OCR Text |
Show HfjfljVAflflff flj em m 9 H The Pool H of Flame H i w i HJH LOOTS JOSEPH VANCC ht IlfautratUaa hf DUwsrik Tml HBHfl OonrrUht lew far Loula JoHnk Vm B CHAPTER VII. H South of Biskra there la always JHHJ trouble to be had for the seeking; HHHJ couth of Drlska there Is never peace. flflHJ A guerilla warfare Is waged pcren- JlHS nlally between the lords of the desert, JlHB the Touaregg on the one hand, and ) the advance agents of civilization, as flflflfl personified by the reckless French BBJ Condemned Corps and the Foreign Le- B glon on the other. Year after year HbV military expeditions set out from the HbV oasis of Illskra to penetrate tho wll- m derness, either by caravan route to BVb Tlmbuctoo or along the proposed HB route of the Trans-Saharan Railway HflH to Lake Tchad; and their lines of BBS march are traced In red upon the HB Toward this debatable land O'Rourke Bflflj set his face with a will, gladly; for he loved it. lie had fought over it BBB of old; in his memory its sands' were Bflflj sanctified with the blood of comrades, BBS men by whose side he had been proud Bflflj to fight, men of his own stamp whose H friendship he' had been proud to own. BBJ Mentally serene.lf physically the're- Terse of comfortable, O'Rourke dozed Bflflj through tho interminable twelve . BBa hours of the journey to El-Guerrah; flHC arriving at which place' after eight the j following-morning, he transferred iim- fll aelf and his hand-bags (for now he Han was traveling light) to the connecting BBJI train on the Biskra branch. The lab Be ter, scheduled to reach the oasis at Bf four-thirty In the afternoon, loafed cas- ( JlM ually up the line, arriving at the term- , JBJj Jdu after dark. HBV The Irishman, thoroughly fagged Bf bat complacent In the knowledge that PflflJ fa had left both vlcomte and honor- BBf ble a day behind him, kept hlmsell pfeflj .from "bed by main will-power for half HHJ the night, while he made the rounds BBk of cafes and dance balls, in search of BBT trustworthy and competent guide jlflflT no easy thing to find. HPp The French force by then was three BkNr days out from the oasts, and no doubt Bf-B since it was technically a "flying col- wfrjdp umn," calculated to move briskly from Sjyy. point to point in imitation of Touar- TBt egg tactics, hourly putting a greater BBk distance between itself and Its start- flfl lug point. Moreover, the pursuit con- PflV lemplated by the adventurer was one BBT attended by no Inconsiderable perils. Hg By dint of Indomitable persistence, flj unflagging good-nature and such in BBf fluence as he could bring personally BB to bear upon the authorities, O'nourko Bfl Pt what ho desired a competent BB guide and two racing camels, or me- BB bera, with a pack animal that would BB serve their purpose. fll By dawn they were ready tu start; IB nnd to, In the level rays of a sun that Bfl seemed a dazzling sphere of intolcr- Bfl able light, poising Itself in the eastern , rim of the world ns if undecided Bl whether or no to take up Its flight PJ across the firmament, the little earn- BJ van rocked out Into the fastness ol BJ the desert, tho Irishman In the van BJ sitting a blooded raebart as one to the BJ wilderness born. BJ On the seventh night they blvouack- BJ ed hard on the heels of the flying col BJ umn, having for seven days pursued H It this way and tbnt, zigzagging lntc BJ the heart of the parched land. BJ Now, when they were come wltlflE flj six hours of their goal, reluctantly flj long after nightfall, O'Rourke gave BJ consent to halt, conceding the no Bj cesslty; for weariness' weighed upon fl their shoulders a groat burden, and fl the camelB had become unusually sul fl len and evil tempered r if rest were denied them presently thoy wotild I become obstinate and refuse to follow I the road. I O'Rourke closed his eyes and lost I consciousness with a sensation of fail I ing headlong Into a great pit of ob- I llvlon, bottomless, eternal. Yet II I seemed no more than a moment ere I he wns sitting np and rubbing sight I into his