II - THE SUSj SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1890. J 1THE KINO DIAMOND.pih" What the Purser Knew of It and HowR He Suddenly Saw New Light.KvS ' lly SUTCMrFE HINK.wP "Speaking of pluck," Mid the parser offt' the Laconic, "the bravest man, the very brav-Pi set I ever knew, war a thief."'m Mr. Horrocks delivered himself of this stateM merit during a momentary hush In the after-'t'-(l dinner clinC of the "moke room, and with-Kj drew his eyes from the little neat man who'-, had Just come In. Hn examined with Inter-0 est the butt of hie rival', and carefully linkedfe an angle of leaf which threatened to comeloose.Sir Randal Vereker, the hydraulic specials' lit, who had won the auction pool on the runthat day, wis standing coffee and liqueursi round, and the purser, after telling the attendant steward that his was a ktlmmel andcognac, stuck the cigar Into the corner of hismouth and jingled the keys -In his trouserspocket. Then he thrust his heels out straightbefore him, and blew trunoated cones of tobacco smoke at an Incandescent lamp In thedeck above.The general talk In the smoke room did notgo on Mr. Horrncks, as became his office,was a noted reconteur, and only Pltcalrncontinued his remarks on the silver questionas affecting the export trado In Bradford mannfaeturcd goods, Pltcalrn had crossed to NewYork nine times In tho Laconic already, and"had a notion that he knew by heart all thepurser's talc. Moreover, being. In his capaclif. ty as drummer, a most wlaely travelled manfcJ himself, he quite believed that his own reft marks were thoroughly well north listening to.j "lie stole the biggest diamond I ever saw,"X the purser remarked meditatively, during oneof Pltcatrn's pauses for breath. "It was aatone that should have gone down Into historyl on the rim of some Emperor's crown. Hut, so'& far as I know. It never came un to the surfaceft again after that fellow stole It.", "Probably broken up." suggested Vereker,jfe "and sold In pieces."$ The purser looked down sharply. "Howdid you hear about It, Kir Randal?" be askod,, Vereker laughed. "I was only generalizei Ing," he said. "Ihaen't a notion of whatW you're talking about."if "They christened It the 'King Diamond' outhi at Rlmherlry.""Never heard of It." said Sir Randal. "I'fp leave Lady Vereker to specialize In diamondsfor the pair of us."tr. "Now there you are again." said Pltcalrn.ilj "Diamonds are Just like, silver. The pricejS' varies according to the quantity put on the'k market, and ae things are situated at present,JS I the nations arc ut the mercy of traders who've'f got capital and brains enough to make corgi I nars. Now, If I had the managing of It "55J S "Vou haven't," the purser cut In acidly,ff "and you are never likely to have. You can;' handle diamonds In a tie pin, but In bulkft they'd Just flummox you."W "Oh, trot out jour chestnut, old man," saidrf Pltcalrn. "Some one wake me If I snore."fet 8 The smoke room rustled Itself into easyJsa positions for listening, and the purser, afterj& 8 pretending for a minute or so to Ignore theti alienee suddenly looked down and tald:Yft ' "Oh, you want the table, do you?""For heaven's sake, go on,.man, and get itS""' over," said Pltcalrn.jj "Well." said the purser, "there's only onefellow In this smoke room this yarn'U b ahf chestnut to. and he's new to the Laconic. Ith I isn't a yarn I usually trot out for the benefitS 1 of passengers. It shows up one man as aH I specially fine sample of fool, and he's a manX- I 1'to a particular liking for. and he's sitting In& I my breeches this minute. I didn't alwajs$ J use to.be in this western ocean trade. I$ J r-j started lire at sea on tho Cape run, and I'dJ, 6 worked up from the very bottom to being purs' j aer on the finest ship that went down there.It was a Jolly snog berth. I can tell you, withh lota of pickings, and a, this business with the- King Diamond bundled me cut of It and leftty, me to cool my heels about the streets for ar? matter of twenty very lean months, it isn't& a thing I chatter about through. sheer prideat being sacked."f "Wnich line was that on?" asked Pltcairn.gj "Never you mind." said the pu'jer. "It"i was one ot tho two big ones, and you can tossjjj op between them. But It was the popularfi line just then, because the other had had& aotne accidents, and we were the popularfrV i ahlp. We were ram Jam full, and the skip-fei fi per had let his room to a Hatton Garden Jewfc I for a hundred guineas for the run nome. andj 1 "was bunking In the chart houe. He'd a recK 1 ord passenger list, and they were all veryS; 1 flush. .Nothing wars too oxpenslve: they alwajsWi betted In ca-e of champagne, and I guess5$ . JJle liquor profits alone on that run footed upM to more than a thousand pounds. I tell jou ISi felt very cock-a-whoop over It, I didn't seeft hew the Arm could avoid giving ms a rise."1 Pltcalrn began to hum "For he's a Jolly:sii JKOod purser," but the smoke room scowled himIf to silence.?rj "Among other things we'd about a gallon! and a half of diamonds on board, and that's aES kind of freight which pays In a way which"would surprise Idiots who only know aboutthe cost of sending shoddy across the west-f.,; arn ocean."'& "Sanddy doesn't come from Bradford," saidP Pltcalrn. "Shoddy Is made "'"Oh.Tklll that man. Homebody," the smoketf room shouted, and the purser proceeded."Tho diamonds were done up In little cans' fas bjs (birring the big stone, which had a.