The Curtis Courier. (Curtis, Okla.), Vol. 12, No. 20, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 11, 1912 Page: 3 of 8
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SERIAL
STORY
The Pool
of Flame
W-
lodis joscrn vancl
Dtulraliwi k» ClUwortk Touot
' sregg!" From that moment on both ! ba. who had ouch ta>kv as thta to cops
wielded mercBass * hlp» For out of ! with,
i ibe moonlit wastes behind them had I Nor-for that maMer mere the Tou
»hruled a voice. cruel and wild. an areas the only sufferers Here and
oounclns discovery and the Inception there In the camp a man plnngeJ tor
of the chaee The fugitives had need ward In mid stride and on the drins
i of no .harper spur «ne be>ond the teuta now and u» *
A i tfle ahot rang .harp on the ecboe. a sharpshooter abudiered and Jay still
of that cry, hut the bullet must have upon hit arms Even at O Hour #■
Cup) flatil IMP, by Louie Jooepii \ atic*
, SYNOPSIS.
The story open* at Monte Curio with
Cot. Terence O'Rourke, a military free
lance and aomethtna of a nimbler. In tile
hotel, leaning on the balcony lie aces a
beautiful girl who suddenly enters the
elevator and passes from sight. At the
gaming table O'ltourke notices two men
watching him One Is the U»n. Bertie
Glynn, while hie companion® Viscount
Pea Trebes. a duelist The viscount tells
him the French government lias directed
him to O'Rourke as a man who would
undertake s secret mission. At his apart-
1 went, O’Rourke, wtio had agreed to un-
dertake the mission, finds a mysterious
letter. The viscount arrives, hands a
sealed package to O'ltourke. who Is not
to open It until on the ocean. A pair or
dainty lllppers are seen protruding from
»ind»r a doorway curtain. lm"
The Irishman
finds the owner of the mysterious feel to
1st hia wife, Beams, from whom he had
run away a year previous. They are
reconciled, and opening the letter he finds
that a Rangoon law firm oners him
jna.ono pounds for 4 lewd known as the
Pool of Flame and left to him by a dy-
ing friend, but now In keeping of one
named Chambret in Algeria. Ollourke
worsts the nobleman In h duel rhe wire
bids O'Rourke farewell and h» promises
to Boon return with the reward He dis-
covers both Glynn and the viscoun^ on
board the ship.
CHAPTER VII.—(Continued.)
By dawn they were ready to start;
and to, In the level rays of a sun that
aeemed a dazzling sphere of Intoler-
able light, poising Itself In the eastern
rim of the world as If undecided
whether or no to take up its flight
across the firmament, the little cara-
van rocked out Into the fastness of
the desert, the Irishman In the van
sitting a blooded niebari as one to the
wilderness born.
On the seventh night they bivouack-
ed hard on the heels of the flying col-
umn, having for seven days pursued
It this way and that, zigzagging Into
the heart of the parched land.
Now, when they were cotne within
six hours of their goal, reluctantly,
long after nightfall. O'Rourke gave
consent to halt, conceding the ne-
cessity; for weariness weighed upon
their shoulders a great burden, and
the camels had become unusually sul-
len and evil tempered; If rest were
denied them presently they would
become obstinate and refuse to follow
the road.
O'Rourke close*l his eyes and lost
consciousness with a sensation of fall-
ing headlong Into a great pit of ob-
livion, bottomless, eternal. Yet It
seemed no more than a moment ere
be was sitting up and rubbing sight
Into his eyes, shaken out of slumber
by bis guide.
He stumbled to his feet and lurched
toward the camels, still but half
awake. When his senses cleared Ir-
ritation possessed him. His guide had
been overzealous He turned upon the
man and seized him roughly by the
arm.
"What the divvle!" he grumbled an-
grily, between a yawn and a chatter
of teeth—for the air was bitter cold.
“The moon's not yet up!"
