the saloon a dull crash burled buried half way to the hilt in the bulkhead back of the transom a knife quivered in the wanderer fingers bad closed upon the tho grip of bla his revolver lie a pulled the trigger almost before be he realized what had happened and sent ft a bullet winging toward a spot on the gangway above where a pair of long loric brown legs had bad been but now were not on the heels of that I 1 lit li less shot he lie sent another this time with mith no murderous intent but to heart hot within him mouth dry with thirst for that In lascars scars blood not a third time should the man escape bis his judgment at the bands hands of Olto urko ho he s swore ore A stentorian roar saluted him as be gained the deck a bellow choked and ending in a sickening gurgle OKo Ollo urke in a flash swung on bis his heel simultaneously be he came faco fam to face with quick he ile could have cried aloud alond in pity the captain swayed before him a massively built figure clothed all in white bite huge arms trembling towards his head bead revolver dropping from a nerveless ne hand his chin fallen forward ard on bis his chest a stupid weary on hia his face and a dark and hideous smear spreading swiftly over the bosom of bis his shirt shirl A cry of horror despair and rago stuck in the wanderers throat quick who nho had hailed balled his appearance on the ranee at aden as a harbinger of good luck had been foully murdered his dominant emotion of the moment an intense and pitiful solicitude for the ding man threw him off his guard warn the captain on the bridge here at last was an issue forced animus proven assassination indisputably attempted he ile sprang tor for the companionway was as half way up it in a thought his under its influence he forgot the deo des case of which this tragedy v brought all aboa aboard rd the ranee put out his arms received the fall fallani itil body and let it gently to the deck A 7 I 1 11 A A A cry of horror despair and rage stuck in the landeres Wan deres throat moment before it conveyed to him a warning warn lna then immediately be he ban aban boned his seat and stretched himself out upon a transom against the after bulkhead whence he could see some thine less of the upper ganiway but sufficient suM clent for hie his purpose purposes for bli his chair had bad been beneath the skylight and the wings wing of that were open for v ventilation lne ils safer here be lie Conat ered therell be DO no dropping one of those lone long 11 on OU me int now be inadvertence im he sped tremendously the pac dut but in a it trice be he was alive again to his own peril in the twinkling of 0 an eye ho be saw a flash of light gliding to warde wards him with resistless as impetus Imp etue intuitively he swung to one side to the right and leapt to bla his feet feel at that the knife a kris sinuous and keen ran cold upon f tho 1 baah ot hie bin chest chests silt alit 1 his shirt caught in III the thong mat held the pool of ot and tore out latus 11 1 1 ing a flapping hole and scraping a bands bandis of skin from Us his forearm H heed ee dl ie a ot this thle only in ir tact fact subconsciously aware that the baz had 4 laua Z to alje deck dock he kueht that bad aviel wielded ded the kris ari it III 11 IL closed ab about out the wrist ails t I 1 4 ll 11 himself hun Belf he |