& special scaled caso to Itw-lf,) and as ofJ course tlioy weren't polished they looked likeIM many rusty pebbles. The bags were put ina safe, and the safe was under my bed place.There was only one key to the safe, and thatlived at tho end of my watch chain. It wasanxious work being responsible for those Rem,I can tell you, so long as we'd any land connection with South Africa, but once un wereclear I felt pretty easy. There was an electrio bell fitted to the door of the safe, and Ifanybody meddled who didn't know how to unwitch It tbere'd have been nolso enoughspread about to wake the ship. And, besides,If anybody did loot the diamonds, whatwere they to do with them? Madeira andSouthampton were the only places we touched,and If there was anything gone you can betyour life no one would have been alloued toquit the ship till we knew where It was."Now, diamonds are all ,ery well In theirplace, but toojnucli diamonds In the com creation especially whon none of them happens tobe yours rather sour on one. And I can tellyou the popular talk on that ship fairlymade me ill at times. There were only twotopics for general conversation, and thosewere diamonds and their rrlces, ind whenany one wanted to be brilliantly original, hetalked about the King Diamond, and drewpictures of It In lead pencil.on the book of ourwine lifts. I should think I must have heardthe history of that Infernal stone at leasteighteen thousand times, counting all the,var.atlons. How a Kalllr found It In tho blueclay, how he sn-allnwcd It. how they gae blmmedicine, Iiuw three I. D. I). KopJe-nallop-persfrom Petticoat lane wero after It, how theproper owners safeguarded it with guns and aalx-ton hurglar-proof bqx, how half the wliltomen in the Cape did obeisance to It throughIron bars at balf a guinea a head, how syndicates were formed to bur up tenth shares Inthe gem, and all the rest of tho degradingmoney-grabbing rubbish. I might have admired that stone myself If I'd had a fairchance, and even hate worshipped It as amild sort of god, but the talk about It killedall my Interest, and If it hadn't been for theprofit it would bring the steamer as carrier, Ishould nave gone very near hating It. And so,aa things were. I as Just driven Into chumming with a man called Kan en out of disgustfor every one else on the passenter list."I tell you straight that on any other tripthis Farren was not a man I should ha hadanything more than a nod for. He was aIftlU slip of a fellow with hookbottle ahoul&U!U&aBa3dorsnd wandering eyes, and he'd a sort of mlslonary notions that I'd no use for whatever. But he didn't talk diamonds: thoughtthey were sinful, or something, and 1 tell you,after a spell with the others, that man's society used to come to me like a visit to thecountry. I'd tip him the wink, and he and I'dslip away from the rest, and go down to hitroom, and put up our heels and rrt. Hastretch himself nut on the sofa, and I d slipmy shoes and He on the bed and just listenwhile he tnlked. At times, I'd feel that grateful to him I almost wished he'd hand aroundthe hat for a colleotlon after he'd finished."Well, gentlemen, things went on In thiswar diamonds, diamonds, diamonds, withshort refrishlng spells ot Farren, till afterwe'd left Madeira, and hnd niadn halfat'nysstenm toward home, and then a qurerlshthing happened. We tame across a steamer Mng to right In our track."There's nothing In that, you'll say. Well,perhaps not, but wait a bit. This steamer,as soon as we drew abeam of her, mado steamand bore away on our course, keeping parallelto us, about a quarter of a mile nit to por'It doesn't take nuch to Interest penplo on aljng voyage liner, and you can guess It wasn tlong before most pairs ot eves aboard wrroturned onto the other steamer especially asshe happened to be a jaclit. Who was shn?plenty of people were asking, and the answerto that was simple. Hhe was Lord IUybury's yaoht, a bran new sixteen knottcr.Her picture hsd been In all the Illustrated papers, and two nf our officers had rren her before she left the yard, so there was no ml'tnkeabout that matter. But what she wn tip tono one could say, and our passengers mado nregular Industry out of betting nvrr It."We officers of the ship didn't worry ourheads much about the matter. If joti wereto tty and find out the why and wheielore nfall the queer things you see In the two Atlantic", I guess you'd go first gray and then bald,and then in a lunatlj asylum within (hrreyears' time. And so we looked at the yacht,hanging always In the samo pluceon our portbean., without worrying our heads particularly as to what her little game lnhiht be.Hut, as I sar, the rsMi'nctr. were different.It ivas a bran-new Interest to the lot of them.It was nnAl topic to gamble on, and I tellou the talk In that smoke room beiran tn getInteresting. We'd got so.ne really Imaginative and accomplished Hare on our pascngerlist tha. trip, and they wero alwassrend) toback up their talk with good solid bets."They became regularly amusing to listento. Diamonds were not spoken of once aftorLord rtaybury'a jarht Joined us, and I bot-nnto think that our passengers could makothemselves as nke and cheerv a lot as anyman might want to meet. I Jut let Farrenslide. I'd got no use for any more of his sermon-and. water talk, and the dav nf(r tnevaoht turned up, when he asked himselftown to my room while I was making uti someaccounts attei lunch. I let him know sharplyenough that people who came In there had towait for an Invitation. A purser llko medoesn't chum with che.ip teMntallers ot theMr. Farren tjtie unless he's pretty hard up fors mstii. Hut, mark you, that man wn nofool, and he got around me two daj- later Ina wav 1 don't think anybody could conveniently hate guessed at."From what turned nut afterward I sunrose nt Intended to play his little game directly afur the vacht Joined us. but the weather was a bit illrty then, and It freshened up toa snortltw breeze dlieot y afterward, whichwe carried with us all the road through thoha J. There was a big uglv head xta running,which knocked a couple of knots off our pace,and the yacht was making erj wet weatherof It Indeed. A careful sklpoer would haveslowed her down, but ber's didn't. Horam Tied her at It. aid risked (arrWng everything anay. He hung on exnetly In liU plnie,and our passengers betted Lord Ravbnry wason hoard forcing the old man tn drlte her."But when we rounded L'shnnt and openedout the channel, the breeze loft us and the t-rawent down a bit. although It was still uglyenough. And that was the time Farrencame on the carpet again, and nlthough. as Ijay. what ho did got me tho sack from the company. I'll nnn that no man could have sh,iwnmore real dare-devil armor-nlated pluck,"He came up to me In the port alley waythat day Just after lunch, wanbllng about nhis feet, like he alwajs did hen we were Ina sea-way.'"Mr. Horrocks,' he says, which his cheap,sickly grin, 'it's a long time slme we'e hadone of our chats together.'""'rls,' said I. "I've been buT. I'm busynow. I'm ery 'behind, hand with making upthe ship's rapers.'"'Ah.' sajs he. you'ebeen so taken up withthis jacht business that It's dragged jotiawnTfrom j'our work. It feems to n-ve mado alarge amount of Interest In the ship."Oh.' I sain, 'they will bet on anything.'"He iaughrd In a weak nrt of wa. "Well,purser.' sass he. 