The Tacoma times. [volume], June 17, 1916, Page 2, Image 2

About The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949

Image provided by: Washington State Library; Olympia, WA

                
• 4Bt AmM ■ * V»
■V JOHN KEHD SCOTT
Copyright, 1910. by
John Reed Scott
(Continued from our last Issue.)
CHAPTER X.
Tlie Chapel
For the next two hours, De
Verdenois snd I went over every
aspect of the matter, aiming to
meet every contingency and to
provide for every turn of circum
stances.
By the time mlduight neared,
we had consumed every cigar and
cigarette we possessed — the
room was heavy with the odor of
stale tobacco- —and we were Im
patient to begin. The wait was
getting on our nerves.
At 12 o'clock, I went to the
door of the women's room and
knocked—Just ss Rosalind swung
It open.
"Now," said I, "I'm going out
to reconnotter — to see how
things are laid—so thst we may
get to the chapel the easiest way
snd the quickest."
"What if something happens?"
Rosalind Interposed.
"Nothing will happen; I'm sim
ply going for s moment's air and
not away from this building. If
I'm not back by half-after, don't
let my absence detain you a sec
ond-go right on to the chapel."
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"The Duke of Oblivionf
And without looking at Rosa
ling, I went out quickly snd quiet
ly and closed tbe door.
The candles in the hall had
been extinguished, but through
the large windows at the front
and rear, the moonlight was
streaming in. No servant was
about; and I paaaed down the
stone stairs snd out the front
door —the latter standing wide
open—to the central court of the
pyramid. Thence It was but a
step, around the palace and along
the west side, to the narrow ■
north court serous which lay the*
I could hear the murmur of the
guards In the passage leading to
the stairway, but otherwise it
was as peacefully quiet us a tomb.
I listened a moment longer, keep
ing well within the shadow of the
palace—then flitted back to my
companions.
"It's all right'" said I. "Every
one is dead or asleep except the
guards at the stairway—and they
can't lie seen. It's a cinch." I
glanced st my watch: it was ex
actly half-after-twelve. "If you're
ready, we'll be moving—time's
up."
V'e slipped quickly down the
stairs and to the front. We stole
around the corner and made
swiftly along the side of the pal
jace, across the moonlit space and
; into the chapel.
As we crossed the chancel, Lady
'Klizabeth and Lady Edith came
• forward to meet us.
"Wo both wished to participate
iin your leave-tsklng!" the former
j smiled.
"And we thought," added I.sdy
j Edith, "that there would be less
'cause for suspicion If we two
i were seen together, rather than
lone ot us alone ou the pyramid,
lat this hour."
"We can never." Rosalind ex
claimed, "thank you suffl —"
Lady Edith stopped the rest
with a kiss.
"Let us fall to work," she said,
"you must get away with sll pos
sible speed."
Lady Elizabeth was already at
the chest —but De Verdenois and
I displaced her; tossing aside the
va_rious vestments, we came at
last to the ladder and drew it out.
Its slenderness and lightness
were amazing. It was woven
from some light and delicate
grass, almost as fine as flax and
of remarkable tensile strength.
De Verdenoiß. having replaced
the vestmentß, fastened one end
ot the ladder around the barrel of
the huge chest—using some sort
of a seaman's knot.
We then dragged the chest un
der the window—it came just be
low the stone sill, and served ad
mirably for a platform from
which to step off—and carefully
let down the ladder. It reached
to the ground and a trifle more.
"Now, Cardigan," said he
briskly, "will you or I go first?"
"S—h!" said Lady Edith. "I
heard some one moving!"
We listened. It was a step —-
and the step was In the chapel—
and coming slowly toward the
chancel!
I looked at the women—they
were as pale aa pearla—a little
more of suspense, and they would
shriek.
The steps ascended Into the
chancel—and came on! I glanced
at De Verdenois. His eyes were
on me; he nodded, and glided to
the other side. The steps came
on * • * passed the high al
tar; and, bending to the right,
made straight for my end of the
Teredos.
I drew close in and waited.
How high was his throat?—A
fraction of a second's delay would
spell ruin for us all. This time
it would have to be with bare
hands and brute strength — to
choke back his cry.
Then the vicious face of the
Marquis appeared In the opening.
Like a flash my fingers gripped
j his neck, tnrottllng his yell of
surprise to a mere gur'^ie that
ended almost as quickly us begun.