“Hush, Sldi! ’* Something In the
guide's tone stilled his wrath. “ I he
Touaregg are all about ua. They have
been passing us throughout the
night—”
"Ye knew this and did not wake
me?”
“There was no need; we could not
have moved ere this without detection
Now, they are all a-stlr, and we in
the night, may pass for them—until
moon-up.”
The guide turned away to rouse the
mehara. prodding them up. mutinous,
snarling and ugly. In another five
minutes they were ngain moving for
ward. By the time the silver rim or
the moon peered over the edge of the
east they were pelting on at full speed,
as yet, apparently, undetected by the
Touaregg.
An hour passed and the chill In the
air became more Intense; dawn was^
at hand. A sense of security, of dan-
gers left behind, came to the Irish-
man; he began to breathe more free-
ly. though still the polished butt of a
repeating rifle swinging from the sad
die remained a comfort to his palm.
He grew more confident, mentally at
ease, seeing the desert take shape
In the moonlight and show itself deso
late on every hand
Even as he gained assutance from
this thought, the guide turned in his
•addle and titled a warning; Ibe lou
lalleo far abort. A moment later, in
deed, they opened a brisk, scattering
tire—naturally ineffectual, though the
bullets dropping right and left In the
sand proud that the chase bad got
within range
Even with that warning, the end
was nearer than be had dreamed or
bolted. It cam* In a twinkling and «*
unexpected 88 * tolt out of a clear
sky; a flash of Are ahead, a spitful
snap and— put!— the song of • bullet
speeding past bU bead
The guide pulled up with a Jerk
O'Rourke, reining In desperately,
swung his camel wide to avert the
threatened collision Simultaneously
the sharp "Qul vive?" of a French
sentry rang out, loud and sweet to
bear
"Thank God!” said the adventurer
In his heart. And aloud. “Frlende!"
he erled. driving pust the sentry In a
cloud of dust
lly a blessed miracle the man was
quick of wit, and swift to grasp the
sltuatlon-of which, however, he
must have had some warning from
the rattle of firing. He screamed
something In O’Rourke's ear as the
latter passed, and turning threw him-
self flat and began to pump the trig
ger of his carbine, emptying the maga-
zine at the on sw eeping line of Tou-
aregg.
The alarm was hardly needed;
O’Rourke and the guide swept on
over the slip of a depression In the
desert and hailed In the midst of a
camp already quickened and alive
with shadowy figures running method-
ically to their posts, carbine and ac-
coutrement gleaming In the moon-
light: men of the camel crops, bard
eued to and familiar with their work
They buckled "down to It In a busi-
ness-like way that thrilled the heart
of O'Rourke. In a trice they were
doubling out past lines of tethered
tnehara, past the white hillocks of
the officers' shelter-tents and. like the
sentry, throwing themselves down
upon the ground to take shelter of
whatever inequalities the face of the
desert offered; and their firing ringed
the bivouac with a fringe of flame.
O’Rourke slipped from his camel
and turned to watch the skirmish.
side an officer was shot as be ran to
the front, and would hare fallen had
not the Irishman caught Mm wllb
ready arms and let him easily to the
earth As he did so the stricken men
rolled an agonized eye upward
“O'Rourke!” he said between a
groan and a sigh.
And O'Rourke, kneeling at h1s side
and peering Into his face gave a bit
ter cry. For he bad found Chambret
CHAPTER VIII.
Preparations for breakfast were to
ward; an aroma of coffee and bacon
hung in the still, crisp air. The troop
era were bustling about as If noth
Ing had happened, laughing and )<>k
lug. cleanitig rifle*, feeding the me
hara, striking leuts. drawing water
from the paint ringed well roiyid
which the camp had been made
Out of sight beyond the edge of the
aunkeu oasis a detachment was dig
ging shallow trenches for the dead
In the open Chambret lay dying, a
stark grim figure In the growing
light O'Rourke sat by bis side, near
the bend of the Improvised litter, el
bow In knee, chin in hand, eyes fixed
on the face of his friend.
