Jacqueline of Golden River By VICTOR ROUSSEAU CHAPTER XIX. Th, Balt That Lured. I went along the tunnel In the direc tion of Ie Vlell Ange, picking mj way eery carefully, peering Into the numer •ua email cares and fissures In the wall on either hand. And I was about half way through when I aaw a shadow running in front of me and making no •ound. It was Dnchalne. There could be no mistaking that tall, gaunt figure, lust risible against the distant day. I raced along the tunnel after him. But he seemed to be endowed with the speed of a deer, for he kept hla dis tance easily, and I would nerer hare caught him had he not stopped for an Instant at the approach of the ledge. There, Just as he waa poising hlm eelf to leap, I seised him by the arm. He did not attempt rlolence but gased at me. with hesitation and pa thetic doubt. “M. Dnchalne,'* I pleaded, “won't you come back with me and let ua talk It overt Jacqueline la with me— ’’ “No, no,” he cried, laughing. “You can’t catch me with such a trick as that. My little daughter baa gone to New York to make our fortunes at M- Daly*a gaming houee. She will be back soon, loaded down with gold.” “She has come back,” I answered. “She la not fifty yards away.” “With gold?” he Inquired, looking at me doubtfully. "With gold,” I answered, trying to allure hla Imagination as Leroux had done. “She has rich gold, red gold, each as you will lore. Yon can take up the coins In your fingers and let the gold stream slip through them. Gome with, monsieur." I grasped him by the arm and tried to lead him with me. My argument had moved him. I thought I had won. But Just as I started back Into the tunnel, holding the arm of the old man, who lingered reluctantly and yet began to yield, a pebble leaped from the rocky platform and rebounded from the cliff. I cast a backward glance, and there upon the opposite side I aaw Leroux standing. “Bonjour, M. Hewlett I” he called serosa the chasm. “Don’t be afraid of me any more than I am afraid of you. Just wait a moment I want to talk business.” “I hare no buslneaa to talk with you,” I answered. “But I did not say It was with you, i monsieur,” be answered In sneering tones. “It Is with our friend Dnchalne. Hola, Dnchalne 1” At the sound of Leronx*s voice the old man straightened himself and be gan muttering and looking from the one to the other of us undecidedly. Suddenly I saw him turn hla bead and tlx hla eyes upon Leroux. He craned hla neck forward; and then, very slowly, he began to walk toward hla persecutor. I craned my neck. Leroux was holding out —the rou lette wheel I “Come along, Charles, my friend,” he cried. “Come, let ua try our for tunes 1 Don’t you want to stake some money upon your system against me?” The old figure had leaped forward over the ledge, and In a moment Le roux had grasped him and pulled him Into the tunnel. I hastened back to Jacqueline and encountered her in the passage Just where the light and darkness blended, standing with arms stretched out against the wall to steady herself; and In her eyes was that look which tells a man more surely than anything. I think, can, that a woman lores him. “Oh, I thought you were dead 1” she sobbed, and fell Into my arum. I held her tightly to support her, and I led her back to the gold care. In a few words I explained what had occurred. “Now Jacqueline, you must let me guide you,” I said. “Don’t you see that there la no chance for ua unless we leave your father for the present where he la and make our own escape? Wo can reach Pera Antoine’s cabin noon after midday, and we can tell him your father Is a prisoner here. He would not come with ua, Jacqueline, oven If he were here.” She did not respond. It was the safety of ua two and her father's life assured, against a miserable fate for her, and I knew not what for me, though I thought Leroux would give me little shrift once I was In hla power again. She was so silent that I thought I bad convinced her. I urged her to her feet But suddenly I heard a stealthy footfall close at hand, between the care and the cataract. I thought It was Charles Dnchalne. I hoped It was Leroux. I placed my finger on Jacqueline’s lips and crept stealthily to the passage, revolver In hand. Then. In the gloom. 1 saw the rlllaln nns face of Jean Petltjean looking Into mine, twelve paces away, and In his (hand was a revolver too. We fired together. But the surprise spoiled his aim. for his bullet whis tled past me. I think, my shot struck him somewhere, for he uttered a yell and began running back along tbe tuanT as hard as he could. Otpirlfki, w.o.u*pbm I followed him, firing as fast as I could reload. Fortune helped the ruf fian. for when I reached the light he was scrambling across the ledge, and before I could cover him he had suc ceeded in disappearing behind the pro jecting rock on the other side. So Leroux had already sealed one exit—that by the Old Xngel, where the road led Into the main passage. God grant that he had not time to reach the exit by the mine I It I made haste! If I made haste! But I would not argue the matter any further. I ran back at full