Show z I 1 rf wi J L s dy ol 01 CIA apt V 1 7 J N u 11 u THE STORY THUS FAR while voyaging from england to co america lark shan lions ship goes down she Is cast upon an island and gait withe a bound servant rescues her lark Is made prisoner at the inn by cony and ma blaa who bo are holding her for or ransom lark acs ric s to run away but cony catches her and she is locked in an attic she escapes again and Is found by david north her lover disguised as a gipsy galt gait arrives arrive on the scene and agrees to get lark to norfolk but uben alien they enter the boat they find in cony concealed in a it ft the two men right while hile the boat drifts back to the inn lark pleads plead with dr matson to spare gaits life matson galt gait and lark make a trip to ghost island CHAPTER XIII in this case that was a mere theatrical gesture for every eye was already following the slightest movement of his catlike body every breath was clamped by the vise of fear and unknown ascending horror with delicate quick precision he drew his rapier from its slim castilian an sheath and stood on tiptoe reaching up to the swinging figure the tip of the rapier caught the firelight and gleamed like a silver bead flung against the sun it reached up through the dark reached high till it found the hollow beneath the chin of that pitiful swaying figure and then slashed downward with the quick and delicate exactness of a tigers claw the jacket fell back in a wider V lark still did not understand she could not grasp what the point was in this particular savagery and desecration ec and then the body swung a little into profile and she saw the swell of a womans comans breast its rounded defenseless curve her eyes studied the face once more the high cheek bones the rounded chin why lark cried out its dosta dosta do you wonder that I 1 laughed at you you little fool it is amusing is it not when lark answer matson continued unabashed that thief was david north the man I 1 loved he mimicked her words in a high falsetto voice that is a joke he turned to the gipsies laugh you dogs dog doaslaugh laugh matson raised a slim white hand and hushed it with a sharp gesture of command one woman could not stop she swayed back and forth in a very ecstasy of abandon beyond all human control or dignity her white locks streamed to her shoulders and her head rolled from side to side in a spasmodic frenzy dosta she moaned dosta my dearie own A man beside her slapped her open mouth hard with his big square hand and she stopped suddenly in the midst of laughter high and shrill as the neighing weighing neigh ing of the little wild island ponies matson let the silence lie there like a heavy blanket smothering them for a long moment then he spoke aside to lark but loud enough for the others to hear little liar he said sitting down on the ground beside her pretty little liar I 1 have one further test for you you failed me signally at first let us see what you will do now he motioned to a gray graybeard beard herne he said come here and when the man bent down whispered a word evord in his ear the gipsy nodded sulkily and with obvious reluctance went back to his group and began to weed the younger men out from the older ones lining them up in a row perhaps half a hundred stood there some cringing some defiant matson turned to lark and smiled in as friendly a fashion as if this were a parlor game that was to be played for her entertainment give me your hand my dear he said and when she comply reached over and took it placing it in his lap letting his slim fingertips finger tips rest delicately on the pulse in her wrist now he continued in the casual jocular tone of a master of ceremonies all of our possible davids will pass slowly in front of us you will say as each goes by that is not david north and I 1 will know by the throb of your pulse the one particular time you are lying to me the first man in line paused in front of them it was ginko the fiddler he showed his white teeth in a flashing smile his eyes narrowed intimately and there was a provocative swagger to the swing of his red cape as he bowed low to lark that is not david lark said in a low voice her eyes s straining raining into the darkness dar kness so that she s might ight see the next in line and a attempt pt to discipline her quickening pulse ise the next man she saw with relief as he came forward into the lighted circle was scarcely more than a lad a lad obviously of the english english race with skin as blond as gaits matson smiled and his fin finders ars on I 1 her her pulse grew lighter 1 I know that one lie he said he was stolen by an old gipsy beldame bellame when he was a child on exmoor heath iles hes had chances elou enough h to return to his own people but this this is the only life he knows or cares about the password quickly lark and we will allow him to move on lark gave it and glanced swiftly at the figure next in line it was a man much like dav davids ids build who wore the red baskall pulled down low over his head as if to shield the lighted side of his face her heart missed a beat and she felt the skip in in her pulse the spanish cats fingers tightened on her helpless wrist T the he mans rolling walk was like davids david I 1 s too loo larks breath shortened in her chest she had not the 01 aj ig V 14 7 4 the little fool walked right into the amp strength of faith to pray she began to count to herself her lips forming the syllables slowly and uncertainly one two three four five six seven by the seventh count she knew it was not david her throbbing eyes had tricked her into magnifying the resemblance she released her tortured breath in a little choking gasp latsons Mat sons tautened figure relaxed that gave you a turn it he asked pleasantly now at