Just before sunrise the man on the
litter stirred, moaned, opened his eyes
and turned his head to see O'ltourke
lie smiled wanly "Mon ami," be said
In tones faint yet thick.
The Irishman rose “Don’t talk."
said he TU be calling the surgeon."
Hut Chambret stayed him with a
gesture. “Has he not told you, dear
friend?" he asked.
O'Rourke hesitated. "Told me
what?"
“That my wound was fatal—mortal?
. . Surely he must have told you.
It la so. Presently 1 die . . Con
tent . . • Let him be—this Bur-
geon: I am beyond his aid. Attend
to me. In my last moments, O Rourke.
my friend"
The adventurer vacillated, torn by
an agony of compassion. “1 must do
something for ye.” he said miserably
. . . “1 must do something . . .
What can I do?”
"Comfort me” The dying man
dosed his eyes and lay still for lit
“Trua. . . *
"You are abou* to pockat your
vcru.lea that she may hava her due
portion of happiness?"
“I've promised. Chambret “
”1 gm glad . . . But you—what
baa brought you hither?*'
*'| -1 wished to iff ye.”
But the dying era oftentimes and
strangely endowed with curious In
sight Into matters beyond their ken
VS Ithout perceptible hesitation Cham
bret made this apparent
“You have coma for tba ruby,” be
said with couvtrllon.
“How did ya know?”
“It 1* trua. than' ... I fancleu
so; I knew that aome day you would
coma to claim It . . . Bend nearar
to me . . . The Pool of Flame U
In the keeping of my good friend, the
Governor General of Algeria It Is all
arranged When I am gone, take uiy
signet ring, tell hltn your name, and
demand the package—a atnull morocco
leather box, wrapped In plain brown
paper and superscribed with my name
and yours. He knows nothing 01 Ha
value, save that It Is great, and will
deliver It to you and only you without
question. . . . That Is all."
The hand that clasped ORourka'a
was like Ice
“Chambret!”
"Beatrix . . ."
The cold fingers relaxed. Gently
O’Rourke disengaged hla hand and put
It to the pitiful, torn bosom of the
man who had died with bis wile's
name upon his Ups
CHAPTER IX.
They Had Literally Caught Him Napping.
Massed, the Touaregg. In strength
greater than the adventurer had be-
lieved—something like two hundred
mounted men. In all—charged down
upon the camp as If to over run and
stampede It.
Yet at the critical moment, when
It seemed that of a surety there was
no stopping them, they divided and
swung round the camp in two wide
circles, scattering Into open orde* and
firing as they scattered. Here and
there a horse fell, « rider threw out
his hands and toppled from his sad-
dle, a camel seemed to buckle at full
tilt like a faulty piece of machinery;
and so gaps appeared In the flying
wings.
For the men of the flying column
| were picked ihots. They bad need to
tie. “You are not gone, O'Rourke?”
he asked presently.
“I’m here, be your side, mon ami."
“Tell me ... of madame . .
. your wife. She Is well?”
“She Is very well, Chambret.”
“You have seen her recently?”
"Within ten days”
“You have . . : returned to
her?"
"No—and yes. 'Twas not for lack
of love for her that I gave her up—’’
“Yes.” said Chambret Impatiently
"That 1 understand. ... 1 com-
prehend utterly your feeling. . . .
But you owe her happiness, though
you sacrifice your own—everything—
to give It her. She loves you . . .
as she right have loved even me had
1 yoL not come Into her life."
Shortly before midnight the trl
weekly train front Coustantliie to A!
giera pulled up over an hour late at
the town of El Guerrah. It took up s
single passenger, discharged none, and
presently thundered on west w ards,
rocking and Jarring over a road bed
certainly no better than It should have
been Such, at least, was the passen
ger'a criticism, os. groaning In an
ttclpatlon of the long night of dlscom
fort ahead of hltn, he disposed himself
and his belongings about the cushions
of the first-class compartment which
he occupied In solitary grandeur.