'I hope joii'm feathered j'ournest oer the affair.'" 'I can't say 1 haie,' said I. and becanltumove off toward my room.""Pity that,' says he, "when It's so easr.'"I turned round. 'How do jou mean? Couldyou make money out of it?'" 'Certainly I could. If I wished to; only, nsyou know. 1 consider it wrong to bet.'" 'Then', said I. a bit sarcastically. oumut have Information which nobody else onthis ship has got.'"His eyes wandered oer me with a look nfsurprise, and a lurch sent him agatnst a cabindoor. He was a maj who ne-er found hissea legs. 'And whv shouldn't I have?' he f.n) s." 'Well, If It -oraes to that, how can jou ofall people know what the jacht lsdoinzl.ere?'" 'Never mind. Mr. Horrocks. how I pickednp the knowledge, bnt jou an takn It fromme that I not only know who's al-ourd, but1 also know- that yacht's exact bus!neM." '1 hat's an a set of value.' I -mid, and thenstopped and considered a uilnute. 'Is thereany consideration I ;ould orTer which wouldInduce you to part with the know ledge?""" 'My dear Horrocks,' bo said, "if jou wantto know, of courne. I'll tell jou freelj nough.I'd have told you anj' time if nu'd askedme. Only I don't think w've seen much nfone another since the yacht's been In s glit.""He had me there." "It's a bit of a long storj'.' he went on.'hut ir you can wait a minute or sn I'll tellIt vou now If you think no one Is likelyto overhear us, standing where we are.'" "Certainly not, Mr. Farren.' said I. 'Vourome right along to my room and have h clg.tr.Vou won't drink whiskey I know, but j'oushall have Iced lemonade In two shakes If youcare for that.' "The purser of the Laconic teased speaking,and scared a mat h. When it was wellalight ne held the charred end of his cigar inthe flame, and watched llnlth Interest. "Iam afraid," herald, "that J am boring yougentlemen with all the1 preliminaries." Inet er could tell a tale well. Ilealdrs, there'sone man In this smoke room who could finishthis yarn much better than I can. He knowsa lot nf facts about It that I havo not evenguessed at up t now."The eyes of the smoke room swung roundtill they all converged on Pltcalrn. but thatexcellent person for onro In his life lookedslightly nonplussed. The purser catno to hisrescue. He Intimated that Pltcalrn's brainwss quite unrquul tn guessing the seauel ofthe yarn, and again Invited the onlv man whocould aulsh It to do so In detail. Wo beganto look at one another with Interest. It wasoccurring to each of us that we mut havestruck up a shipboard acquaintance withsome man who only a few ycurs previouslyhad been concerned In a verj remarkable rob.cerj'. But after a cursory surver hud nutshown anv nue to appear obtru'lvely irulltvlaltbough for somo reason ne few of us seemedto be looking exactly at our best Just then)a quulul leollngof restraint gnt hold of us.Each man senmed to feel that it was vaguelyInsulting tn look at his neighbor, unci eresglanced UP toward the deck Rbove, mid thesmoke mlrt thickened. Hut by degreesfilances were lowered, and found a safe restng place on tho person of Mr. Horrocks.It was Vereker who voiced tho coneralwish. "I think, purser." he said, "we shallha-e to bother you. Vou have shown suchpower as a rnconteur that tho other man.whoever he mHj' be. Is evident!) nervous ofentering Into competition."The purser grinned, and bit the nd from afresh cigar. "Funny thing, .Sir Hands," saidhe, "bi.t Tarren was nervous, ton. WhenFarren came Into my room that dnj I thoughthe would have fainted, and for good ten minutes he sat there on my sofa with the colorsgoing and coming from his face like the limelight In a thentre. But I didn't hurrv him oranything. 1 let him take his time, and i-at onthe bed and n niched the yncht through myporthole. She was there In bur usual placoJust abeam, with about a quarter of ft milnof ugly looking water between her and us, andI was conning over In iny mind how I whsgoing to make dividends out nf her.rarrenlroused me up by calling my name,and 1 tell you what I saw when I turnedround fairly made me sweat. Ho was standing there with his back against the door andope hand turning tho key behind him au Ilooked. He'ii a revolver In his cither list, withtho second fluver on tho trigger, and It didn'trequire much brains to see that almteter elseho might be he was no hloom'ng amateur witha gun. He was looking yslck enough still,but I uhe him credit, liocamo to the pointlike a man."'NiM' I'll tell nu, Mr. Horrncks. whntthat jacht's there for," he says, 'nhe's cometo take away the King Diamond, and I'mhere to carry It ncroso to her, I'll trouble inufur that safe key which hangs ntlhe end nfyour watch chain.'"Well. I'll own freely I was took all of aheap. 'By htm ens, Mr. Farren,' I began tostammer, 'this Is piracy 'but he cut me short.""l quite agree with yon.' he answered, "butwe'll take all that for said, Pegnt no timeto talk-and It would annoy mo ery much toshoot jou, I don't like you fcjr yourself. Horrncks, hut you mentioned you have a wife andfamily In lindon, and I've a respect for them.Turn round, pleiwc. Thanks. Now, jou'llquite understand that my pistol U within afnot nf your backbone, and If you force mto shoot vou, I shall Just take the key andhelp nil self. Rn I want jou to clearly understand that jou'll only lose your Hfu If you areobstinate through any foolish notions of being faithful to our trust, and lose It quiteuselessly. Kindly shift your bedclothes oiCtothe floor,'"I did It,'"Now switch off thst infernal alarm bellnhleh you bragged about and open the sale.'"I did that, too." 