Aa 1 dosed on him, De Verde
nois sprung across and snapped
the fellow's arms behind him.
"Keep your hold on his throat,
Cardigan." he cautioned; "we'll
have to gag him.—Mrs. Leighton,
will you, or some of the ladies,
tear a strip from your petticoat—
or somewhere—and bind the
Marquis' hands while we hold
him?"
Justine hurried forward with —
well —Justine's was distinctly not
torn from anything.
"Here also Is a ribbon that may
serve," Rosalind volunteered.
Justine whipped the white silk
length around the Marquis' wrists
and knotted it. Then De Verde
nois dropped the latter's arms;
and with Rosalind's piece of linen
gagged him securely, tying a sec
ond ribbon over his mouth as a
finish ing touch.
"Don't you want this for his
legs?" said Rosalind, extending
another piece of lingerie to me.
I smiled, and quickly fastened
It around his ankle.
Then we laid him to one side
and went back to the business in
hand.
"Shall I go first, or will you?"
De Verdenois repeated placidly.
"One moment, please, Mr. Car
digan," Lady Edith broke In.
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Elisabeth and I will have to go
with you now—the Marquis has
seen and understands."
"Just what I was about to
say," I replied. "You dare not
remain In Oblivion with him at
large. And If we are obliged to
take to the water, you can safely
trust to us." We all can swim—
and we will take care or you, if
you will rely on us."
"We will do exactly as direct
ed," she returned; "and I will go
down first."
"No! No!" said I.
But she was already half across
the wide window ledge.
"Come back. Lady Edith!" I
cried.
"There is no one visible!" she
smiled. "And its much better for
me to test the ladder than for
you."
I lay on the sill and watched
her.
Two hundred feet is a perilous
distance at best —but she went,
lightly as a dryad, swiftly, fear
lessly, with never a pause nor a
look down.
As she reached the ground safe
ly and flung up her hand toward
tbe window, I said.
"Now, Rosalind, if you are
ready, we will go."
Rosalind crawled slowly out on
the sill—grasped the ropes secure
ly in her hands—and found the
first round ia the descent.
"Good!" said I. "Now come
with the next foot—a little low
er—so. • • * Now with the next
—not so fast, dear, not so fast!
• • *That's better! • • • Take
it easy—you're doing bully—
you've got the distance."
We were nearing the ground.
A moment later my foot touched
the grass.
I reached up and swung Rosa
lind down beside me.
"Great!" I said.
She gave me a look—a look
that made my heart fairlyJjound.
and frightened me far more than
the descent of the pyramid—and
fell into Lady Edith's arms.
Lady Elizabeth came next; with
Justin* just after.
The former was as swift and
fearless as Lady Edith; and Jus
tine, guided by her and somewhat
by her own rare good sense and
nerve, made the journey In admir
able time.
Then De Verdenois' feet came
through the windows; he swdng
out, and ran lightly down the lad
der.
Suddenly, when he wa i almost
down, the Marquis' head t w>eared
at the window. He let oijt a yell
—and slashed at the in pes.
One side of the ladder'parted;
the other side held just long
enough for De Verdenol*— warn
ed by the give of the rope] and my
cry—to slip his knee abound It
and slide to the ground.' '
The next instant the laddi-r fell
— and the pyramid, arojuted by
the Marquis' cries, was In a tu
mult. We could hear th* shouts
of the guards, the order.df their
officers—and then a stein voice,
which rose above the nMse, de
manding:
"What is the matter?"
"It Is the Duke," said Lady
Edith—as we dashed toward the
harbor. "Hurry, hurry!"
"Did you find out about
Hatch?" I asked.
"Oh! They are In that build
ing yonder—with the guard be
fore the door."
"Leave Hatch to me!" said De
Verdenois. "You go on with the
women."'
He turned and made straight
at tbe guard—who had seen us,
yet did not know just what to do.
Before he had decided, De Ver
denois was upon him.
1 saw the former's sword flash
—and then 1 went by, confident
that if Hatch and his men could
be released, De Verdenois would
release them.
We could hear the guards com
ing down the steps at top speed—
which was some speed with them;
the deep voice of the Duke, from
above; the shriller one of the
Marquis, cheering them on, and
the Marquis leadftig them.
I had Rosalind by the arm.