speed. I reached the cave. “Jacqueline 1 Gome, comer* I called. She did not answer. I ran forward, peering round me In the obscurity. I saw her near the earth-sacks, lying upon her side. Her eyes were closed, her face as white as a dead woman’s. The bullet from Jean PetitJean’s re volver that missed me must have pen etrated her body. She lived, for her breast stirred* though so faintly that It seemed as though all that remained of life were concentrated In the faint-throbbing heartbeats. I raised her In my arms and placed a aack beneath her nead, making a The Villainous Fao# of Joan Petltjean. resting place for her with my fur coat. Then with my knife I cut away her dress over the wound. There was a bullet hole beneath her breast, stained with dark blood. I ran down to the rivulet, risking sn ambus cade, brought back cold water, and washed It, and stanched the flow as best I could, making a bandage and placing It above the wound. I have a dim remembrance of losing my self-control when this was done, and clasping her in my arms snd press ing my lips to her cold cheek and beg ging her to live and praying wildly that she should not die. Then I raised her In my arms and was stag gering across the cave toward the tun nel which led to the rocking stone. And then, Just as I approached the barricade of earth-filled bags Leroux and the man Raoul emerged from the tunnel's mouth and ran toward me. I stopped behind the barricade. Presently I saw something white fluttering from the tunnel. It was n white handkerchief upon a stick of wood. Then Leroux*s voice hailed me from the tunnel. “Hewlett !** he called, and there waa no trace of mockery In hla tones now, “will you come out and talk with me? Will you meet me In the open. If you prefer?** I fired one shot In futile rage. It struck the cliff and sent a stone flying Into the stream. Then silence followed. And I took Jacqueline and carried her back Into the little hollow apace. I put my hand upon her breast. It stirred. She breathed faintly, though she showed no sign of con sciousness. Heaven knows what waa In my mind. I stood beneath that awful cat aract firing at the blind rock, and now I was back behind the earth-bags shooting Into the tunnel. So the afternoon wore away. The sun had sunk behind the cliffs. I bad fired away all but six of my cartridges. Then the memory of my similar act of folly before came home to me. I grew more calm. I felt my way around the cave with the faint hope that there might be some other egress there. There was none, but I made out a recess which I had not perceived, about one-half aa large as the cave itself, and opening into It by n small passage Just large enough to give ad mittance to a single person. Here I should have only one front* to defend. Bo I carried Jacqueline inside and THE ELK MOEETJJE PILOT. began laboriously to drag the bags of earth Into this last refuge. Before It had grown quite dark I had barricaded Jacqueline and myself within a place the size of a hall bedroom Inclosed upon three sides with rock. And there I waited for the end. I sat beside Jacqueline, holding her hand with one of mine, and my re volver In the other. There was a faint flutter at her wrist. I fancied that It had grown stronger during the past half hour. But I was unprepared to hear her whisper to me, and when she spoke I was alert In a moment. “Paul !** she said faintly. “Jacqueline !** “Pauli Bend down. I want to speak to you. Do you know I have been conscious for a long time, my dear? I have been thinking. Are you distressed because of me?” “My dearl” I said; and that was all that I could say. I clasped her cold little hand tightly In mine. “You must leave me, Paul, because— because of what la between us. You must go to Leroux and tell him so. You love me, Paul?** “Always, Jacqueline,** I whispered Bhe put her arms about my neck. “I love you, Paul,** she said. “It seems so easy to say It in the dark, and It used to be so hard. Do you know what I admired and loved you for, even when you thought my mind unstable and empty? How true you were! It was that, dear. It waa your honor, Paul. “That was why, when I remembered everything that dreadful night In the snow, the revulsion was so terrible. I ran away In horror. I could not believe k that It was true—and yet I knew It Waa true. “And Leroux was waiting there and found me. I did not want to leave you, but he told me there was Pare Antoine's cabin close by, and that you would come to no harm. And he made me believe—yon had stolen my money as well. But I never believed that, and I only taunted you with It to drive you away for your own sake.*' She drew me weakly toward her and went on: “Now that we are to part forever, and perhaps I am to die, I can speak to you from my heart and tell yon, dear. Kiss me—as though I were your wife, Paul. “So you will go to Leroux,** she added presently. “Is that your will, Jacqueline?** “Yes, dear,'* she said. “Because we have fought, and now we are beaten, Paul.