'The King Diamond, please.'"I banded, nlpa the morocco com. I hearditthe two clicks aa ho opened, and .shut It tomake sure tho gem was all right, and then hsordered ma to clasp my hands behind myneck and go out of the cabin. "I'll Ifars touyour gallon and a hnlf of other goms,' said Be.'and you can swear that you defendou themIf vou think that will save your credit. Anyway, say what you choone, I will never contradict Jou. Now. outside, please, quickly.'"I etnped Into the alley way and tho doorslammed on my heels. I heard the bolt shootIn the lock, and I fancy It's to my credit thatI didn't stay there gaping to think, I racedfor tho chart houso at top speed. The oldmnn wasn't there. He'd gono on tn tho upperbridge. And away I went after him."I gave hlji ;ny tnle In twenty words, andinstinctively we both looked toward thejacht. Hhe had slowed down and was edgingIn toward our track. Bevnnd a dount Farrenhod spoken the truth, bho was there aftert'10 King Diamond, and ho had signalled herout nf mv cabin port,"Hut what was to be tho next move wcould not gues. I'ho skipper rang 'stand by'to the engine room, and walled developmentswith his Tiand nn the telegraph. '.My greatrieott!' I heard him mutter, 'they're never going to havo the cheek tn board us. Thej'llstove In half our platoa if they trj it on withthis sea running.' ...."I leminded him that the.yacht had twoknots motospenj than wo hivu.'"I know that,' sals the old man. BTgum, this Is a regular Itoblnsnn Crusoe piracvnuslness. And tho worst of It Is, I! theycome on board here with adtrcn rifles we anothing that can stop them from Just helpingthemselves to what they fancy ' He ranhis eje round the horizon. Thre waa a Hamburg-Americanboat awav astern of us, and acouple ot steam collicis and half a dozenold wind Jammers on ono side or theother, nnd not such a thing as a cruiser Insight, of course. Juet becauso we wantedone. 'That vaoht's been run away wlth.that swh-t'a the matter with her. This Isn't asort of game a man like Lord Hnybury would" 'She's slowing down, sir.' said I. 'She'dropping aatrn of us.' and I was going to saysomething else when a regular stream of yellsbioko out from our pnBseugers, who were allleaning over he port rail tn see what thisyacht they had been betting about so Industriously was un to."' "Man overboard! There he 1st Bv Jove,ho's sunk. No, there hols again! Throw alife buov, tome one! It's Farron, that littlemlsdonnrv man, Farren! He Jumped outthrough a port, just squeezed out head first!He w as sucked down under the propellerl Ho'sgot pn arm cut ofTI He hasn't, ho's holding onto a cork belt with that arm he Isn't swimming with! He Isn't swimming, he can'tswim : look at the wav he's clawing about !'"Tho mate on watch had gnt a whistle between his teeth before ynu cnuld say 'knife.''Port life! oat,' ho shouted. 'Tumble aft thecrew'-nnd then led the way himself, and stentfur the aw nine lashings with his kniro. Heleft the bridge to the old man, and the oldman rang off the engines. But a ilg steamerlike ours carilesway. and we weren't prepnied. and the yacht was. They slowed clownclose b Farren. ard their boat was In the water before ours had left tho oavlts. and I guussthey had picked him up and got him on hoardand their boat run un ngsln before ours washalf way to where the life buoys floated."There wns nothing for 1: wo were Justhelnless. nud we had to see that yacht ltnrboard her helm nnd Menm away for the opensei. with l'arren and the King Diamond andm j cbara. ter. and nil our poor old steamboat'sblooming credit stowed awav under herhatches. The onlv thing we could do was to gocm to !-nnthainptnn and report. But wedidn't much expect to recoer tho King Diamond ngaln. A man that couldn't swim andwhnhad pluck to diop headfirst out of a portInto a heaiy Ma. and ilsk being chawed un bvthe propeller, waiu't the sort to gle up aPltni once he'd got his fincerscver It. Andthat Is nbent what hnppened."Tho yacht had been run awav with. Showas nil ready for sea. and victualled for a longcrnlf-e, when up comes a chap with a lettr, forced, of course, signed "Raybury." tothe sklnper. telling him to accept bearer'sorders In eveiy paitlcular. The chap, whowas Fuiren's partner, met our steamer withhtm on board bv arrangement at sea. and stoodby nnd waited for a signal. He picked Farrenup precious nenr drowned, with the moroccocase all right In his pocket, and then theyshcvd aeros for the Mexican Oulf. Whenthe jai'hl't, -.klpDer oblerted. Lord ltaj-burj'"sletter rtas shown. -and finally, when col ranout and thcyfoun- themselves in tho Floridai channel. Farren and his friend rowed ofT In a, boa., a)l:ig they would arrange about robunkering, nnd naturally enough didn't turnup again, and the jacht. after drifting threedays helplesily under canvas In the IJulfMieam, was pekedupbva tramp and towedInto Norfolk, Va."The whole thing was about ns disgustinglysimple ns a man could want when you knew howit hud been done, and the comput j. who hadntnatche.1. the war it had been worked up to,said the robbery might have been prevented.It was no use my UlMng. The blamed thinghsd leaked Into the paiiers and somebody hadgot to jo a scapegoat, and here was I closeand hands-. I guess thej wouldn't have beenhuman If they hadn't sacked me.""And the Liverpool-New York run wouldhavo missed its best purser." snld Pltcalrn."Old fellow, here's jour most exiellont andhonored health! But did the fools of policenever stumble upon your Farren man?""Not they." said Horro.