Lady Edith and Lady Elizabeth,
free-limbed and five-moving, un
corseted and llthely vigorous, jiad
Justine between them, fairly lift
ing her along.
We cut from the walk, where it
turned southward around the py
ramid, and sped across the grass
and under the huge palms and
celbas straight for tbe harbor.
Suddenly there came the patter
of swiftly pursuing feet, which
gained on us at every jump—
gained so rapidly that they would
overtake us even before we
reached the be*ach.
Rosalind looked up at me ap
peallngly.
I encouraged her with a smile
and dragged her on. Our pur
suers were nearly upon us. I
could detain them a moment—
maybe something would happen in
that moment to help Rosalind.
"Keep on, dear!" I exclaimed;
then loosed her arm and swung
around —desperate—just aa De
Verdenois, Hatch and his men
dashed up.
"Misa Brinsmade—take her!"
I cried, Joyfully.
Rosalind was staggering—about
to go down. It waa no tiqte for
ceremony. Hatch and Conner
caught her up and sped on. De
Verdenois and Burke snatched up
Justine and followed them. Lady
Elizabeth and Lady Edith, being
free now, shot lightly ahead.
"Go straight to the water and
wait," I called to them.
"We have them, men, we hays
them!" yelled the Marquis. "Ho,
for Oblivion, my fair Americans'"
The water was almost gained.
Already were Lady Edith and
Lady .ixabeth In it to their
waists —waiting. We could fall a
few feet short in the race. We
men must fight for it at the very
brink of the harbor—and with
bare hands.
Suddenly De Verdenois shifted
Justine to Burke, whipped ont the
sword he had taken from the sol
dier who had guarded Hatch and
his men and sprang straight at ths
Marquis, shouting to me aa he
flashed by:
"Into the water. Cardigan—l'l'
hold them a moment.''
The very unexpectedness and
daring of Ua action worked ft*
A HOVEL A WEEK.
Next Week
"UNDER (OVER
Roi Cooper Ifegrue
The Oblivions paused in the
pursuit—and De Verdenois was
on the Marquis like a thunder
bolt.
Walking backward In the wa
ter, we watched the duel.
Tbe Marquis, to give him cred
it, was no coward—and he met
De Verdenois' attack with spirit.
• • • But it was only for a mo
ment. De Verdenois straightened
his arm—and the Marquis went
down, with the sword directly
through his iiiM-k
With a quick spring backward,
De Verdenois reached the water
and struck out to join vs —just as
tbe Duke and a crowd of attend
ants ran down the beach.
"To the cliffs!" the Duke
shouted. "To the cliffs, and smite
them with rocks! You have not
escaped us yet! We may not
swim, but you will hare to dare
the passage or die."
"There are quite enough loose
rocks up there," said I, "to make
it very untenable down here—we
would be better moving on."
The guards, led hy the Duke,
were streaming up the path that
we had trod that afternoon.
"Kick off your shoes," said I.
to Rosalind and Justine, ' and
get rid of your long skirts."
"We can't get out of our
skirts," said Rosalind, "without
getting out of the waists also;
they're one piece suits —aud they
fasten up the b»ck."
"Good heavens," said 1. "We
haven't time here —come into the
passage, where it's not so light.
You can swim that far In them?"
"Easily," said Justine—and
Rosalind nodded; and. dipping
into the water, they were off.
Motioning to Hatch and Con
nor to accompany them, I turned
to Lady Elizabeth and Lady Edith.
"Now Lady Edith," I directed,
"if you will trust yourself to me
and Burke, and Lady Elizabeth
will trust herself to Mr. De Ver
denois and Masters, we will have
you In the passage in a moment."
Then with liurke swimming be
side us, I quickly made the pas
sage. De Verdenois, with Lady
Elizabeth, was immediately ahead.
As 1 passed under the protective
walls, I looked back just as a rock
whizzed by my face and cut the
water viciously. An inch nearer
and it would have cracked my
skull like an egg-shell.
"Bring Lady Edith here, Dick,"
said Rosalind's voice—from a lit
tle farther down the passage.
Coming from the bright moon
light into apparent blackness, I
could only follow the direction of
the sound.
After a couple of strokes, how
ever, I began to distinguish things
in front: and I saw that Rosalind
and Justine were sitting on a nar
row ledge which projected from
the wall immediately under the
surface of the water —and to
which De Verdenois was assisting
Lady Elizabeth.
