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About The Augusta herald. (Augusta, Ga.) 1914-current | View Entire Issue (May 10, 1914)
6 LUCILLE LOVE. SYNOPSIS OF THE FOREGOING CHAPTERS. While students together at West Point, and in love with the same girl, Sumpter Love proves Hugo Loubeque a thief, and Loubeque ie diehon orably dieeharged. Love wine the girl. The en mity thus begun Unde outlet in later yeare at Manila, when a butler thief in the employ of Loubeque, now an international epy, eteale valu able papere from the Government ease of Gen eral Love. Loubeque eaile with them on the gteamehip Empreee and General Love accuses Hievt. Gibeon, hie aide and the eweetheart of hie Jaughter Lucille, of the crime. Loubeque eende a wireleee meeeage cleverly insinuating that Gen aeeel Love had sold the papere to a foreign power. To save the honor of the man she loved and to grace the stigma from her father e name, Lucille prevails upon Harley, a Government aviator, to tahe her out to thi ship, in hie aeroplane. To foil Lucille, Loubeque destroys the wireleee apparatus on the Empreee and ie hurt in the resulting ex plosion. In her search for the papere, Lucille be comes hie nuree, and when the ship tahee fire, se cures them. The vessel is burned to the waters edge ard Lucille drifts to a strange island on the oar of a crushed lifeboat. Lucille ie rescued by friendly savages. She is given an amulet for cur ing the Chief's daughter, and it proved potent against the machination of Hugo Loubeque, who likewise cast on the island, plans to get the papers. dIAITEfi XTII. Loubeque Mulches a Tiny l<latflO. I (10 IX >1 ’ HICQI K wit in the hut which his until.' had thrown up , for him. hi* eye* filled with ft sombre Unlit. Now mil then they I vi on lit shift toward .he squatting, 1 evil-faced native in the corner and the dark skinned fellow would stir restlessly anil strive to avoid that |yH7,e, Hot noticing tilllt llis IliftHterH thoughts were very far away from him. There was an ominous pur • ' i i ! » I t lint if poaefulneas nbout (he great International apy that teemed to his follower a thing loaned from some thing tremendously evil. But Loubeque’s thoughts were upon the plrl, Lucille, who had thwarted him so many time* he wan only just beginning to realize that Destiny was working In her l>elmlf, protecting her from him, urging her on to the desperate chances she had already taken, giving her courage and confi dence to go even further than she had already. Was it possible that he could fail, could bo beaten bv this pretty slip of a girl, no more than out of her teens; he. who. judging nations to be no stronger than the weakest individual, had brought übout the wreck of nations; he, who bad worked through the civilized ami uncivilized world to preimre himself for his great set of vengeance ami always worked HUCCCNhfully, should finally deal the culminating blow against his enemy only to find this fragile Lucille more than counteracting his sturdiest efforts? Swiftly he reviewed the succession of events which had followed the placing of the paper* and ordtra of her father in his hands by the thiev ing butler-accomplice. Aboard the hinprea* he had been justified in thinking himself clear of any possibility of failure when Lucille ap|«-nred to confront hint, conquering the distance between the liner and the shore by the aeroplane which was being used at the |*>*t for army maneuvers. Min destruction of tin- wireless outfit hud re acted against himself, hurling its flaming finger against him nnd rendering him helpless. Amt in thia state, out of this helplessness, had grown u Bit nation which made It possible for the girl, Lu cille. to nurse him and eventually discover the location of the missing pii|>er«. When the mighty liner took Are and recourse whs had to the life boat*, only his marvelous ueru- and purpowful- Bess had made it ixitsible for him to find a place beside tin- girl, and, with his hands practienlly upon the jsijicrs once more, Nature had stepped In and crushed the boat against the burning vessel, bearing her from out his reuch. An atom upon that world of endless water, what su|ierlor being had decreed that she bo saved from death; what power had guided friendly native feet to ward her and saved her from the cruel, black jungleV Was it not u strength greater than hia own that looked over her He shook his shoul ders irritably, ashamed for the weakness that had matte him admit of such a question rising in hie brain. „ .. Though Destiny, Fete, Circumstance call It what he would-—appeared upon her aide. It could not always be wakeful in her behalf. But lie- he. Hugo Loubeque, had been wakeful thirty-nine years hia eye never off the man he hated and the revenge lie'sought. Though Nature conspired In her behalf, he, by his own indomitable will, had fought down the ocean, had dltcifvered the girl, and was so close to the papers he only had but to reach out his hsnds to gain them. But how—how was the question that per pieved and annoyed him? Times, in pondering It, he would grow so enraged that he though CCif tak ing them from her by sheer force. But always there was her face, the face of her mother whom he had loved, at 111 loved In memory, to rise up and deter him. No, she must l>e tricked Into dis closure of the precious documents herself. That she carried them upon her person he knew. The