-ks. "So far as Iknow the fellow never came up to tho Mirface till now.""What's this'-" said Pltcalrn. "D'you meanto say he's in this smoking room right now?""1 hat's what I mean.' said the puieer. "Isuppose he's been sick or sorrj or somethingbefore, but. anj wav, this is hi llrst apoearance1 on this ship; so he's inon under tne snrface1 row for five venrs nnd one month and perhaps ho may have t-nmet'.lng tn explain."The purser lit his new cigar, and no onespoke. The onlj soun-'s were the noises ofthe ship nnd the faint clash of the sear outside.ihe pureer got his cigar In full blast nndlooked at the glowl g tip meditatively. "Dundns is the name b " shipneJ under here," heI observed at last. "Tlty for ome people. Isn'tIt, that they can't change a face as handily asthj can alter n. signature.""I beg jour pardon." s,ld thellttlo qule.man with sloping shoulders who sat next toI Vereker. "but ynu apparent! J- mean me, purer. My namos.Dundas, and through seasickness this Is my first appearance in thisI room. Did I annex this celebrated gom?""Vou did," said Horrocks grlmlj."Well," said the small man. "I appear tn bsmore fortnnnte than I thought, and far morefond of the saltwater. What do you think,I Vereker' -lust live jearsanda month ago Ithink jou said, purser,"Sir Handul Vereker did not answer at once.He lay back first and lauzhcd till tears randnwn the crow's feet at the corners of hiseves. Hut nt last ho sobered down nnd gothis voice again, and sold- "Punier. I'mafraid you've got the wrong pig by tho ear thistime. Five years ago from now Mr. Dundaswas Second Secietaryln the British Kmbissyut I'okln. I was doing work at Shanghai then,and saw him constantlj". In fact, I've knownhim all my life."The purnersHld, "Oh," and looked red andfoolish. Duudus, however, had some more toadd on the subject. "Your man. Farren," horcid. "Ir evidently very much llko me In personal appearance"")i 1 mI ouldn't havo tumbled into makingsuch a mistake." ald Ihe purser."Precisely. Well, just 1 efnre I came here,I happened to he in ,-anghhal, and a doctor Iknow there tnld trie ihet'il got my double in hos-Fltal. Out of curiosity I went to see him, andmust sav the pair of us wero as much allkons two er hock buttles. It wasn't a flattering find, because the other poor fellow wasclean mntl. He'd n lump f rough crystal alrrost as big as a pigeon's egg which he fancied was u diamond that evcrybodj' was trying tn steal frnni him. Curlnu shaped crystnlIt was. ton, with markings like throe accurateconcentric circles In oneenrt.""My great scott'" Mid tho purser, "and, a cross just around the corner from the otherend.' Long-shaped, and a bit of a faint yellowsmudge down one side'""That's the thing," said Dundas."Whj. man," shouted the purser, "It's theKing Diamond Itseir jnu're talk.ng about,'lheie couldn't be another like It,""Hut I tell j on," said Dundas, "It was nodiamond at all. It was only some sort of rrj sInl that whs not hard enough to scratch glass,nnd no sano man would have taken 1 for anything else when he came to handle It.""Whew." said tho purser, and mopped ajiolst lornhead with his pocket handkerchtof."Did you aver have the pern you wero talking nf In your f'nsers?" asl.ed Vereker,Tome tn think of It, I nev tr did," the pursorsaid. "It was sealed before me. and then delivered Into my charge, and I gave a rcctlpt." 2"Then, Iran outsider might form a theory,"eald Verek'r, "the renl none was stolen omen-hereat the Cape, and a forgery sent home,en that the theft might not be discovered tillas late an hour as possible, How those thievesout there rnusi have clinckled when theyheard nf Farren A- Co. coining ex-maclilna tolulu play their game.""Christopher Moses," slid the purser,thoughtfully. "You're right. Sir Itandul.That'a the game for a thousand. And Where'sthat xtoiiu now by any chunieV""Ah. there jnu're iihklng me too much,"said Vereker. "Hut 1 shouldn't ray It wasbroken up. When It hnd ntllclally ceased toexist. It could be veri easily smuggled nut ofthe Cane, nd once It got carted away to thoKnst, there would be hemps of purchasersreuciv to buy and hold iholr tnngues for a little discount. A Khali or an Indian rajah nevercares about a big diamond's history, so longas ho gets It inugly Into his treasury. Verylikely, to hazard another guess. It was broughthomo tn jour own steamer, not many jardsaway from Its bogus courln. That wouldIinvo been the safest way to dispose of It."Tho purser elghod. "Well." lie said. "Ishall give myolllcial report of this to my oldcompany, for the sake of helping to clear myown ticket. And thoy can act hoar theyplease. But If that stono wero mine, I guessI'd sell my present Interost In 't for Just twolingers nf whlskej',"Pltcalrn struck a bell, and the smoke roomsteward came toward him, "Apronos," hesaid, "what'll everybody have? It's mvshout. I fine myself drinks round for Interruptlng. I thought It was merely a ship'schestnut we were going to have. I'd no Ideathe purser was going to put his foot ln.lt so dellcloualy with Mr. Dundas." ..THE WIZARD.dy ii. ninrsii haggard.Author ot" She," "Allan Quatermaln," "Ring Solomon's Mines," e.CopvrUiht, 1JW. biy JT. Rider JTciO(7at-d.OHAPTF.R XIX.TI1E JAM. or THE On RAT rt.ACE.On the morrow at sundown all that remained of Thomas Owen wns laid to rest beforetho nllar of the little churjh, Nodwcngo, theKing and Hokosa lowering him Into the grave,while John, his first disciple read over himthe burial service of tho Christians, which ithad been one of the dead man's last labors totranslate Into the language of the Amasuka.Before tho uersmony was finished a soldier,carrying n spear In his hand, pushed his waythrough the dense and weeping crowd, and haying saluted, whispered something Into the earof the King. Nodwengo started, and with alast look of farewell at the face of his friend,left tho chapel, accompanied by some of hisGenerals, who were present, muttering to Hokosa that he was to follow when all was done.Accordingly some few minutes lator he wentand was admitted Into tho Council Hut. wheroCaptains and messengers (ror to be seen arriving and departing continuously."nokosa," said the King, "you havo dealttreacherously with me tn the past, but I believe now that your heart Is true. At tholeast, I follow the commands of our dead master and trust you. Listen, The outposts haosighted an Impl of many regiments advancingtoward the Grent Place, though whether or noIt bo my nwn Impl returning victorious fromthe war with my brother, I cannot say. ThereIs this against It, however, that a messengerhas but just arrived reporting that the Generalshas e perceived the hosts of Hafela encampedupon a ridge over against the gorge, wherethey awaited him. If that be so, they conscarcely have given him battle, for the messenger Is swift of foot and has travelled nightand day. Yet how- can this be tho Impl ofHafela, who, say the Generals, Is eniampedupon the ridge?""He may have left the rldze. King, havingbeen warned of tho ambush.""It cannot be, for when the runner