O'Rourke had no Intention of leav-
ing anything undone thn might tend
to mitigate the terrors of the Journey
Five days had elapsed since that
morning In the oasis In the Interval
be bad again dared the danger of the
desert, returning to lllskra alone by a
route more direct than that which had
brought him up with the flying col
umn. Discharging the guide with a
gratuity larger than his ebbing means
warranted, he had proceeded to El-
Guerrah by the first dally train, and
so now found himself on the direct
line of communication with Algiers
and the Governor-General.
His chlefeBt concern now lay with
the future and the Pool of Flame;
both bulked large upon the horizon
and were at once the architects and
the nuclei of a thousand different
plans 0' action.
So fnr, the affair had worked
smoothly; he anticipated little trou-
ble.
So thinking he drowsed, and In the
course of time lulled by the hammer-
ing of a flat wheel at the forward end
of the coach, fell asleep. He waken-
ed suddenly after a nap of some two
hours or so, to a confusion of Impres-
sions: that the train had stopped;
that some one hnd Invaded bis com-
partment; that a cold blast was blow-
ing across his wrists. Bewildered and
not half master of his senses, he start-
ed up and fell back with a thud, as
stated to resume a recumbent position
by a heavy blow upon his chest, deliv-
ered by some person for the moment
unknown. Simultaneously he was
aware of a clicking sound, followed by
the sensation of being unable to move
his feet; and then, the clouds clearing
from his understanding, he realized
that the cold upon his wrists was that
of steel. With handcuffs also on his
ankles, he lay helpless, unable even
to protest because of a cloth wadded
tightly Into his mouth and a firm hand
that prevented ejection
Other hands were rifling hla pock
ets. swiftly but after a bungling fash
ion. The train, having paused briefly
at Setlf (he afterwards located the
station by conjecture), began to
move again, was presently In
full thundering flight Abruptly the
examination of his person—which
was so thorough that It Included
the opening of his shirt to as
sure the thieves that he carried noth
Ing In the shape of a money belt—
was concluded and tho adventurer
was roughly Jerked Into a sitting po
sitlon At the same time his gag was
removed.
He gasped, blinked, coughed, and
rolled a resentful eye around the com
partment. "Be the powers!" be said
huskily; and no more At first glance
It became apparent that be hnd mis
calculated the audacity and resource
of the vlcomte and Mr Glynn They
had literally caught him napping
The Honorable Bertie, O'Rourke dls
covered kneeling In the act of turning
the adventurer’s traveling gear Inside
out; at least, he seemed to be try
Ing to do so. Monsieur le Vlcomte
dcs Trebes on the contrary was sent
ed at ease, facing O'Rourke, a revolver
I on the cushion beside him. his In
[tt e»t concentrated not upon his cap
flit upon bit collaborator O'Rourks
remarked an expression on the French-
mau • fare, a curious compound of
eagerness, triumph and apprehension.
Without noting the Irishmans ejac-
ulation, be addressed Gljnn: “Find
nr
"No—worse luck!” grumbled the
Englishman, rising and kicking the
band bag savagely. “There Isn't so
much at a scrap of paper anywhere
about hltn *
The v'comte favored O'Rourke with
a vicious glance, muttering something
about a thousand devils Tbe Irish-
man. quick to grasp tbe situation and
Inwardly exulting, acknowledged Dee
Trebes' attention with • winning
amlle
"Good evening." he said, and nodded
amiably.
"Oh. shut up!" snapped the Honor-
able Bertie, unhandsomely "Where*
that letter?"
O'Rourke chuckled "Ye're a bard
loser, me bright young friend," be
commented "I though Engllshraeu
always played the game as It laid
Glyuu grunted and flushed, shame-
laced. but the Frenchmau cut short
the .'etort on his lips by a curt repe-
tition of Glynn's own question:
“Where's that letter, monsieur?”