scheme be hud worked out through the evil-eyed native he hud picked up In the Jungle and frightened into superstitious awe and Implicit obedience had shown him that much. The big snake working his sinister length through the thatched roof of her hut had frightened her away a sufficiently long time for him to make awch a search as permitted of no hiding place for them. The |»|>ers were unon her person, the papers and the diary of his life which he desired no less. And there was small time to spare. Yes. he must movr swiftly, lie must strike now while she was taking stock of her de>q>erute situation, while she nourished the belief that his two preceding failures would t>e followed by a lull, a respite. The papers were upon her per son that much he knew. Bis whole nature re volted at the idea of searching her for them. She. herself, must be forced to give them up and the only isas-ible way of dviiug this, he knew, was to frighten her by some such immediate peril as would dwarf them before the instinctive thought of self-preservation. Long he pondered tile situation, hia great body bulking in its shadow- across the hut, hit face stern, inqirrturhable. betraying none of the emotions dominating his- verv heart and soul, his eyes great pools of inky blackness, staring always before him, unwinking and fathomlesa befog* the concentration he had placed upon htmself. Hia native had brought him word of the wav Lucille had saved the t hief's daughter from death and In consequence been presented " fill the aarretl amulet of the country. He realised that the ignorant savages regarded her as something In the nature of a deity. Had it not bean for that the papers would now he his. This was another thing he must take into consideration while weav ing hia plot. They would permit no barm to be fall her so long as she remained with them. I Night had long since fallen when he atirred trwui bis aiutjouless position, before the souibrv By the “MAcSTEfR TEJS” Copyright, 1914. All moving picture rights reserved by the Universal Film Manufacturing Company, who arm now exhibiting this production in leading theaters. Infringements will be vigorously prosecuted. light was burned from his eyes by the kindling flame of action. While no visible symbol betrayed exultation, there was a stealthy sureneas to his stride that showed he was about to work, that the time for reflection was past. The native swiftly rose at. a few sharp stac cato syllables of command from his master, pros trating himself humbly on the dirt floor and wait ing his commands, t ear still lay heavily upon him because of bis two failures and he was willing to dare anything now, risk even the profanation of the sacred amulet rather than face again the Hell-loosed flame of this man’s wrath, this man lie had stumbled across upon the beach anil who, though helpless, had spat at him farther than his blow pi|«* could carry and shivered the uplifted Bpear as he held it uplifted in his hand, advanc ing with murderous design upon the man. A small. * ’JK& glittering thing of metal, was the weapon of this tmin let lie had seen a giant lion drop dead when us master raised it and threw his barking voice of orange flame through it.. It was well not to go against such n being; well not, to risk the possibility of his wrath even when pitted against all tho traditions of his ancestors. Hugo loubeque smiled grimly as he read from the humble nttitude of the native in which direction his mind was working. Through fear and through greed hail he gathered together his vast army of servants throughout the world and he knew none of them would be faithful should a succession of failures appear to show that he "ns not invincible. A giant wolf-man he ruled a |«u'k that was ever ready to fall main him and rend him. The reflection caused his great jowl* to red den and tlie solid jaw to creep ominously for ward. An added omiuousness of tone was in his voice when he spoke to the native, himself mov ing outside the door without turning back to *ee whether bo hnd been obeyed. Swiftly he strode through the Inky black ness of tlie jungle that hemmed them in until he came to a scarcely penetrable wall of creepers, swung like giant hammocks between the trees, twisting and writhing almut themselves In hope lejis confusion, all deriving sustenance from the stunted trunks to which they clung. More like great ropes of corded hemp they were than anything else, their thick surface covered with fuzzy hairs'. It was the creeper Loubeque hail noticed the native using when he wished to start the night’s fire, twisting about a hard, sharp pointed stick against the unyielding surface of the creeper till the friction started flame. He had wondered at the linperviousncss of the vine against anything but fire, had marvelled at the rapidity with which the slightest sjiark seizing the liuirv exterior would consume the en tire creejier. Now, he pointed to the wall of creepers, indicating how much he wished. But half an hour sufficed to satisfy the spy and, without more than a nod, he turned and moved swiftly back to the hut. There he superin tended the splicing of the sections of creepers and binding together in such fashion they should make a rope fully one hundred feet long. The last fragment of the material was used and he stared at the gliuit coil speculatively. A slow smile of satisfaction brightened