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JmMMM A Story of Mystery and Adventure gr EMERSON HOUGH ^ From ftic Scenario v«!

GRACE CUNARD

CAP* MAY COUNTY 1

SfcA ISLE CITY. H. J.

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ji hmlf of • brokrn coin. th« mstUalvd iMcrlxnioo on which »rotw*»

her curtonliy and lead*

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Uni renal Film Manufacturtnc Company. other* reorcanize the acattered force* of the army. Himself, he was content to continue his rerelry in the palace with those who caret) to Join him. male or female, creatures dissolute as himself, who had clung to him fatuously in hope of possible reward at some

later time.

Before this rnlsr Count Sachlo of Orahoffen presently bowed humbly, professing his friendship, giving no token of his treacherous errand. "What, again, friend Sachlo of Orahoffen?" Jested Michael when he saw him. "You hare become one of our most faithful subjccta. la it not so? I still miss Count Frederick, who hta left many duties unperformed—I still miss the young American, who should be here to lighten the cares of the heavy hours. Yet you come—late our enemy, now our friend. What can we do for you. Sachlo. to show our gratitude for your faithfulness?" •■Nothing, your majesty, save to allow me division of a flask, now then, with tho greatest monarch of the modern days. Nothing save to allow me to Join your majesty for a lighter moment betimes, after the dalles of the day are done. Meantime— since 1 would not weary your majesty —1 pray ro more than safekeeping within your majesty's walls, a wander here and there. The art treasures of this palace surpass any with which 1 am acquainted. As a youth. 1 tried to paint, and 1 still love the work of those who have done as masters what my student hand could never do. May 1 look at the pictures In the galleries—the statues, your maj-

EENTH INSTALLMENT CHAPTER LXVIII. Count Aschlo's Search. “Your majesty. I can now assure you of our success." Count Sachlo of Orahctfen spoke calmly. On his face was written full conviction of the truth of his words. He stood once more with his monarch in tho great hall of the palace of Grahoffen. whlthpr he had hastened at once on his return frem the rival

capital.

"Why. Sachlo?" demanded Cortlslow. "What reason now to believe our success nearer than It has been any time these months past?" “Your majesty asks proof? Look!" Sachlo held out In his hand the two halves, or what purported to he the two halves, of the broken coin of Gretahoffen. He, Indeed, supposed them to be both halves of that mysterious coin, although in truth one was only the counterfeit long since devised by Count Frederick to appease his own king. That Michael of Gretshoffen had missel hls former possession—that Kitty Gray still held one half of the actual coin—neither Sachlo nor hie king now knew. Both conspirators bent above the hits of metal and both smiled in exultation. Their arduous search seemed now really to approach Its end. "By my faith. Sachlo." exclaimed Cortislaw. “it seems indeed we have hut to run the trail hard and fast a trifle further." “Ye*, your majesty, it remains only for your servant—your very faithful servant, may I say It?—to find the hiding place of the scripts and treas-

"That Is a necessary detail." said Cortislaw. with a cold grin. "I have fed long enough on maps and keya and scripts—now I would dip my hands in actual mintage of gold coins —I would see the light of real gems shining, and not this Ignis fatuus which we have followed so long over the morasses of doubt and uncertainty. Success! Success, Sachlo—In real coins. In real gems. In real treasures —that success alone can mean any- . inlng to you or me." “Be It so. your majesty!” said Sachlo. with no abatement of hia confidence. I lake my chan res 1 Make my Ilf* on lb« hazard of full succeaa. If I find not the hidden treasures of Oretzhnlfen. then hang my head cn our walls as a warning to all boast-

er*''

“Go. then." Mid the king coldly: “you hsv« found your way within their gStSS before—do so agalu. Seek r the wall of the lorture »r. perhaps. lh» colli *«)*—the treasure r hiding place Ilea deep under the walls-but precisely where Is that?" Always the king's cautious min-* carried him Into the doubts and dlf Scullies of any case. "t- must l>e somewhere below and beyond the galleries which they flooded from the moats when they tame near drowning all our treops.'' ryftled Sachlo. "I know those gallertcs aa 1 do my own bedchamber Trust me to run out this tussle to which we now have the key here tn my band. When I do. I shall dip my hands deep in actual mintage of gold coin." •'You will do nothing of the kind. Sachlo." Mid his monarch. "You will reaerve that first right for your king." Sachlo flushed red. but lowed, conscious of the swift rivalry of pirates who parcel unholy gains. "True, your majesty” said he. "1 spoke but In metaphor. The senior right in any euch endeavor as this Is always, of course, that of the king. The right and the pleasure of the monarch who has led us to such auc com as this Is a thing paramount to all others But swift enough shall be my courtt to your majesty, once I have found the actual bidding place." "Agreed ' said Cortislaw. and turned U> gnaw hls beard In the Impatience of a mar. long balked of hla most intimate dealr-j. And Sachlo hastened, be that Mid for him. Hla swiftest car carried tlm across the devious way that lay between tb* t«o kingdoms, and duly he arrived it the door of the palace of Greuhoffen Here hla acquaintance with the place and hls ready reference of all Inquirers to the king hlirselt gained him eaay access once more. Michael, the weak, still dwelt In the palace, giving small care ti the ruin and disorder which lay about hls on all sides Let others case for the gov