eyes, shaken out of slumbei I by his guide. I lie stumbled to his feet and lurched I toward the camels, still but hall I awake. When his senses cleared lr rltatlon possessed him. Ills guide had I been overzealous. He turned upon the I, man and seized him roughly by the V arm. 7 liVV "What the dlvvlel" he grumbled an. rA errlly, botween a yawn and a chatter W of teeth for tho air was blttor cold. BJ "The moon's not yet up!" "Hush, Sldil" Something In the B guide's tone stilled hlu wrath. "The fl Touaregg are all about us. They have been passing us throughout the night" 'To knew this and did not wake meT" "There was no need; wo could not have moved ero this without detection, Now, they aro all astir, and we In the night, may pass for them until moon-up," The giwle turned away to rouBO the mehara, prodding them up, mutinous, snarling and ugly. In another five minutes thoy wero again moving for JQ; ward, ny tho time the silver rim ol flhjii thejgoon peered over the ede of the cast they ware pelting on nt full speed, ns yet apparently, undetected by the Touaregg. An hour passed, nnd tlic. chill in tho air became more intense; dawn was at hand. A sense of security, of dan- I He Had Found Chambret'. gcrs left behind, came to the Irishman; Irish-man; he began to breathe more freely, free-ly, though still tho polished butt of n repeating rifle swinging from the saddle sad-dle remained a comfort to his pnlm. He grew more conlldentmentalty at ease, teeing tho desert take shape in tbo moonlight and show Itself desolate deso-late on every hand. , Even as be gained assurance from this thought, tho guide turned In his saddle and cried a warning: "The Touaregg!" Tou-aregg!" From that moment op. both wielded merciless whips. For out ol the moonlit wastes behind them had shrilled a voice, cruel and wild, announcing an-nouncing discovery and the Inception of the chair. 'The fugitives had need of no sharper spur. A rifle shot rang sharp on the echoes of that cry, but the bullet must have fallen far short. ,A 'moment later. Indeed, In-deed, they opened, a brisk, scatteilng Are naturally Ineffectual, though the bullets dropping right and left in the sand proved that tho chase had got within range. ' Even with that warning, the end ' was nearer than he had dreamed or hoped. It came In a twinkling and as unexpected ar a belt out of a clear ky: a flash of fire ahead, a spltful snap and pttt! the song of a bullet BJJCCU1UK pUBl UIB UCUU. The guide pulled up with a jerk. O'Rourke, reining in desperately, swung bis camel wide to avert the threatened collision. Simultaneously the sharp "Qui vlve?" of a French sentry rang out, loud and sweet to hear. "Thank God!" said the adventurer in his heart. And aloud, "Friends!" be cried, driving past the sentry In a cloud of dust. Ily a blessed miracle the man was quick of nit, and swift to grasp the situation of which, however, he must have had some warning from the rattle of firing. He screamed something In O'Rmirke's ear as the latter pasFed, and turning threw him self flat and began to pump tbo trigger trig-ger of his carbine, emptying the magazine maga-zine nt tho on-sweeping line of Ton nregg. The alarm was hardly needed; O'Rourke and tho guide swept on over the slip of a depression In the desert nnd halted In the mtdst of a camp already quickened and alive with shndowy figures running methodically method-ically to their posts, carbine and accoutrement ac-coutrement gleaming In the moonlight; moon-light; men of the camel crops, bard ened to and familiar with their work They buckled down to It in a bust ness-llke way that thrilled the heart of O'Rourke. In a trice they were doubling out past lines of tethered mebnrn, past tho white hillocks ol , the ofllcers' shelter-tents and, like the sentry, throwing themselves down upon the ground to take shelter ot whatever Inequalities the face of the desert offered; and their firing ringed the bivouac with a fringe ot flame. j O'Rourke slipped from his camel and turned to watch the skirmish. Massed, the Touaregg, in strength