** I bowed my head. I knew that she spoke the truth. I knew at last that I was vanquished. For, now that Jacqueline lay there so weak, so help less, and thinking all our past was but a dream, there was nothing but to yield. I could not fight any more. So I left her and climbed cross the bags and went down toward the stream. But before I had reached it a dark figure slipped from among the shad ows of the rocks and came toward me; and by the faint starlight I aaw the face of Pierre Caribou 1 He stopped me and held me by both shoulders, and be drew me Into the recesses of the rocks and bent his wlaened old face forward toward mine. “Ah, monsieur, so you did not obey old Pierre Caribou and stay lu the cave,*' he said. “Pierre, I did not know that you would return.” I answered. “Never mind,” the Indian answered, looking at me strangely. “All finish now. Diable take Leroux. Hi's time come. Diable show me!” “How?” I answered, startled. “All finish,” said Pierre inexorably, and, aa I watched him a superstitious fear crept over me. He, who had cringed, even when he gave the com mand, now cringed no longer, and there was a look in his old face that I had only seen on one man’s before on my father's the night he died. “Pierre, where Is Leroux?” I whis pered. “Shall I surrender to him or shall I fight r “No matter.” he said once again. “M*sleur, suppose yen go hack to ma’m’selle, and soon Simon come. His diable lead him to you. His diable tell you what to say. All fifilsh now!” He walked past me noiselessly, s tennous shadow, and his bearing was as proud as that of bis race bad been in the long ago, when they were lords where now their white masters ruled. (TO BE CONTINUED.) Time's Changes. Caesar used to wait days to bear from tbe outposts of bis empire, but today tbe descendants of hla legions who plow the sunny fields near Ham mond, get dally market news on their strawberries from places thou sands of miles sway. This news comes over wires and Is Issued In Ital ian, as well as in English, by the local office of the bureau of markets of the United States department of agricul ture. Government figures show that New York has over 1,000,000 parsons who do not speak English. British West Indies as Part Payment of War Loan? Great Britain's ( National Debt q is about 25 1 Billions. Her debt to the United States j is about 4 / Billions. *S the United States to take the British West Indies In part payment of Great Brit ain’s war debt? t That seems to be the main question which the London National News soys Is- now being seriously considered on both sides of the Atluntlc. Of course there are a num ber of other questions, such I as this, which may be asked: Does the United Stutes want the British West Indies? Is Great Britain willing to sell them to the United States? Cun the two uutlons agree on a price? Answers to these questions will have to be guesswork largely. It was first rumored in diplomatic circles In Wash ington In 1017 that the transfer was being considered. Nothing official, however, has ever been made public. Secretary of State Lansing soys he knows nothing about it. Giving color to the possibility of the transfer are two facts: One Is that the United States Is apparently In the market for West Indian Islands, as shown by the purchase In 1017 of the Virgin islands from Denmark, for $25,- 000,000. In this connection It Is to be kept In mind that the Fanurna canal is located in this part of the world, which fact may have something to do with Uncle Sam’s apparent desire to Invest In Islands off its Atlantic ap proach. The other fact Is that Great Britain owes the United States about four billions, has a national debt now In excess of $25,000,000,000 and Is ap parently finding her West Indian Is lands more of a liability than an asset. The British West indies comprise the greater number of the string of pearl-ltke Islands that Is flung like a necklace from Florida to South Amer ica. around that corner of the ocean known as the Caribbean. All told, there are some four thousand of these bits of land, though not many more than a hundred are populated, and most of the Islands are only great reefs thrown up from a volcanic sea In some by-gone day. The British West Indies have a total area of 12,100 square miles—equal to the states of Massachusetts and Con necticut. They have a population of nearly 3,000,000, for the most part ne groes. but with a scattering of a few thousand whites and a curious mixture of other peoples from all the world— Hindus. Javanese. Chinese. Siamese, Christians, Mahometans, Buddhists and Confuclonlsts. Some of the Islands are spnrsely settled, while others are more densely populated than any other region on earth except China. Bermuda, famous for its climate— Why Golf “Links.” The term “links” in connection with golf Is of Scottish origin. It originally was used to designate a stretch of land covered with short grass and stubble which lies between tbe high point of the coast and the water In parts of the Scottish seaboard. The first golf cours es were laid out ulong these stretches, nfnce the name. When the sport spread to other countries the name “links. * clung to It, but the original the name might awaken