I took Lady Edith across and
put her beside them.
"Who found this pleasant easy
chair?" I asked.
"Rosalind," said Justine.
"Quite by accident, Dick. I as
sure you," Rosalind replied. "My
hand struck It; it felt promising,
and 1 Investigated."
"What's that noise?" Justine
broke In.
"It's the launch!" I cried—as
the beat of the engine throbbed
suddenly through the tunnel.
"Thank heaven, sweetheart," I
said, "you're—." I caught my
self. "You're all right now, Rosa
lind," I ended—and stared down
the passage.
A moment of craning into the
darkness. P • • Then a light
shone, faint at first » * • went
out * • ♦ bright again, and bright
er * * * swung around the corner
just ahead—and we let out such
a yell of gladness that It must
have carried to the pyramid and
the palace of the Duke.
The launch swung over; as It
gilded along the ledge, Rosalind,
with a happy cry, sprang aboard
and into the embrace of the broth
er, whom, I knew, she had given
up for dead.
My eyes turned to the Lady
Elizabeth; she was so placed that
we put her aboard after Justine
and Lady Edith. At sight of the
latter, Brinsmade hum* an ex
clalmation of delight and grasped
her hands.
When he saw Lady Elizabeth,
however, he simply took her in
his arms and kissed her before us
all.
And that was their betrothal.
"Your head Is bandaged, Fred
—and you're as pale as a ghost!"
Rosalind exclaimed.
"Which Is the reason I was so
long coming with the launch," he
exclaimed. "You escaped—with
out the—"
"Yes, dear!" said she. "We es
caped through the chapel, but
without the marriages."
"Tell me about it —what occur
red after I swam away?"
"It's a long story," said I.
"Wait until we get back to the
Buccaneer. You tell us what hap
pened to you."
"It's a Bhort story," he replied
—"It ought by right to be very
short; It ought to end two min
utes after I went Into the tunnel.
I always thought I was a blunder
ing fool-—now I know It.
"I was In such haste to get to
the yacht that I was swimming at
my full speed through the dark
ness of this place when, in round
ing the second bend, 1 ran head
on into the sharp edge of a ledge
of rock. The blow half stunned
me—and the blood from the cut
well nigh blinded me. The ledge,
which had about put me under,
In the end saved my life, for I
managed to pull myself up on it.
"My head was so swimming
from the blow that it was hours
before I was able to venture on—
and when I did come to the sea
end of the passage, night had
fallen and all hope of signaling
the Buccaneer, or of being seen
by her, was gone.
"There was nothing but to swftn
for it. When I got there, and
they had hauled me aboard, I was
Just able to gasp: 'Launch—arms
men!' It was tiulte enough, how
ever, for Dorwald. By the time
the surgeon had poured down me
a plentiful quantity ef brandy,
the launch and the second army]
of Invasion were ready, and har*
I WBE! BANG! BOOM! f
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we are."
CHAPTER XL
On the After Deck.
In the morning I awoke Just as
the ship's clock was striking eight
bells. Sleep vanished utterly with
the opening of my eyes. I got up,
bathed, shaved, dressed, and went
on deck.
We were bowling along at a
spanking clip—tho fog and the
island of Oblivion far astern. I
leaned on the rail, staring down
Into tbe swishing water.
"Early bird!" came Rosalind's
voice behind me.
"You said that to me in
Charleston harbor," I smiled.
She gave me an adorable smile.
"Won't you sit down, Mr. Car
digan?"
"After you!" I bowed.
"But I want to sit on the arm
of your chair."
"Delighted!" said I. I was to
be the elder brother again! Pi
She came over and perched
herself beside me.
"Dear old Dick!" she said—
and, slipping her arm, around my
neck, she deliberately kissed me
on the cheek. '
Saturday, June 17,1916.
"Don't, Rosalind!" I exclaimed.
"Do you think I am made of
stone?"
"I'm beginning to think so,
dear," she whlsepered.
"What!" 1 cried. "What!—*,
Rawdon!—" '
"You great stupid!" she laugh
ed. "Rawdon hasn't been any
thing to me for months. I set
him free the day we sailed from
Charleston."
"Then yon—" I began.
"I doi" said she—and pat her
dear face close to mine.
THE END.