greater tbun the adventurer bad believed be-lieved something like two hundred I mounted men. In all charged down upon the camp as it to over-run and I stampede It. ' Yet at tho critical moment, when it seemed that ot a surety there was no stopping them, they divided nnd swung round tho camp in two wide I circles, scattering into opon order nnd I firing as they scattered. Horo and thero a horse fell, a rider threw out his hands and toppled from his saddle, sad-dle, a camel seemed to bucklo at full tilt llko a faulty piece of machinery; ' and so gaps appeared In the flying I wings. ' For the men of tho flying column wero picked shots. They had need to bo, who had such tasks ( i this to cope with. Nor for that matter were tho Tou- 1 nregg the only sufferers. Here nnd 1 there In tho enrnp a mnvi plunged forward for-ward In mid-striae, nnd on tho firing 1 lino beyond tho tents now and again a sharpshooter shuddorod and lay still 1 upon his arms, Even at O'Rourke's sldo an offlcer was shot as ho ran to 1 the front, and would have fallen had uot the Irishman caught hire with j I ready arms ond lot him easily to the J earth. As ho did so tho stricken man rolled nn agonized eyo upward. ' "O'Rourke!" ho said between a ' groan and n sigh. ' 1 And O'Rourko, kneeling at his side ; and peering Into his face, gave a bitter bit-ter cry. For he bad found Chambret. 'I CHAPTER VIM. Preparations for breakfast wero toward; to-ward; an aroma of coffee ar.d bacot. hung in tho still, crisp air. The troopers troop-ers were bustling nbout as if nothing noth-ing had happened, laughing and joking, jok-ing, cleaning rifles, feeding the mehara, me-hara, striking tents, drawing water from the palm-ringed well round which tbo camp had been made. Out of sight beyond the edgo of tho sunken oasis a detachment was digging dig-ging shallow trenches for the dead. In tho open Chambret lay dying, n stark grim figure- in tho growing light. O'Rourke sat by his side, near the head of tho Improvised litter, elbow el-bow In knee, chin In hand, eyes fixed on tho faco of his friend. Juet before sunrise tho man on tho litter stirred, moaned, opened his ejes and turned his head to ceo O'Rourke. Ho smiled wanly. "Mon ami," ho said in tones faint yet thick. The Irishman rote. "Don't talk," snld he. "I'll bo calling the surgeon." Hut Chambret stayed him with n gesture. "Has ho not told you, dear friend?" he nsked. O'Rourko hesitated. "Told me what?" I "That my wound was fatal mortal? . . . Sure'.y ho must have told you. It Is so. Presently I die . . Content Con-tent . . . Let him be this surgeon: sur-geon: I am beyond his aid. Attend to me, in my last moments, O'Rourko, my friend." The adventurer vacillated, torn by an ngony ot compassion. "I must do something for ye," he said miserably. ... "I must do something. . . , What can I do?" "Comfort me." The dying man closed his eyes and lay still for a little. lit-tle. "You aro not gone, O'Rourke?" be asked presently. "I'm here, be your side, mon ami." "Tell me ... of madame . . . your wife. She Is well?" "She is very well, Chambret." "You have seen her recently?" "Within ten days." "You have . . . returned to her?" "No and yes. Twas not for lack or love for her that I gave her up" "Yes," said Chambret Impatiently. "That I understand. ... I comprehend com-prehend utterly your feeling. . . , Rut you owe her happiness, though you sacrifice your own everything to give It her. She loves you . . , as she might have loved even me had you not come Into her life." "True. . . ." "You are about to pocket your scruples that she may have her due portion of happiness?" "I've promised, Chambret." "I am glad. . . . But you whttt has brought you hither?" "I I wished to see ye," Rut the dying are oftentimes and strangely endowed with curious in-, sight into matters beyond their ken Without perceptible hesitation Chambret Cham-bret made this apparent. j "You have come for the ruby," he said with conviction. ' "How did ye know?" ' "It Is true, thon? ... I fancied so; I knew that some day you would