startedhis fires were thero and his soldiers were gathered round them.""Then perhaps his Captains sit upon theridge with some portion of his strength to deceive those who await hltn in the gorge, while,knowing that here men are few, he himselfswoops down upon you with tho main body ofhis impl.""At least we shall learn presently," answered tho King, "but If it be as I fear and wearo outwitted, what Is there that we can doagainst so many?"Now, one of the Captains advised that theyshould stay and hold the place."It Is too large," answered the K!ng."Theywill burst the fences and break our line."Another suggested that they should fly. and,avoiding the regiments of Hafela in the darkness of the night, should travel swiftly Insearch of the main'army that had been sent tolie in ambush."What." said Nodwengo. "leaving the agedand the women and children to perish, forhow can wo take such amultltudo? No, Iwill have none of this plan."'Then Hokosa spoke. "King." he said, "listen to my counsel. Command now that all thowomen and the old men, taking with themsuch cattle and food as are In the town, departat once Into the Valley of Death, and collectIn the open space that lies beyond theTTroo ofDoom, nenr the spring of water that Is there.The valley is narrow and the cliffs are steep,and It may chance that by the help of Heavenwe shall be able to hold It till the army returns to relieve us, to seik whlchlmcisongersmust be sent nt once with these ttdingj.""The olan Is good." said tue King "thoughnone had thought of it, but so we shall lose thetown.""Towns can be rebuilt," answered Hokosa,"but who may restore the lives nf men?"As the words left his lips, a runner burst Intothe council, crying, "King, the Impl Is that ofHafela, and the Prince leads It In person. Already they stand upon the Plain of Fire."Then Nodwengo rose and Issued his orders,commanding that all the Ineffectls e populationof the town, together with such food and cattle ascould le gathered, should retreat at once Intathe Valley of Death. By thl time the four orfive thousand soldiers who were left In theGreat Place had been paraded on the openground tn front of the King's house, wherethey stood, stll and silent. In the moonlight.Nodwengo and the Captains went out to them,and as they saw him come they lifted theirpears like one man, giving him the royal salute of "King!" Ho held up. his hand and addressed them."Soldiers." he said, "we hae been outwitted. My impl is afar, and that of HafelaIs at our gotes. Yonder In the volloj-. thoughwo be few, we can defend nursel res till Miccnrreaches us, which already messengers havegone out to seek. But first we must givotime for the women and children, the sick andthe agod, to withdraw with food and rattle,and this we can do In one way only, bj- keepingHafela at bay till they have passed the archw ay.all of them. Now, soldiers, for tho sake ofyour own lives, of your honor and of those youlove, swear to me in the holy Name, which wehave been taught to worship, that you willfight out this fight without fear or faltering.""We swear it In the holy Name," roared theregiments."Then victory Is already ours," answeredthe King. "Follo-v me. Children of Fire!" andshaking his great spear, he led the way towardthat portion of the outer fence upon whichHafela was Ldvancing. Bv now tho townbehind them was a scene of almost Indescribabletumult and confusion, for the companies de.slled to the task were clearing the numberlesshutt of their occupants and collecting women,children, and oxen In thousands, preparatoryto driving them Into the defile. Panlo hodseized many of these poor crenturos, who. InImagination, already saw tbemselres Impaledupon the cruel spears of Hilda's troops, and.Indeed, In not a few Instances, believed thosewho were urging them forward to be theenemy. Woman shrieked and wrung theirhands, children walled pltenusly, oxen lowed,and the infirm and aged vented their grief Ingroans and crlss to Heaven for mercy. Intruth, so difficult was the task of marshallingthis motley array at night, numbering as It did10,000 or 18,000 souls, that a full hour wentby before the mobbegan'to raovo, slowly anduncertainly, toward the place nf refuge,whereof the opening wns so narrow that butfew of them could pass It at a time.Meanwhile Hafela was developing tho'attack.Forming his great army into the ahnpe of awedge, h raised his battle cry aud rushed downon the first line of fortifications, which hestormed without difficulty, for they wero defended by a few skirmishers nnl'. Next heattacked tho eecond line, and carried It afterheavj-;flghtlng, then. hurled himself upon themain fence of tho kraal. Hero It was that thefrny began In earnest, for hers Nodwengo waswaiting forlhlm. Thrice the thousands rollednn In face of a storm of.spears, and thrice theyfell back from the wide fence of thnrns and thetrail of stone bahlnd It. Br now the battle hadraged for about an hour and a half, and It wasreported to the King that the first of the women and children bad pasted the archway Intothe valley, and that all of them were cloar ofthe eastern gatG'.of the town,"Then it Is time that we follow them," saidthe King, "for If we wait here until the warrlors of Hafela are among us, our retreat willbecome a rout, and soon there will be noneto follow. Let one company," and he namedIt, "hold the fence for a while to give ns timeto withdraw, taking the wounded with us.""We hear you, King," said on of the company, "bnt our Captain Is killed.""Who among you will take oyer the coin.mand of these men and hold tho breach?"asked' Nodwengo of tho group of officersabout him."I, King," answered old Hokosa. lifting hlspcnr.'fnr 1 care not, whether I live or die.""Go to, boaiterl" cried another. "Whoamong us ca-cs whether ho lives or dies whonthe King commands?""That we shall know to-morrow," said nokosa, and the soldiers laughed at the retort."So ho It," said the King; and while silentlyand swiftly he led off the regiments, keepingIn tho shadow of the huts. Hokosa and his hundred men posted themselves behind the weakened fence and wall. Now for tho fourthtime the attacking regiment came forwardgrimly, on this occasion led by