O'Rourke glanced at him languidly,
yawned, and smiled an *xasi>eratlng
strictly personal smile Then sig-
nificantly he clinked the handcuffs un-
til they rang on wrist and ankle
Answer me!" snarled the vlcomte,
picking up his revolver.
"Divvle a word." observed O'Rourke,
will ye get from me If ye shoot me
dead, monsieur le vlcomte. Put down
your pistol and be sensible "
Des Trebes' face darkened, suf-
fused with the blood of his rage. Yet
tbe man asserted that admirable con-
trol of self which he was able to em-
ploy when It suited his purposes. Evi-
dently. too, he recognized the cold
common sense of the wanderers re-
mark At all events he put aside the
weapon.
Where's the letter?" he demanded
vgaln, more pacifically.
Again O'Rourke yawned with mal-
ice prepense!* 1 yawned deliberately and
exhaustively and dispassionately.
Not a word.” he volunteered st
length, "until ye loose me hands and
feet. Which.” he added, "ye need not
hesitate to do. for I'll not strike back
—unless ya crowd nte.”
The vlcomte scowled darkly for a
moment, plainly dubious. 1 hen pre-
sumably upon the consideration that
he could trust O'Rourke'B word and
that most assuredly he would learn
nothing from him until his request
was compiled with, he growled an or-
der to Glynn to unlock and remove
the handcuffs. The Englishman obey-
ed.
Free. O’Rourke stretched himself,
rubbed his wrists, and observed n
collection of his pocket hardware ly-
ing upop the seat by hltn, thrown
aside by Glynn In his disgust st not
finding what he sought.
Ye’ll not he wanting to deprive
me of these few trifles, me gay high-
waymen, I’m thinking?" he Inquired
placidly of the pair. "If ye've no ob-
jection I'll make so free as to take
back me own.”
"Take what you want.” returned
Des Trebes In an ugly tone. "But—
I give you three minutes to tell me
where you have put that letter.
"Indeed? Your courtesy overpowers
me." The Irishman took up his watch
and calmly made a note of the hour—
hard upon three In the morning; then,
with easy nonchalance stowed It away
with the rest of the miscellaneous col-
lection—the knives, coins and keys,
his wallet, tickets and so forth.
“Your time,” the voice of the vl-
comte Interrupted this occupation, 'is
up.” He fingered his revolver Where
is that letter? I am losing patience "
“Where rust nor moth cannot cor-
rupt nor thieves break In to steal."
O'Rourke misquoted solemnly.
Steady. Don't call names—or I'll
forget meself. I moan that the letter
is in fragments, scattered to the four
winds of heaven, destroyed. There ye
have your answer. Ye fools, did ye
think I would carry It about me?"
By God!” said Glynn tensely. “No
—don't shoot him. Des Trebes! He's
telling the truth. Make him tell what
was In the letter.”
"I'm afraid 'tls useless," O'Rourke
mocked them. "I have forgotten the
contents. What use to me to re-
member?” he demanded. Inspired.
"What made ye think I would have
It at all? Sure, and the letter wras
properly Chambret's Why would I
not turn It over to him?"
“Oh. cut It!" Glynn Interrupted im-
patiently. “We know he's dead The
news was hellographed In from the
column day before yesterday.”
"Quite so. Yet. If ye know so much.
If—as 1 gather—ye suspect that Cham-
bret turned over this precious Jewel
to me, why do ye not demand It as
well as the letter? Not that 1 have
either."
“Because we Jolly well know you
haven’t got the ruby.” blurted tho
Englishman.
“He on*—r*" ••>««•>''** •*•« ciromte.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
If we have ugly feelings towards
I anybody else we call these feelings
righteous Indignation; but their real
| name Is V'UU>cr.
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The Curtis Courier. (Curtis, Okla.), Vol. 12, No. 20, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 11, 1912, newspaper, April 11, 1912; Curtis, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc406113/m1/3/: accessed April 18, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.