memories of onions In the minds of some —isn’t strictly one of the Indies, but is often classed with them. Its 300 Islands, Jutting out of the sen nearly 600 miles off the Carolina*, attract many visi tors from America. The Bahamas—3,ooo of them—are also well known to the winter resort tourists who flock to Nassau. They stretch off to the southeast from Flor- | Ida. for the most part uninhabited. All the island interest centers in the j winter trude. There Is no other live lihood for the 20.000 residents, and there is neither fertility nor rains or heat to produce the wealth and beauty that make the more southerly Indies famous. Beyond Porto Rico He more of Eng land’s possessions. Many of them are very small. St. Kitts and Nevis, of course, ore historically famous In their association. The latter was the birth place of Alexander Hamilton. Bar buda Is the game preserve of the region. Montserrat might be called distin guished for Its red-headed, freckled face negroes with Irish names who have even kept the brogue of the or iginal Irish settlers. Dominica Is one of the real beauty spots of the sort thut remind one of Nice and the Medi terranean and raise the question why Americans should go to Europe when this fairyland lies so near. Its only drawback Is the rain, that falls every day, sometimes from a clear blue sky, and gives Dominica the name of one of the wettest spots on earth. On this island live the few remaining pure blooded. yellow Carlbs, the warlike people who fought the European set tlers through 300 yeurs before being almost exterminated. St. Lucia is important on the map because It Is a coaling station for all the Caribbean. The inhabitants know no other employment than 'harrying fuel to the many ships that seek har bor there. The Island. rIA in agri cultural possibilities, lies Idle beneath a tropic sun, for coaling pays well, the hours of labor are short and In the days between Jobs people take It easy. Barbados,, where live an average of 1,200 people to the square mile, is dis tinctly English. To most of the islands Great Britain Is little more than n stepmother, as discoverers from other countries reached them first. But Barbados Is and always has been English. If Great Britain had senti mental attachments to any of her In dian possessions, they would tie her closest to Barbados. St. Vincent and Grenada complete the string of Brit ish Islands in the Carlbbee group. Two more He beyond Trinidad and Tobago, purts of South America that slipped into the sea and British pos session. In Trinidad are limitless sup plies of asphalt and oil. Tobago Is a land of milk and honey, the favored spot where Defoe may have set down Robinson Crusoe. Jamaica Is the largest of the British Indies. It lies south of Cuba, out of tbe main run of British colonies, but meaning was entirely overlooked. In Scottish history golf can be traced back as far as 1457, though others con tend that it originated hundreds of years prior to that time. Simple Perfume Making. At first thought It might seem an Impossible feat to collect the perfume of flowers after It has escaped Into the air. yet It seems simple enough by a method that the Scientific American describes. Fresh, high-scented blos soms are placed in an uncovered bowl nevertheless is the Inrgest. most piw perous and most important of then* ull. Its railroads, metropolitan citleu and agricultural developments make It one of the chief islands of the Antilles^ If Great Britain’s price for all these* islands were to be fixed at the rate' per acre paid for the Dunish Went Indies It would amount to about $2,500,000,000. Undoubtedly the Islands belong gwo graphically to the American continent. For the pnst several decades the Brit ish possessions have belonged to the United States economically, for the bulk of their trade has been wills America and only u small purt of It with the mother country. Lingulsticiil ly there Is no choice. ly, assuming that the wishes of the Inhabitants are to be taken Into con sideration. there is little doubt that the islanders would vote to Join them selves to the United States. The ex ample of Porto Rico before their eye*, where a poor people pros|»ered with American aid. is too striking to pann unobserved. Moreover, they real!** that they are no longer the favorite* of Englund. The Indies under British rule art* not pnrtlcularly prosperous: Probably the production of the In lands could be greatly stimulated un der American control, and with, an li* creused market. Sugar, cocoa and Im nanas are things that everybody wants. Strategically the position of tin British West Indies Is Important from our viewpoint. The purchase of thn islands .might be an extension of ihtr Monroe doctrine —by which Uncle Sum* sets great store. And what a Job It would be to 1 straighten out the various complica tions of these many Islands! There In now a joint resolution before cofißTtw appointing u commission to report oo‘ conditions In the Virgin Islands. In' the documents it Is related that there Is urgent need for action. Danish cun toms. Danish laws, Danish methods-