“With all the heart in the world, my dear Sachlo!" exclaimed Michael. "Your discerning Judgment is valued most highly. Make free with what you like, and come to us whan

please."

This carte blanche was all that Sachlo could ask. He accepted It literally. What he purposed actually wi make free with anything he mw; and ho did Indeed Intend to return to King Michael when he pleased. Thus set free to wander aa he liked in palace of Gretxhoffen. he made no doubt whatever of hla owe quick arrival at the bidden door of the lost treasure of Grotxboden. As he bowed himself out be scarce could conceal the Mtlafaction on hls face. Sachlo was an alert and active souk Hls was no haphazard Intellect, apt to accept the dictum of a mind less exact than hls own. He was a soldier first, and next a diplomat, but all the time a model secret agent, a typical spy and detective. He now set shout the business In hand, deliberately, with precision. methodically, so that he need not do any task a second time. He himself had sketched s rough map of the lower galleries a* be fancied them to lie. He calculated now that with the aid of this chart and hls own earlier acquaintance with those subterranean chambers, it would be easy to find the last door that lay between him and the burled treasure of Greuboffcn. What scenes of horror these places must have held Sachlo did not pause to ask. That souls bad passed out there through these cold walls of stone, that human flesh had quivered here In torment and human voices broken In their anguish, meant naught to him. A king bad seen fit to surround hls treasures with such terrors In order to fence sway all Intruders. He had burled these treasures under the very floor of bis torture chamber su that all might foar to Intrude there in their search. Some might be deterred by suetialMfcw-but not Sachlo of Grahoffcn. He walked on calmly, unmoved, sure that hls own persistence, hls own canning, had defeated the purpose of the dead king, whose methods so long had defied the avarice and greed of theae two kingdoms Sachlo lost little time In the earlier 1-onions of the subterranean galleria end satisfied himself only that he w not being pursued. Soon he arrived upon the lower levels, where be did not expect to meet disturbance. Now came the crux of hls search. He made hls way slowly aloug the darkened channels carved at some known day from th:- granlto rock which stood the Gretzhoffcn castle, tried door after door, and entered chamber after chamber, slowly, tnodk-ally. with no enthusiasm, but only the air of a man covering all possible mischances lu hls search. He looked most carefully In that portion ef the vaults where he had foun? the 'alf of toe torn parchment, but got no further trace of the miss ing portion. Tfcls gave him a certain pause, for he had figured that broker, coin and the broken jwrrhi wouli correlate, would t-cus. s< whero nearly at the same point th? stained and mildewed walls, still damp firm their recent floodings, gave hie but ccld encouragemont whichever tray he turned Any soul hut his would have felt the chill of

•nunent. let others make gold tb« suoh environment

teuachee in the capital s defense, let "So." said he to himself, s'andmg Ir-

resolute at last and finding himself unable to decide what next to do. "My map has the misfortune of navlng .been made from the Imagination and not from facta In hand. But nowsee. here the way forks." Before him now lay a series of galleries stm damp from the recent flooding from the moat. It wo* Sachlo's theory, based upon he knew not what, that the treasure chamber must lie somewhere under the moat that the 1 gates most have been devised for some purpose of protecting It. He acted upon that theory now. and with no better guide than the greater dampness of the rock floors which he followed. he wandered on hour after hour. At length he paused, helpless, puszled. dumfoonded. He had taken a wrong turn somewhere In this labyrinth of underground channels! He had not even found the water gates which had flooded these levels so recently. He had found no new recesses In the rocky walls He had found nothing which In the least compared Itself with the map he now in hls hand! The cold sweat broke out upon hls forehead even in these Icy depths. "My God!" Mid Sachlo of Grahoffen to himself. "I have failed." Yes. Sachlo had failed. He knew what that meant. Death was to be hls portion for hls failnre. Would It come In one swift stroke at the hand of hls monarch, moved by the frenry of hls disappointment? Or. would It come In the slow torture of deliberate revenge, wrought on him for that failnre In the fiendish Ingenuity of the Icy soul of Cortlelsw? “I have failed." eaid Sachlo to himself, "and through my own fault! 1 had success In my grasp and threw It away. That girl could have told me everything, and I sent her away—beyond all reach—out of our country!