come to claim It. . . . Bend nearer to me. . . . Tho Pool of Flame le t In the keeping of my good friend, the Governor-General of Algeria. It is all arranged. When I am gone, take my signet ring, tell him your name, and demand the package a small morocco leather box, wrapped In plain brown paper and superscribed with my namo and yours. lie knows nothing of Its value, save that It is great, and will deliver It to you nnd only you without question. . . . Thnt Is all." The hand that clasped O'Rourke's was like Ice. "Chambret!" "Beatrix. ..." ' The cold Angers relaxed. Oently O'Rourko disengaged his hand and put It to the pitiful, torn bosom of tho man who had died with his wife's name upon his lips. CHAPTER IX. Shortly before midnight tho triweekly tri-weekly train from Constantino to Algiers Al-giers pulled up over an hour lato at tho town of El Querrab. It took up a single passenger, dltcharged nono, and. They Had Literally Caught Him Nap plno. presently thundered on westwards, rocking and Jarring over a road-bed certainly no better than it should have been. Such, at least, was the passen ger's criticism, as, groaning In an tlclpation of tho long night of dlscom tort ahead of him, he disposed hlmsell ind his belongings about tho cushions of the first-class compartment whtcb be occupied In solitary grandeur, O'Rourke had no intention of leav Ing anything undone that might tend to mltlgato the terrors of the Journey .vs ct -j t ... .m r.jcc tnnt I morning In the onMs In the Interval I lio had again dnred tho danger of the I desert, rctu.nlng to Diskra olonc by n route more direct than that which had brought him up with the flying column. col-umn. . Discharging the guide with a Erntulty larjjci' than his ebbing mentis warranted, le had proceeded to Kl-Cluerrah Kl-Cluerrah by tho first daily train, and eo now found himself on tho direct lino of communication with Algiers 1 and the Governor-Oenernl. His chlcfont concern now Iny will) tho future and the Pool of Flame; both jbulked largo upon the horizon nnd 'ere at onco tho architects nnd tho nuclei of a thousand different plnnB of Bctlon. So. for, the affair hnd worked r.moolhly; he anticipated little trouble. trou-ble. So thinking ho drowsed, and In the course of time lulled by the hammering hammer-ing ot u flat-wheel nt the forward end of the coach, fell asleep, lie wakened waken-ed suddenly after a nap of somo two hours or so, to n confusion of Impressions! Impres-sions! thnt the train had Flopped; that oomo ono had Invaded bin compartment; com-partment; that a cold blast was blow-Ing blow-Ing across his wrists. Bewildered nnd not half master of his senses, ho started start-ed up and fell back with n thud, assisted as-sisted to r'esumo a recumbent position by n heavy blow upon his chest, delivered deliv-ered by some person for tho moment unknown. Simultaneously he was nwaro of a clicking bound, followed by the sensntlon of being unable to move his feet; and then, the clouds clearing from his understanding, he realized that the cold upon his wrists was that of steel, With handcuffs also on his ankles, ho lay helpless, unable even to protest because of a cloth wadded tightly Into his mouth and a firm hand that prevented ejection. Other hands were rifling his pockets, pock-ets, swiftly but after a bungling fash-Ion. fash-Ion. (The train, having paused briefly at Setlf (he afterwards located tho station by conjecture), began to move again, was presently In full thundering flight. Abruptly the examination of his person which was so thorough that It Included the opening of his shirt to assure as-sure the thieves that he carried nothing noth-ing in the shape of a money-belt wsui concluded- and the adventurer was roughly Jerked Into a sitting position. po-sition. At the same time his gag was removed. He gasped, blinked, coughed, and rolled a resentful eye around the compartment. com-partment. "Be the powers!" he said . huskily; and no more. At first glance , It became apparent that he had miscalculated mis-calculated the audacity and