his face, as, ut a curt word of command, the native glided noise lessly from the hut, one end of the rope in his hand. Foot by foot, a roll at a time the pile of cn«e]>er before the international spy unfolded it self, the while he prevented any knotting. The heap upon the hut floor hnd almost disappeared before the constant vibrations ceased and he knew the suvßge had finished his ;iart of the work. He was' still smiling, grimly now, when the native returned and he commanded him to tire the end that was within the hut. Then Hugo Loubeque stepped swiftly out the opening and strode along the line of creeper-rope that wound like some unbelievable monstrous serpent through the lush grass and shrubbery until he ratne with in n few yards of Lucille’s hut. He halted, screen ing himself from the chance observation of some prowling native by hiding in the shadow of a great tree that faced her abode. From far away, back in the direction from which he had just come there in the bluckncss of the Jungle tip. a strange winking star seemed suddenly to twinkle u|»m the ground, fade for a moment, then dance swiftly forward toward him. At ti mrs the flame would ap|ienr to waver, to lie extinguished, but always it would reappear again, having made brave progress during the time of ite apimrrnt extinction. Hugo Loubeque suddenly stirred to animation. Noiseless as nn,' eat despite his bulk, ho moved toward the girl’s hut, securing the end of tlie creeper and tossing it upon the thatched roof. Then, once more, he took tip his position in the shadow of the adjacent tree. A stray dog prowled •tout the street, sniffleil at him. then cringed away without a sound as though his animal In stinct scented the diabolism of the man. The jungle seemed breathing heavily, like some drunken sleeper these were the only sounds. The only ssmuulm save the faint, crackling one of the flame as it fed u|s>n itself, creeping closer, closer to the thatched roof of the hut where it might have a royal meal Hugo IxVuhrque waited, flexed in every nerve and sinew of his frame for the result of his stratagem. And always the flame rrept rinser, coining more swiftly now, fanned by the Blight hreese of the opru where the hut* were huilded. CHAPTER XIV. The Burned Hut Tails Loubeque. Q NT", nrm thrown carelessly over her head, with slightly parted lips, Lucille slept upon her bed of rushes. Kirst, it had seemed impossible even again to sleep in this village of terror with this man of unswervingly vengeful purpose dog ging her footsteps, hesitating at nothing to gain the paper*' she had taken from him when the Em press caught fire. And then her thoughts had wandered from the doeuments to the reason for her seeking them and defending them against Hugo Loubeque and even the elements themselves; her thoughts had gbne irresistibly a-fluttering to her sweetheart who was accused of having stolen them. Times there were when it seemed the hideous inaction here in this savage village, with no out look for escape, would be unbearable. In her pos session were the documents which would clear the man she loved, clear him in the eves of all men. And he would suffer so, under such a charge. Per haps he even doubted her belief in him. Hhe smiled away the thought, for the woman in her would not allow her to believe that the man of her choice could ever doubt. Not for an instant had she asked for references from him. She had given her heart without reserve and, frotn the instant of giving it, every doubt, every possible thing that might in the past or future lie brought against Lieutenant Gibson was wiped from her mind and soul as though by some sooth ing sponge. Hut he was suffering That was the haras sing feature of her confinement here. He was suffering and she could clear him if only She sighed. There were so many little “if onlys” be fore her knowledge could be of any avail in the affair. But she must he strong, that she would bo ready to reach out and seize the first tiny opportunity that came her way. She must be strong to combat this terrible man who pursued so relentlessly. Look about her though she would she could see no further possible advantage to be derived through the friendship of the natives. If they had never liefore seen a white woman the chance was exceedingly slim of anyone's coming to her as sistance while she was among them. They had not even a tradition of seeing human beings of her color before. The only tiling to do. since no opportunity for reaching Manila lay here, was to turn in Mime other direction. Thoughts of the hideous jungle with its yellow fire-balls of eyes, its myriad sounds of menace meant nothing to her. She had given herself without reserve to the clearing of her sweetheart from the charge of having be trayed his country's honor and assuredly there whs a Supreme Being who would not permit such a fidelity to fail. With one comforting thought, an unreason ing solace which often seems so much more logi cal than all ninn’s direct line of vision upon a situation, she fell asleep, the dark shadow of Hu go Loubeque very far away as, with maidenly confidence she consigned herself and her purpose to one above him in power. Sonic premonition of evil wakened her, caused her to start bolt upright upon the rushes, her every sense alert, her ears fairly peaked with the tenseness of her listening. No sound came to her SHV,. the mournful