riddle of the nfigslng Gretzhoffin coin. If either of fbese two kingdoms should inarch against the other. If Us armies should Uy level with the earth the battlements and towers of its enemy—why, that would but bury the deeper the secret which alone animated either in the quest of conquest As for any offense against Orahoffen. however, what could Michael the weak have done now. with hls right hand man. hls Ablest general, hls beet man of affairs, (one? He hesitated ar to means of tbwolfenalve. Just as h chief rival pondered the results pot slble, even of a mccessful offensive. Meantime, the •ruth remained that the key to all this soli was absent, nor was she apt to rvtum. Kitty Gray certainly must cherish a keen memory of injuries she had known on these shores. The armies of America might come back, the ships of America might anchor In these ports, their guns might exact apology or tribute—but Kitty Gray herself would not return, that was sure. Thircfore affairs halted The battle was arrested as though the sun had halted midway of the heavens tn a modern AJalon. Yet. not so far away, as actual distance Is measured, the two principals of this play still lived. Kitty end Count Frederick were separated from the rival kingdoms by not so many leagues of the sea. yet they knew not where they were more than did any of these others. The sea which stretched between the two lands was narrow enough In fact, yet potentially it Uy Immeasurably wide. Aa to the secrets of the rival kingdoms which they bad left behind, neither of these two much concerned himself. There were other things which concerned each vastly more. When Count Frederick hastened away frem the side of the sacrificUl fire In the search of the woman who had come so near being IU victim, be

“Look! a Sail!" Exclaimed Count Frederick.

With her gone, we have no hope remaining—we never shall find It ourselves She alone now could save my life—she whom I mistreated—and she whom 1 sent away.' "And Count Frederick." ho went on. still musing to himself. "He was my enemy, and is today—but something tells me that he also has tho clue. If he were h£rr. I could wheedle or threaten him. Perhaps he Is with her: who knows? And 1 have at her away! Did ever a man gal. aught by bullying a woman? Fair speech with them—or tho bowstring—those are the only ways 1 am aenlenced. doomed. and by my own fault." Discouraged, baffled, perhaps after all. affected by the gloom of these surroundings. he turned back at last. Somewhere n.-ar him he knew, somewhere perhaps not nlscutt loss away, measured by distance in the open air. lay a dark cloistered'space, the chamber of tortures, grim In IU secrrU. iu floor perhaps pilod with broken bones. 1U walU perhaps hung full of the old machinery for parting flesh and soul tn lingering agony. Was It Indeed true that the lost souls In that hlddm chamber had wiped out the trace of It and left the surface of all theae walls alike? Count Sachlo could feel the needles and pincers of hot steel tearing at hls o»n soul. "Gone!" sold he. to himself, 'gone! And to as 1 who sent her away." CHAPTER LXIX. The Sacred Fire. No Intimation could come to anyone in the two rival kingdoms aa to the whemabouU of those two persons of most Importance tn the swift drama of those days-Kitty and | Count Frederick. They bad dksapheared utttcrly and left no trace. \f llh them had passod all hope of tho |o!uUcn

was overlooked at the moment alike by the natives who had accompanied him thither and by tho InhabltanU of the village which they bad surprised. These were rival factions, or rival tribes upon the island, and for the time their ancient hatred made them forget the presence of the white man. They fell upon each other fiercely, and in the swift clash of arms all else was overlooked Perhaps they remembered tho potency of tho white man's weapons. Their own weapons cone tho less would serve for a skin whose color they understood. With much cheerfulness they addressed th«-m selves to the task of mutual mutilation. The conflict swayed here and there, until at length the villagers seemed to have the best of the Invaders. The latter now remembering tbMr white leader, btoko off toward tho forest, hotly pursued by their antagonists. Thus at length they all. a mixed array of fighting non. found themselves at the brink of the cavern where but recently Count Frederick had followed the trail of Kitty Gray and her raptor. They also plunged down the slope, still mingled, still fighting, so that present ly there night have been heard deep within the subterranean cavern the clash of spear or shield, and the thud of war clubs against human skulls. By this time Kitty Gray had been rescued from tbe Immediate peril which had threatened. When Count Frederick called out. the half-witted Milcr turned toward him. and heal tated halt an Irstant. With ewtft In stinct. Kitty's fingers found a vulnerable place In her assailant s eyes, and as he roared In pain, she pulled herself free from him* and sprang down and back into the anus of Count Frederick who caught her close, murmur Ing some words with whoa* meaning she was well content. "My heart, my life!" he exclaimed.