resource of the vlcomte and Mr. Glynn. They had literally caught him napping. The Honorable Bertie, O'Rourke discovered dis-covered kneeling In the act of turning the adventurer's traveling gear Inside out; at least, he seemed to be trying try-ing to do so. Monsieur le Vlcomte des Trebes on the contrary was seated seat-ed at case, facing O'Rourko, a revolver on the cushion beside him, hla Interest In-terest concentrated not upon his captive, cap-tive, upon his collaborator. O'Rourke remarked an expression on the Frenchman's French-man's faco, a curious compound of eagerness, triumph nnd apprehension. Without noting the Irishman's ejec-ulatlon, ejec-ulatlon, he addressed Glynn: "Find It?" "No worso luck!" grumbled thei Englishman, rising and kicking the hand-bag savagely "There Isn't so much ns n scrap of paper anywhere about him." The vlcomte favored O'Rourke with a vicious glance, muttering something about a thousand devils. The Irishman, Irish-man, quick to grasp tho situation and Inwnrdr exulting, acknowledged Des Trebes' nttentlon with a winning smile. "Good evening," he said, nnd nodded amiably. "Oh, shut ui)!" snapped the Honorable Honor-able Bortle. unhandsomely. "Where's tbnt letter?" , O'Rourke chuckled. "Yo're a hard loser, me bright young friend," he commented, "I though Englishmen always played the game us It laid." Glynn grunted nnd flushed, shnrao-fnced, shnrao-fnced, but tho Frenchman cut short the retort on his lips by a curt repetition repe-tition ot Glynn's own question: "Where's that letter, monsieur?" ' O'Rourke glanced at him languidly, yawned, nnd smiled an exasperating strictly personal smile. Then slg-nlflcnntly slg-nlflcnntly ho clinked the handcuffs until un-til they rang on wrist nnd ankle. "Answer me!" snnrled the vlcomte, picking up his revolver. "Dlvvle a word," observed O'Rourko, "will ye get from me If ye shoot me dead, monsieur le vlcomte. Put down your pistol and be sensible." Des Trebes' face darkened, sufficed suf-ficed with the blood of his rage. Yet tl o man asserted thnt admlrablo can-t can-t o) of self which ho was able to cm-I cm-I when It suited his purposes, Evl-(.titly, Evl-(.titly, too, he recognized the cold common-sense of the wanderer's remark. re-mark. At all events bo put asldo the weapon. "Whore's tho lottcr?" he demanded i! gain, more pacifically. Again O'Rourke yawned with malice mal-ice prepense, yawned deliberately and exhaustively and dispassionately "Not a word," he volunteered at . length, "until yo loose me hands and 1 feet. Which," ho added, "ye need not I hesitate to do, for I'll not strike back unless ya crowd me." i Tho vlcoime scowled darkly for a moment plainly dubious. Then pre- 1 sumably upon tho consideration that I ho could trust O'Rourke's word and that most assuredly ho would loam I nothing from him until his request was complied with, be growled an or dor to Glynn, lo unlock and remove tho handcuffs. Tho Englishman obey- cd, Free, O'Rourko stretched himself. rubbed his wrists, nnd observed a collection of his pocket hordwaro lying ly-ing upon the sent by him, thrown aside by Glynn In his disgust at not finding what ho sought. "Vo'll not bo wanting to dcprlvo mo of these few trifles, mo gny highwaymen, high-waymen, I'm thinking?" he Inquired placidly of tho pair. "If yo'vo no objection ob-jection I'll mako so free ns to take back me own." "Take what you want," returned Des Trebes in an ugly tone. "But ! give jou threo minutes to tell mo where you have put that lottcr." "Indeed? Your courtesy overpowers im" The Irishman took up his watch and calmly made a note of tho hour hnid upon threo In the morning; then, with easy iionehnlnnce stowed It nwny v. lib the rest of the miscellaneous collection col-lection tho knives, coins nnd keys, hU wallet, tickets nnd so forth. "Your lime." the olco of tho vlcomte vl-comte Interrupted this occupation, "Is up." Ho fingered his reolver "Whcro is thr.t letter? I am losing patience. ' "Where rust nor moth ennnot corrupt cor-rupt nor thieves break In to steal," O'Rourko misquoted