wail of a dog. afar off. She lay liaek once more, tingling still with the psychic sense that told her not to slumber. Her heart was throbbing against its cage tvs though it would hurst through, while little ants nests of nerves gathered at the Iwek of her neck, invisible warnings of danger. Her firs' thought was for the little sack in which she carried the stolen pn|s-rs and orders ns well a* the photo graph of her mother and the diary which Hugo loubeque had secreted in the oiled belt. Hur riedly she clutched the bag. slipping to the floor and listening. This time a rustling, rushing sound raffle from directly above her. So swift it was that she had scarcely time to gat tier her censes to gether before a leering roof of yellowish flume glowered at her from the place win-re the thatched roof had been. For the fraction of a second she could not stir tiefere the awful menace. Her feet seemed glued to the dirt floor while every nerve ami muscle of her body urged her through the opening. Then, as a long tongue of flame reached out toward the wall ami em brace,! it, feeding there a second liefore another flame joined it and, in seeming quarrel, reached at the same spot, her brain dominated the situa tion. With a wild shriek for assistance she darted toward the opening, feeling the hot breath of the flames nigh shrivelling her as she left it be hind. Again and aguin she shrieked, more ns an outlet for her relief from the menace than for any other reason. From every hut poured the natives, stopping to stare about them for a sec ond liefore darting toward the hut. which hail developed into a conr-like buret of flame, roaring menacingly, furiomdy. Lucille wiva unooiuieiou* of everything for a moment save that she bed escaped the flames, liven something caused her to turn. From b«- The Girl of Mystery bind a great tree she saw the figure of a man moving swiftly toward her. He made no sound as he approached, neither could she see his face for the background of thick shadow behind him. But there was an ominousness of purpose about his very movement, about the long, gliding shadow of him that told her instinctively who it was. Simultaneously with the knowledge she be came aware of the precious sack in her hand. She made as though to flee but something hor rible about the advancing man deterred her, made her hesitate. She felt herself yielding finally to the inevitable. There could be no pos sible thwarting of such a one as Hugo Loubeque, no chance for her, a frail, weak girl to thwart this man. Details she had glimpsed in the diary of the spy flashed across her brain like streaks of flame, vivid as the flames, she had just escaped, that were even now roaring behind her, flames that undoubtedly this man had caused. Even fire and water he defied and commanded to do his will. Was there nothing his unscrupulous mind would not turn to? With a little cry of despair she started to flee. He was almost upon her when a tall, half naked figure darted to her side. She reached out instinctively and clutched the muscular bare arm. About her on every side figures were leap ing, the fig -es of the natives she had made her friends. Her eyes tried vainly to pierce the dark ness. Voices were chattering in the gibberish of these savages. She seemed not to hear them for the song of thanksgiving which her heart was pouring forth at the realization of the narrow ness of her escape from the flames, at conscious ness of the protection of these simple natives. And then she hugged the sack with the papers and diary to her bosom and her lips moved silently. Hugo Loubeque had disappeared, disappeared as silently, as mysteriously, as ominously as he had appeared. But, thwarted, the man only seemed to exercise more cunning, more desperate remedies. The proofs of her sweetheart’s inno cence hail been close to being taken from her this time. She must not risk such a chance again. She must leave this place, must trust no longer to these people for protection, must trust herself no longer to the Fate that seemed so constantly to look after her. She must hide her self away from the master eye of the spy. Where? It made no difference. She must hide herself —away. That was all. CHAPTER XV. A Chief Borrows From a Chief. through the remainder of the night Lucille clung to the child she had nursed through her illness. And now the situation between the pair was strangely reversed and she, the com petent white woman became the child, racked and well nigh broken by the pertinacity and boldness of Hugo Loubeque's pursuit of the sack she had in her possession, while the little brown savage, recognizing with that feminine instinct common to all races and creeds that consolation, comfort and sympathy was the panacea which was most needed l>y this wonder woman of the fair skin, sat beside her silently all through the night, her hand clasping the trembling one, her lips silent but her eyes speaking words which would have put to shame any service the lips might have performed. Sleep was out of the question. There could be no sleep while the mighty spy dogged her steps, knew where she was. Morning came and passed, the sun striking obliquely down upon the village before she dared even stir outside the hut, the little daughter of the chief at her side, silent, anil shy but always comforting by her presence. Lucille felt a great desolation upon her. a