even as he pushed her hack of him and faced the strange being from whom she uad escaped. Once more Kitty felt surge across her the feeling that after all, she was weak, and always must be weak; whereas, he. her late enemy, was strong and always would be strong. She was content to cower down behind him and leave the event to him. The noise of the oncoming melee behind them grew in volume now as Count Frederick turned to face the shaggy figure of the man who but now had been the captor of Kitty Gray. The muxxle of the pistol pressing to hls face spoke louder than any words —seemed, indeed, to restore to him a part of the reason he had lost through dwelling here among the Mvages. ou a shore upon which he had been cast unknown years earlier. He threw up hls hands now. "Avast, there, cap tain!" he cried. "1 surrender!" "Who are you?" demanded Count Frederick. "Or what are you?" The half-demented creature passed a hand acroM hls face. "Blessed If 1 could tell you the truth about that, sir" he said, "and that's ibe truth. Bu: seems to me I remember I was once Old Jimmy Walnwright of tbe ship Ad venture, out of Clyde, it's maybe we were cast k'way somewhere, years since, and I'm thinking Adam was then a boy. Belay all! Friend, captain. your honor, don't shoot old Jimmy Walnwright. If so be 1 am him." “But what are you doing down here, under the earth, man?" "Captain, your honor, sir, 1 came here to live safe. I kill some of them black folks once In a while. They teink I'm crazy, and maybe they're right. How can 1 tell, captain, your honor, sir?" "You know this place?" exclaimed Frederick. •Thus far we are safe, but listen to them coming.” "Ay, ay, sir; fighting like cats and dogs. They always do. We must cut and run. or they’ll kill us all. and put the big fire yonder. Don't 1 I've seed sights a plenty, up there. I couldn't s heered to seen the white lady burned." "Lead on!" Mid Frederick, quickly. "We must hide, or It will be too lata." This way. captain, your honor, sir! And bear a hand lively!’’ Count Frederick and Kitty Gray followed him as be Bed deeper Into the iveraous interior of the lava hill. They*tumed corner after corner, until length the sounds of the pursuit became fainter and died away far at the rear. 'Ere's tny 'one. air." began the old taller at last, as they paused before a rude cabin, which showed some an I mal-liko proof of human occupancy. "Well be safe 'ere. I'm thinking." But they were not Mfe for long. The keen Instinct of the savage treilera. hot In the blood lust which now pcs scMed them, brought them on ultimately alcng the trail, and tc Its end. They heard the aevage shouts of ihelr pursuers gaining In volume, heard the thud of their bare feet on the rocky floors A r-oruent. and the yelling band stood before the entrance to their cavern. The natives were spearmen, and their shills were cast with strength and accuracy. Those beleaguered ones had uo shields with which to perry such weapons, and yet for ore Instant a barrier was offered to the asMult. With a savage, half-animal roar, the old sailor—whose full history never was to be known—cast himself In front of hls new friend, opposing hla shaggy breast to tbe leveled Ho fell pierced by a dozen shafts, still roaring hls defiance. Above hls body new spoke again and again ipon of Count Frederick. A half dozen dusky forms fell and filled up tbe opening. Tbe Mvages behind gave back and sought to floe. This rnstant of their hesitation gave Frederick one more opportunity. Catching Kitty by the arm he passed back to the rear of the little cavern in the hope there might be egrev* that way—lor surely the wall of steel In front could not be paused. He found It—a rairow passageway. Panting and bre-athk-M. stumbling, falling and rising, the two hurried on until : length they heard no more in their ira the din of fighting. The passage way now seemed gradually to rl*. iu walls cluaing l"-. At length, far ahead, they mw a faint tinge of light. It deepeurd as they advanced, until at length It became visible through a broken aperture beyond which shone the full licht of day. Gasping their Joy at this, they hurried up and on until at length their feet stood upon tbe surface of that earth to which they had been accustomed. It was a strange and new scene which lay before them now. Tborc path that they could see—the mouth of the cavern came out at luc top of a high cliff. Far below them o sea. blue-tinged and rippling IU horizon. But no sail broke the wide expanse, n- path showed down the steep declivity which lay before them. Their case Seemed quite as bopelcM as ever It bad been. If discovered cow. they must Indeed stand at bay. The keen eye of Count Frederick searched here and there for some avenue -'f escape, tut at first found cone. '■Mademoiselle." Mid h«, ‘the beach below, no doubt, leads to one of tbelr village* But w » cannot reach the beach. 1 presurn t* at we have come almost through the bill—that tho main village Bis yonder, beyond th* forest. It we return, whether •■y the cavern or by the sea teach. It would mean only d\ nth. If »nly we could find come other place >f concealment !" "Look!" wali Kittv. and notated t*>

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yon a, st the base o? the cliff row. slilllkc aperture showe< rock well. "Perhaps there If

cave." Mid she.