solcmnb . "Steady. Don't call names or I'll forget merelf. t mean that the lettei Is In fragments, scattered to tho four winds of heaven, destroyed. Thero ye have your answer. Ye fools, did ye think I would carry It about me?" "By God!" said Glynn tensely. "No don't Bhoot him, Des Trebes! He's telling the truth. Make htm tell what wns In the letter." "I'm nfrald 'tis useleBB," O'Rourko mocked them. "I have forgotten tho contents. What use to me to le-member?" le-member?" be demanded, Inspired. "What made ye think I would hne It at all? Sure, and the letter wns properly Chambret's. Why would 1 not turn It over to him?" "Oh, cut it!" Glynn Interrupted impatiently. im-patiently. "We know he's dead. The news was heliographed In from the column day beforo yesterday." "Quito so. Yot, If ye know so much, If s I gather ye suspect that Cham-bret Cham-bret turned over this precious jewel to me, why do ye not demand It as well as the letter? Not that I have elthor." I "Bccauso we Jolly well know you haven't got the ruby," blurted the Kngllshmnn. "Be quiet!" snapped the vlcomte. , "Quite right," echoed O'Rourke with assumed Indignation. "Be quiet, Bertie. Ber-tie. Children should be seen and not heard. Mind your uncle." And, "Oho!" be commented to hlrutelf. "And they know I didn't hat, the Pool of Flame! Let me think. . . Oh. faith, 'tis lust bluffing they at?!" "You say," the vlscomtc continued slowly and evenly, "you've destroyed the letter." O'Rourke took up pipe and tobacco. "I told ye," he replied, filling the bowl, "that the letter was non-exlst-ent. Now, me man," he continued, with an Imperceptible change of tone, "drop tho bluff. Turn that pistol away from me. Well I know that ye won't shoot, for If ye did ye would put beyond your reach forever the Information thnt would win ye tho reward always al-ways providing yo had got possession of the ruby, be hook or crook. Twonld Us crooks, I'm thinking." Ho lit a match and applied tho flame to the tobacco. "There's me last word on tho subject," ho added Indistinctly, In-distinctly, puffing nnd eyeing the pair through tho cloud nf smoke. Tho revolver waved In the vlcomto's hand; he was Hvfd with passion nnd disappointed, yet amenable to reason. rea-son. Glynn bent nnd whispered briefly brief-ly In his ear, and the Frenchman, nodding nod-ding acquiescence, laid aside his weapon. Tho Honorable Bertie continued con-tinued to advise with him In whispers pntll O'Rourke. though quite at loss to understand this phase of the affair, saw tbnt their attention was momentarily momen-tarily diverted nnd, with n 6wift move-ment. move-ment. lenned over, snatched up the revolver re-volver and, with a flirt of his hand, flung It out of tho window. ' I Glynn stnrtcd back with an oath, his band going toward his pocket; but O'Rourko promptly closed with him. A breath later a second pistol wns eject-t eject-t ed from tho carriage and the Englishman English-man wns sprawling over the knees of tho vlcomte. They disengaged themselves nnd, mad With rage, started up to fall upon nnd extermlnnto the wanderer. 1 think It must have been the very Impertlnonco of his attitude that mado them pause In doubt, for ho had resumed his seat as calmly as though nothing at all had happened happen-ed and was pulling soberly at his plpo. As they hesitated be removed re-moved tbo latter from his lips and gestured airily with tho stem. "Sit yo down," he Invited them, "nnd tnke It easy, mo dear friends, The mischief's dono, and naught thnt yo can do will repair It. Faith, I said I'd not strike back unless yo crowded me. I re-momber re-momber me words to the letter. Your guns maUo a crowd out ol this happy reunion. I've merely dispensed with them; I call yo both to witness thnt yo have neither of yo suffered. Sure, I'm as peaceablo as any lamb. Sit down, sit ye down and take It like little men. The situation's unchanged, snvo that I've put temptation out ot your roach." And as they wavered, plainly ol two minds, O'Rourko clinched the argument ar-gument of his attitude. "1 beg to