sense of fighting a useless battle that day. IVhat had it all amounted to, t.he risks, the situations she hail managed to handle, so long as Hugo Loubeque was undeterred in his efforts. A mighty wave of nostalgia seized her in its grip and she felt she could willingly give over every thing to be hack in Manila. Hurriedly she went back to the hut, signify ing to the child that she wished to be alone. Inside, she flung herself upon the pallet of rushes, giving vent, to uncontrollable sobs. Her father—she eould see him transacting the duties of his office like the grim old warrior he was, but with a broken heart at the absence of the girl he had been father, mother, everything to; Lieutenant Gilwon—she longed so for the tender tones of liis voice, the caress «f his fingers as they twined about her own; the friends the friends and the. gayeties and the hops and all the little trifles dear to her woman’s heart. How she missed them all! How she longed to be aw-ay from this savage village, this unclean place with never a voice lifted in her own .tongue save the dreaded voice of one who would stop at nothing to wrest, from her the thing which hau brought her here! She took the sack from her bosom and wept upon it. For the first time she wondered wheth er it had all been worth while, wondered wheth er the grief her madcap enterprise had caused those dear to her would not. be greater than any joy at her coming safely through the ordeal with the stolen papers intact eould ever be. It was the only natural outlet for the strain under which she had been so lohg a time and, when she dTied her tears. It. was the Lucille who had urged her little mare across the parade ground to the aviator to plead with him that he land her aboard the Empress who smiled brave ly out. upon the world. She was shamed for the weakness which had taken hold of her. shamed and doubly determined that, she should not fail. Only a weak girl, only the refined product of a prominent ancestry—yet would she prove that under all the fragility was a composition which had needed but the ordeal of love denied to turn It into steel, a steel against which even such a one as Hugo Loubeque might hurl himself in vain. She had determined to get away Immediate ly. There was nothin* to gain and everything to lose by remaining here. Primarily, the wished to find some method of getting hack to civiliza tion. The papers meant nothing to anyone save Loubeque here, and Loubeque, with his infinite resources could undoubtedly manage to get away. Secondarily, loubeque knew where she was and his futile, unscrupulous brain would And a meth od of gaining them. She must get away. She was quite positive some difficulty would present itself In making an escape from the native friends who had fairly defied her from the moment of the child’s recovery. But they should lie easily eluded, that should he a readily surmountable difficulty in the light of what she bad already accomplished. On going into the little street shs noticed the chief in earnest conference with his daugh ter and an old native woman whom Lucille had no recollection of seeing about the village be fore. Had she but known this was hut another sevlle tool of Hugo I-ouheque's what future dan gers she might have been saved. Coming closer she knew that it was a stranger; moreover, from the light u;kui the erotic’s wrinkled countenance and the furious gesticulations she made toward her. she felt that she was the object, of controversy. And the daughter of the ok) chief seemed adding her pleas to those of the old woman with effect. Lucille stood a little apart, watching the conference as it disbanded. She had picked up enough of the language to make out an occasion f'” d , b !; the gestures of the three had been k Sh ® "' ait€d quietly while the trio nrrht Th H r ’ ee * n 8’ that in *ome way the problein that had been harassing her was “to be answered without further worm- on her part. Sh f ™? lled at the chief’s efforts to make her " u at h t des , ired of her, smiled and .. e i q ™wt UnS^ Ccessful attem Pt- But the little girl took the situation in hand. a h o ™ 3 of understanding between wbn d “Tl*’ , betweell the 3| l and the strong ho have watched the approach of death to gether even though its attack be directed at only sms/ them wh.ch thereafter gives them a uni er.al language. Without much difficulty Lucille Child that the ° ,d woman [f™, / rom a chlef greater than her father who lived in a village not far distant; that the won der of her curative ability had reached his ears and he earnestly prayed the white woman be kianed his own wife for a nurse, that she might be fataf ° f lilness which seemed certain to ~ Bncille saw from the glum expression on the old chief s face that, even though it might bring him into trouble with his neighbor chief, he was more than loath to part with her. She also saw that the child, with the remembrance of her own illness fresh upon her, had allowed her heart to go out to the wife in such sympathy that she had persuaded her father to permit the loaning. Her heart gave a great throb of delight at this unexpected answer to her prayer. She had known there would be trouble getting away just as she had determined that she must leave. There was no possible chance of regaining civil ization from here. There might be no chance in another place but there was hope and, while