Part 14 (1/2)

”They will not find me.”

”Then we can go away. There is a great West in this country. I have my jewels, you know. We could hide. We could live like other people.

We could be just alone together.”

”But would you be happy, Carlotta?”

”I should be happy anywhere with you, Luigi. It is too much to pay for being a d.u.c.h.ess, to lose all I want in life.”

”But many d.u.c.h.esses must do that, you know. I never have asked such a sacrifice, though, G.o.d knows, I have wanted it.”

”You have never asked, Luigi, and that makes me all the more happy to give. I will tell you when to come.”

With an ardent embrace the two parted. She stepped inside the tree and closed the door.

The young officer turned. Mark knew that the time had come for action, and jumped for the other side--but too late. There was no sound, but powder burned Mark's hand--powder from the m.u.f.fled gun barrel which he had tried to knock aside. The lover stood for an instant with his eyes wide open, as if in wonder at a strange shock, but only for an instant.

Mark sprang to his side, and caught him as he fell to the ground.

There was a heavy cras.h.i.+ng through the underbrush, then a voice was raised in an oath and there was the sound of a struggle. Mark looked up as Saunders broke through the bushes dragging after him the body of the murderer. Dropping his unconscious burden, the detective came up to where Mark was bending over the victim and pulled a little electric glow lamp from his pocket.

”Let me look at him, Griffin,” he said. He looked long and earnestly at the man's face, then snapped off the light.

”He's the man,” he announced.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Saunders looked long and earnestly at his face. ”He's the man!” he announced.]

”Who is he?” asked Mark quickly.

”The man I told you about--the man I took you for--the man for whose sake the d.u.c.h.ess ran away--the chap I was watching for.”

”And the other?” Mark nodded toward the gunman, who still lay unconscious.

”Oh, he doesn't matter.” Saunders spoke carelessly. ”He'll get out of it. It's all been arranged, of course. They really sent me here to watch her; evidently they had him trailed from the beginning.”

Crossing over, Saunders again snapped on his light, and examined the face and clothing of the murderer.

”It's easy to see, Griffin, what the game was. This chap is one of the foreigners at the railroad camp. He can say he was out hunting--shooting squirrels--anything.”

”He can't say that,” put in Mark quickly, ”for I saw him do it. I tried to stop him.”

Saunders turned quickly to Mark.

”Forget it, Griffin,” he said earnestly. ”You saw nothing. Keep out of it. If it were only a common murder, I'd tell you to speak. But this is no common murder. There are international troubles mixed up in it. No one will thank you, and you will only get into difficulties.

Why, the biggest men in the country would have a special messenger down here inside of twenty-four hours to keep you silent if they knew who were behind this thing. For G.o.d's sake, leave it alone. Let this fellow tell his story.” He pointed to the man who was now coming to his senses. ”He has it all prepared.”

”I'll leave it alone only if the man is dead; but, good G.o.d! you can't expect me to leave him here to the mercy of that brood if he's only wounded.”

The detective smiled grimly.

”Wounded! Why, Griffin, do you think they would send a man who would miss? Come, look at him.”