coll your attention," ho remarked, "to the fact that ye have left mo own braco of rovolvero hore at mo feet, when ye eo Joyously turned mo bag Inside out. I'm not touching them, mind ye, but mind yo further; I'll brook no nonsense. non-sense. If yo make a move as it to attack at-tack mo, I'll . . Thero! Thafi much better. Wise lads, yo aro, both of yo: gracoful In defeat. Let me see: Wo've b, long ride together, though , yo did come uninvited, I trust ye will help lno Lcuui'.o tho teM...n v,m BB society chit'er r-e friend," wi h n iH twinkle nt the discomfited vlcomte BB "I'm In danger ot forgetting ico man- BB tiers, Pardon mo. I pray, but but I BB trust your nose Is convalescing?" BJ In high feather with hlnucin BB O'Rourke entertained his companions BJ with a running fire of pleasniitrleu for BJ tho balance of tho darkened hours. BB And he touched both more than once. B with the rnplv-polnt of hla wit and BB Irony, and had the pleasure ot seeing. Bfl both squirm In Impotent' rage. They Bfl cut wretched figures, two against one, Bfl yet fnllures, while, he taunted them In Bfl one breath, with the next declared: Bfl himself their captive. Toward the enffi Bfl tho reserve which the vlcomte im- ,flfl posed upon tho Honorable Bertie war Bfl worn down: tho Englishman turned. flfl with raw nerves upon his tormentor. Bfl "You damned ass!" he stammered, nil but Incoherent. "You sit thero B nnd nnd gloat, damn you! When at ! tho time wo'vo got the upper hand!" B "Be quiet!" Interposed tho vlcomto bJJ "I won't I" raged tho honorable. "He thinks himself so Infernally clevcrf BJ What 'dyou say, you Irish braggart, it II 1 told you you'd nover bco tho Poo! of Flame again?" Jfl "I'd sny," returned O'Rourke, "that H you were either lying or n fool. It flfl either case a fool, If, as yo seem te flfl be trying to make mo believe which jflJJ I don't for one instant ye have sue- flj cceded in stealing tho Pool ot Flame, flj I'll hunt the pair of ye to the ends of. H the earth. If need be." H He eyed them reflectively during a flfl moment or two made Intercstine bj ' Glynn's desperato attempts to blurt H out Indiscretions against the prohlbi- tlon of the vlcomte: something which BJ the older man enforced crudely by BJ clapping his hand across the English- BJ man's mouth, as well as by whisper- BJ Ing savagely In his car. H "But there'll be no need," continued- H , the Irlshrran. when Glynn was calso. H "Let's consider the matter d Is passion- BJ ately, presupposing that ye have the. H stone. Well, what then? Ye dare not BJ attempt to sell It 'twould result in BJ Instant detection. H would not py BJ ye to have It secretly cut up into BJ smaller stonos the loss in vtJo Bfl would be stupendous, tbo whole sot BJ ( worth your while, as I say. Ye can- BJ not tnke the Pool of Flame (don't get BJ excited: I'm not going to tell yet- BJ where) to claim the reward, tor y- H don't know whero to go. 'Tie a white BJ elephant It would be on your hands."" BJ "It does not seem to strike mon- flj slour that thero are other ways ot ;H finding out who offers the reward. flj the vlcomte suggested Icily. flj Ing somebody please to relieve ye of BJ the Pool ot Flamo and pay ye a ecny- BJ mission. I wonder how long yetMnV flj ye'd laej. But 'tis no use try Ins tc BJ hoodwink me: I don't believe one flj word ye say. I'll watt until I find out flj the truth before I bother meself with, flj ye." BJ Their persistence In hinting that flj they had gained possession of the flj ruby perplexed and discomfited him. Ho did not believe It; 'twas lncon flj celvable: yet ho had known strangev." flj things to happen. Still, without BJ I clue, to have stumbled upon the e- HJ cret, to have mado off with It from. HJ under tho very nose of the Governor- HJ General! No; it was not reason- H able to ask him to believe all that. H Nevertheless, when he arrived at flj Algiers, his anxiety had grown so flj overpowering that he called a cab rnX HJ desired io bo conveyed post-haste to H tho Palace de la Government. BJ To Be Continued. . I o |