t) "as meagre sustenance, anything was better than the strain of knowing impossibility. Any. thing appealed to her so long as it embraced a change, for change spelt renewed hope. Then, too, Hugo Loubeque would be temporarily at least thrown off the trail. In an hour she had mounted the chief’s own horse, her very soul rejoicing at the familiar feel of an easy canter. Beside her rode the old woman, mumbling continually to herself as though she were keeping track of the devious turriß in the wilderness of vegetation through which their way led. Now and then there would be long stretches where Lucille eould let her animal out and she took advantage of them all, laughing exultantly at the tingle of the breeze against her cheek. Every stride was a step further away from the place where she had thought herself a prisoner; every stride was a stride nearer hope; and hope meant civilization and civilization meant delivery of the pa.pers to those who would see that they cleared the name of her sweetheart. Her sweetheart! Her sweetheart! The soft pad of the horse’s hoofs seemed to turn, into a refrain of never varying sweetness, a refrain that embraced the two words. Hum Loubeque was doubtless back in the jungles, planning, plotting his next move while his quarry was riding far, far away from him. She could not even feel the menace of his presence now. The easy motion of the beast lulled every other sense to sleep save one of dreamy contentment. Her predicament, alone upon this savage land, did not occur to her. Be fore she had been terrified to think oi it but now she accepted it as an inevitable tlii%p using all her mental energy figuring on escape, on that which lay in the future and casting the past be hind her. j Once she was conscious of a vague feeling of mistrust as she looked back at the squat figure of the old woman, ambling along stolidly at some heathen idol, only her rat-like eyes omit ting flashes of fire from between the layers of wrinkled, brown, drooping lids. She cast it away from her an merely a natural feeling, coming so closely as this sense of freedom did upon the de pressing environment she was leaving behind. Faster, faster she urged her horse as she saw a clear stretch of trail opening before her. She was going away —away —was getting clear of the village where she might have been held forever. She still carried the precious papers about her neck despite every effort the interna tional spy had made to steal them. She had foiled him, hail taken them from him and had managed to hold them against all odds. And now she was clear of all this. She was clear of all danger from him. Far ' behind her, his crafty, unscrupulous brain was mapping out fresh plans of action against a vic tim "ho was not where he could locate her. And the pad of the horse’s hoofs beat out a gentle rhythm that blended into her joyous mood so wonderfully she could scarcely contain herself. Faster, faster she urged the horse, her hand continually reaching up and feeling the preciou* burden about her neck, while her laughter rang out against the jungle that hedged the trail in with an eerie, alien freshness that seemed to make it more silky than ever. Then she looked back for her escort, looked back, still laughing, when the ground seemed to grow soft, to slip up from under her mount’s hoofs, and send her hurtling down down down she knew not where nor why—down into blackness at which her hands clutched vainly, clutching nothing from the dark —down into a blackness that seemed stifling her, until it reached up and mercifully compassed her consciousness. CHAPTER XVI. Loubeque Overlooks One Detail. L-ICGO LOUBEQFE curtly dismissed the witlk ered crone who handed him the sack con taining the documents Lucille had worn about her neck. In his eyes glowed no light of triumph. First they had lighted with a strange relief. But now they seemed fastened upon a memory, filled with vague regret, as he visualized the girl, lying helpless at the bottom of the pit he had caused his native to dig across the trail sh 6 must pasa in answering the fictitious message* he had arranged for the old woman to carry. Suddenly he sprang to his feet, once more the mnn of action. Pity this girl, daughter of the woman he loved, he might, but she was not the sort, to lie supine while he made away with the papers for which she had gone through so much already. Suddenly he tore open the l»g, dumping the contents out before him and run ning through them nervously. When he looked up. the light of disappointment, almost fear was upon his face. The amulet, the sacred amulet had served her so well, would continue to serve her so well ns long as she continued in this land, was still in her possession. He had failed to tell the crone to steal that also. And the old woman hail reported that she was merely stunned. The sacred amulet which would make her re'ered by any savage she chanced to meet was still her* while he, Hugo Loubeque, would find every hand against hitn. The odd* had scarcely lengthened despite the fact that the papers were once more in his pos session. He moved swiftly now. preparing for hi* long journey through the jungle, away from her zealous pursuit, and toward possible ’•elief. For, .r» long as he remained here, Lucille had every one for friend and assistant while he had only those he might gain through fear. ’Continued Next Week.)