"Hurry." Mid Count Frodt ‘'Run and bide yourself there at o As she obeyed he set about ce plans of his own. He flung hi: down upon the sand at the edge cliff, and left a trail, as <hou|

had been flung over and down. r

and there he pulled loose <ery, Si a Year Eh rubs to strengthen that imprea.^

tn the mind of any pursuer who n ' come. Then, retreating towar mouth of the cave where Kitty* 1 secreted herself, he obscured his o trail In the sand as best be could brushing away the footprints with

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broken bough, trusting to the atronwlnd to complete hla own bungles ~ work at covering hls tralL Wjf I .OUflty & "Mademoiselle." said he. wleo at'j Hl;cnrt* length he Joined her. "Wo now have **. *' done all that we can do. We have no |^6S food, no water, no weapons—" he showed hls empty revolver. "All we

can do Is to wait and hope."

Cowering In their hiding place, they lay for what might have been an hour before they beard the voices of any pursuers. Then they mw emerge along their old passageway the figures of several of the natives, who stood Jabbering, weapons In band, looking this way and that, seemingly too much excited to have much care One of these ran to the broken trail mark at the edge of the blnff. and. shouting In excitement, returned. With no more ado. and apparently without suspecting the actual trail of the two fugitives, they all now made off to the right, shot, ting loudly, and disappeared from view—no doubt along some steep path known only

to themselves.

"They have gone." said Count Frederick. "and I fancy will not return. They think us dashed to death on the

rocks below."

"We might aa well be." said Kitty Gray, apathetically. "Wlu there for us now?" j "Courage, mademoiselle! response. "That we have through such perils moans that thi Is a purpose for it—one purpose.' "No. Mid Kitty Gray. "It has too much. We are lost. There is no** 11 * food, no water. Even If there were eantime, what chance is there for an escape? "Even should there never be an es^ , cape, mademoiselle, life here with you | would be better than life anywhere I else In the world without you." But. utterly worn out. she only shook her head and turned away. Completely exhausted, at length she .1 fell asleep. He spread about her hls own coat and kept watch. Night came at length, and with It Its chilling airs- They must have fire, yet a fire might announce their presence there. Count Frederick gathered some bits of dried wood here and there, and at length ventured to build a Are where it would ofi” warmth within the cave, and tFhi it would be practically Invislbn fn any direction except frorr the s Indeed, he felt that they this chance, since only from tbe could they have any hope of Their beacon light wo'Jd shim ly. and perhaps some passing

might see it.

The night wore away, passed was In hunger and In chill, with Ing to soften the hard floor at rocky cavern There wi fast for them, there was not e drop of water to assuage their

Ing thirst.

Once more Count Frederick a out ever}- corner of their narrot ground. To attempt escape down tbe face of the clllf wou been sheer madness. He folloi trail which the natives had when they passed to tho right the rock wall. Apparently they descended by swinging from one trunk to another. It would be e to madness for a woman a descent here—still more hope! for a woman weakened with hun and fatigue. He told Kitty the tn as he now found it. "Leave me." Mid she. wea "Save yourself." Leave you. mademoiselle?" si hr. "Never! Not until death do us part shall we be separated." He read something of his answer In the look tn the eyes turned upon him "It la well." said she at length, simply—"w«< shall live or die—toguther." "Together. mademoiselle? Tell

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But her hand, raised In sheer weariness. arrested him, calling upon all hls "W» will be able to endure our hunger for a day. at least." Mid he. “Our light shines far. Let us devote at least another day to hope. If none tomes, why, then wo >an die." "Yea." said she. simply, "that comes at last to all Hut let us try tc hope!” They fni-<-»l a second night, endless In length, and faced another dawn—at Aral they thought a hateful dawn, and no more kind than the night had hern. But oven as this feeling of apathetic resentment grew tn their souls. Kitty Gray raised her lustrrless eyes as she heard an exclamation from her companion. “Look!" exclaimed Count Frederick "Look! A sail!" Fhe Blared out over the soa. There lay the duarest object that could meet her eyes—a low white fleck, or dot. f sirg and falling. Just Inside tho rim f the distant horizon. Yes, It was a ' Quick' The fi e'" she cried *'We

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