least leas t I 1 have in mind the general outline of the traitor broad shouldered well built in the first strength of his manhood ill let you rest for a moment my dear while I 1 have a word with ginko dont think you can escape 1 I have but to give the order at last there was only one more mor F man standing back there in the deml semidarkness that would be david was bound to be him the man drew nearer it was not david the bulk of this mans outline loomed huge and rotund against the golden background of the firelight the spanish cat drew nearer to lark she wrapped her cape tight about her arms and breast and drew back standing a little distance from him under the drooping branches of the great oak tree lark felt the world falling away from her A blessed blackness rose to meet her mind and engulfed her latsons Mat sons voice was the last thing she heard latsons Mat sons silky voice saying pleasantly ginko the pretty little bird has fainted iain ted take care of her when lark opened her eyes she was in a tent and the white haired gipsy woman was bending over her the hanging light was dim and cast grotesque shadows on the crimson walls the womans comans face was remote and passive and yet there was in it such suffering as lark had never seen behind her stood ginko and a tall slim figure red and blue jacketed gait why it was galt gait truly it was 1 I was dreadfully frightened about you galt gait what happened larks voice was a whisper those two slaves grabbed me on the path and gagged me so I 1 call out they dragged me off to the dungeon but I 1 managed my way out lark the lock was old and rusty and the guard cause me much trouble he spoke with the pride of his new manhood 1 I found ginko and he brought me here to you in mother egypto tent put but what happened lark asked where is Matson Did he find davida why you are the man who betrayed him ginko she said with horror drawing back from him as the full realization of her last memory came back to her the fiddler lau laughed hed softly little foolish one that was a clever trick on my part I 1 am so wise a man that I 1 desired for the spanish cat to be distracted that I 1 might be able to get you away from him and plan for your escape your you david has no more snake on his heel than I 1 have david has not been found lark repeated her question anxiously her eyes going from gankos face to gaits she was still not altogether certain of ginko but knew that gaits word could be trusted implicitly no galt gait said briefly been beating the bushes for the last half hour but have come on no sign of him the shout would have gone up had they done so my daughter was a princess the woman who watched her said in a proud and sorrowful tone dosta is dead and god himself can not bring her back to me in her name I 1 have befriended you the horse is waiting you must make haste the horse red baskall Ra lark glanced at galt gait it is arranged galt gait said 1 I am to ride him I 1 know where he is stalled there is only one guard on duty the little black mare dos tas namesake is to be yours lark wait the woman whispered raising a detaining hand here are costas clothes let this girl put them on if she is seen se en then she will pass in the darkness for one of our band ginko said 1 I will make sure there is no one about and with quiet care slit the back of the tent he and galt gait slipped through the opening outside galt gait was waiting with ginko who flashed his shaded lantern for a moment on her figure and nodded as if satisfied when he I 1 saw that costas clothes fitted her well enough and that she had twisted I 1 a red baskall completely over her golden curls in the moonlight her white skin and blue eyes were scarcely noticeable she might have passed at a casual glance for any of the gipsy girls galt gait smiled at lark admiringly and whispered it will be safer it if we separate ill go to the stables and get red baskall Ra while you and ginko get the mare ill meet you beyond the corral ginko nodded and hurried lark around the corner of the castle no one was in sight now though off to the left they could hear the men pursuing the search calling back and forth to one another as they came on broken branches or footprints in the undergrowth after another careful hundred yards or so they reached the corral where the gipsies horses could be seen in the moonlight mostly they were sorry enough looking beasts with hanging heads and manes but even in the moonlight the beauty of the one little black mare could be seen she was lying asleep by herself in a far corner of the paddock and the gate and went softly to her instantly st at their approach she was wag on her feet with quivering nostrils and rolled back startled eyes ginko gentled her with a soothing hand and a soft spoken word as she tossed her head and flung back her mane she was small boned and daintily made her coat had the fineness of shining satin larks hand stroked the arching neck she whispered dosta in the pricked ear as the lovely creature feeling a strange hand on her shied and danced her bridle and fine embroidered blanket and saddle hung near her on the limb of a tree ginko reached for them and with tender caressing words had her ready in a moment cupping larks foot in his hand as she mounted he slapped the mare softly on the flank as he led her through the gate toward gait who was waiting there on red baskall Ra galt gait was smiling good news for you lark he said gently 1 I found an empty stall and the groom lying there unconscious davids got away oh galt gait are you sure nobody else would have taken a horse tonight hes had the start of an hour on us perhaps can we catch up with him oh ch galt gait do you think we c could id id feel so much better to know for fo sure TO BE CONTINUED |