the Prince himsel. As they drew near, Hokosa leaped uponthe wall, and, standing there tn the brightmoonlight whero all could sro htm, he calledto them to hnlt. Instinctively ,hoy obeyed."Is It Hafela whom I see jnnder?" ho asked."Ay, It is I," answered the Prince. "Whntwould you with me. wizard and traitor?""This only, Hafela. I would ask you whatyou seek here?""That which yon promised me, Hokoin, thecrown of my father nnd certain other things.""Then get you back. Hafela, for you shallnever win them. Have I prophesied falsely tnyou nt any time? Not so-netther do I prohpesv falsely now. Oct jou hack whence ynucam. an! J'our wolves with you, else shallyou hide hero forever.""Do yon dare to call down evil on me.wizard?" shouted the Prince furiously. "Yourwife Is mine, and now I take your life also,"and ivlth all his strength ho hurled nt himthe great spear he held.It hissed past llokow's head, touching hisear. but he never-flinched from the steel."A poor enst. Prince," he i-nld, laughing,"hut so It must have been, for lam guardedby thst which jnu cannot see. My wifo j-ntthave, and she shnll re your ruin, Myllfejoumay take, but ero It leaves me, Hafela, I shnlle you dead and our army scattered. TheMessenger is passed away, hut his power Isfallen upon ma, nnd I speak the truth to j on,O, Prince nnd warriors who are already dead."Now a shriek of Jlshmv nnd fury rose fromtho hundreds who heard Dili, prophecy of HI,for of Hokosa and his mnglc thoy were terribly nfrald."Kill him! Kill the vvlznrd!" they shouted,and a ruin of spears rushed toward him.The) rushed toward him, thej- passed above,below, around, but of them all not onotouched htm."Did I not tell jou that I was guarded bythat which you cannot see?" ho asked, contemptuously, and then slonlv defendedfrom the wall, amidst a great silence."When men aie scarce the tongue must playa part." heexpltlnel to his companions, whostared at him wondering. "By nuw the Kingand those with him should hnvo reached theeastern gate: where is, had we fought nt once,Hafela would bo hard upon his hecl. for v.earo lew, and who can hold a buffalo with a ropeof glass? Yet I think that I spoke truth tvhenI told him that the garment of the Messengerhas fallen upon mv shoulders, and that deathawnlts him and his companies, as it awaits tnealso aud many nf us. Now, friends, be ready,for the bull charges and soon wo mutt feel hishorns. Tnls, nt least. Is loft to jou, to diegloriouslj'."While he was still speaking the first files oftho rcglmont rushed upon tha fence, tearingaside the thorns with their hands till a passagewas made through tl.em. Then they sprangupon the walLIthere to be met by ice spears otHokosa and his men 'hruMlng upward frcm beneath Us shelter. Time fter time they sprang,ami time after time thoy fell back dead orwounded, till nt last, da'-hlng forward in onedense column, the) poured over the itones asthe rising tide pours met the rocks on t ne seashore driving the defenders Dcforo them bytho sheer weight of numbers."'The game is plas el!" cried Hokosa. "Flylow to theeastorngute, forhrrewecando nothing more."50 they fled, those who survived of them, nndafter them came the foe. sicking aud tiring thedeiterletl towuus they advanced.Hokosa and his men. cr r ither the half nfthem, reached the gate and parsed It In safety,barring it after them, and thereby delaying theatlufkerstilltheycoulil burst their way throughit. Now hundred" nf huts wern nllre, and theflames spread aw-iftly, llgh'lng up the countryfar and wide. In the glare nf them, Hokcncould see that nlreadv a full two-thirds of the-rowd of fugitives had pas-eil tho narrow arch;while Nodwengo and the soldiers sere drawnup In companies upon the-tcep and rockyslope that led to it. protecting their retreat.lie advaiurd and reported hlmselt."So jou hsve Used through It," said Nodwenco. "I shall dlo when mj hour enmes, and not before," Hokosa answered "We did .sell yonder, and yet the most of us are allvo to toll thetnle. for I knew when to bo. He readv. King,for the. foe press usclofc. and that mob behindus crawls onward liken snail.'"As he spoke the pursuer hroke thrrugh thefence and gate of the burning town, nnd micemore the fight began. They had the "dv ant aceof numbers: but Nolvvengo nnd his troopsstood In a wide road upon higher ground protected on elthor stde by wall", and were, moreover, rested, not breathless and wenry sithtit , el like the men of Ilufels. Slnvslj. fighting every Inch nf the war, Nodwengo wnspushed back, nnd slowly the long ant-like linenf women nnd sick and cattlo crept throughthe opening In the rock, till nt length nil ofthem were gono."It Is time." said Nodwengo. glancing behind him. "for onrarmsornw weary."Then he envo orders and cnmpuiy by company the defending force follow ed nn the pathof the fugitives, till at length, amldt a roar nfrage and illppnlntnietit, the Inst of them vanished through the nreh. Hokosa among ihem,nnd the place was blocked with etones, abuvnwhich shone a hedge of spcirs.CHAPTEK XX.-vowa. sets A i-vaiik.Thus ended the flrt,t night's battle, since forthis time tlio enemy had had enough. Nodwengo nnd his men had also hnd enough, for nutof the 5.000 nf them some 1,100 wero killed orwounded. Yet thev might not ieit, for allthat uluht. a-.sl-11'd by the ivnmen. they labored, building atone walls ncross the narrow -'Stparti of the v alley, l-tn the entile, womennnd clitldrm were moved along the gorge,whli h in shape mu tie compared ton smallbottle with two necks, one nt either end, anilencamped in tha opening nf the second neck,whero was tho spring of water. This spot waschown both because here alone water cnuld boobtained, without which that could not holdoutmore than u single ilny, and becauso the kopplnwhereon grew the stiHiige-looklng oupho blaKnown as the Tree of Doom, nfforcied a naturalrnmpar against nil !..Shortly nftor dnwn. while the soldierswere resting and eating r.f such food as couldbe procured, for tho most part i-trlns of rawor halt-rooked meat.ciit from hastllj -killed entile, the o ii-luughl was renewed with vigor.Hafnla directing hlse'torts tn the for' Ing of thenatural archway. Hut. strive n hi- would,this he cnuld not do. 'nr It wns choked withstones and thorn and guarded by brave men."You do but wnste sour labor. Hafrln." nnldNoma, who stood by him vrnteblng theassnult."What. then. Is to Ihj ilone?" he asked, "forunless wu come nt them w-c cannot kill them,It was clever of them to Inke refuge In this hole.I thought surei) thut they would light it outyonder, bonenth the fences of the Ureal Place.""Ah!" sho answered, "you forgot that theybad IIoVo.ii on their side. Hid jou, then,think to catch him sleeping This retreat wasHokosn's counsel, I learned It from the llpofthat wounded Captain before they killed him.Now, It serins that the n are but two paths tofollow, and sou can choose between Ihem, Thesue Is tnt-ena u regiment n dav and a half's Journey across the c II tr top to gunrd the furthermouth of the valley and in "ill till these Jackals starve In their hole, for certainly they -onncser rnmoput.""It has started six hours s tnee," said Hafela."and though the precipices are steep, havingtbe moon to fin'el by. it should reach this rivermonth of the s alley before dnwn to-mnrrciw.cutting Nodwengo off from the plains, If Indeedhe should dare to venture nut i non them,which, with eo small n force, he will not do.Yet this first nlau of yours must fall. Noma,seeing that before thoy starve within the Generals of Nodwengo will bu back upon us fromthe mountains, catching us between the hammer and the anvil, and I know not how thatfight would go.""Yst sn.sn or late. It must be fought.""Nay," ho answered, "for my hope Is thatshould the Impl return to Hnd Nodwengodead, they will surrender and acknowledge meaa King, who.am the llrst of the blood royal.But what Is jour second plan?"By way of answer sho pointed tn the cliffabove them. On the right-hand side, facingthe arohway, was a flat lodge overhangingthe valley nt a height of a hundred fret."If you ta.i come yonder," she said, "Itwill be easy to storm this gate, for there Herocks In plentv, and men cannot fight whenstones are dropping -n their head".""Hut how can wo come jonder to Hinthome nf vultures, where never a man hasset R foot? Look, the cliff above Is sheer.No rock rabbit could stand upon It."With her eye Noma measured the ells,tance from the brink of the precipice to tuebroad ledge commanding the rulley."Sixty paces, not more." she said. "Well,yonder are oxen In plenty, and out of theirhides ropes , can be made, and out of ropes ,a ladder, down which men msy pats: ten, oreven live, would be enough. tt..i.. "Well thought of, Noma." said nafela."Hokosa told us last night that to hlmkridpassed tho wlsciom of the Messenger, but Ifthis be sn. I think that to you has passedthe gullu of Hokosa.'' n."It seems tn me thnt somo or It a'deieswith him." answered Noma lnughlng.Thon the Pr'nco gave orders, and withmany workers of hides tolling at It. withintwo hours tho ladder wns rcadj. tho etavoson It, set twenty Inches apart, being formed ofknnhkerriea, or the broken sliaftR of stabbing inears. Now they lonored It from thetop of the precipice, s.i that Its end restcclupon the ledge, and dnwn It enmo severalmen, who swung upon Its klddv length llkofilderr on a web. Ileachlng this great shelfIn safety and advancing 'o the edgo of It.these men started a boulder, which, nit .oughas It chanced It hurt no one, fell In themidst of a group of defenders and boundedawav through them. .. .. ,"Now we must be going," said Hokosa.looking up, "for nn man can flkt.t acalnstrnrka. and our speais cannot reach thofobirds. Had tho army beon taught the uso ofthe bow. as I counselled In past dJ a. womight still havo hold tho archway, but theycalled It a woman's weapon, and would havonone of It."As he spoke nncthrr stono foil, criiflilntjnutthe life nt a man wiio stood i.exttohlm. Thenthey retreated to the first wall, which hadbeen piled up during the night, where It wasnot possible to mil rncka upnn them fron thocliffs above. This wall, and others reared ntIntervals behind it, they set to work I" strengthen ns much as they could, making Ihe mo'tof tho llino thnt was left to them before thoenemv could clear tho way and march on toattack. Pioscntly thev wern 'through, andsweoplng down upon them with a roar, thinking to carry the- wnll at n single rush. Hut Inthla thoy fulled. Indeed. It wns only after nnhour's hard lighting, and bv tho expedient ofcontinually attacking the work with freshcompanies that nt length thoy stormed it.When l!okoa snw that he could no loi.gerhold the place, but befrue the foe was unon blm,he drew nlT his soldiers to the second wall, aquarter of n mllo or more nvvny. and hero thelight begun ntraln, Ard so It vventnn for hourafter hour, ns one by one the fortifications werecarried bv the weight nf numbers, for tho attackers fought desptratels under tho eje nftheir Prince, caring nothing for the terribleless thev siifTercd In men. Twice tho force eifthe defenders was chanced, by order of Nodwengo, fresh men being sent from the com--innlcsheld In reserve to take the place of thosowho hnd homo the brunt cf the battle. This.Inleed, It wns iieres-nry to e'o. seeing that Itwas imnnsslblo Ut carry wnter tn soman -..nndIn that burning valley mn could nnt fight forlong athlrst. Onlv Hokosa itnved on. fuetheybrought him drink In u gourd, nnd where erthn fray wns Orrest there he was nlvvrjs: nor.although speurs were rnlned upon him by hundreds, w as he touched bv one nf them.At length, as the night fell, the King's menwero driven from their lust "cherrn. In tho western half of the vnllev. cros the onen spare,bac k upon the knnplo where stood the Tree nfDoom. Hore they stayed n while, until, overmatched nnd outworn, they were pushed fromUs rneks across the narrow- stretch nf brokenground. Into tho shelter nf a great elnne echcrmor wall, thnt ran from side to side of tho further neck nf th valley, whereon thousandsnf women, ar d such men as could be spared,had been working Incessantly during the pastnight nnd dnv.It arns as ho retreated nmong the last uponthis wnll that Hokosa caught sight nf Nomafor the firM time since they parted In the houseof tho Messenger. In tho fore front of histroops, directing the attack was Hafela. thoPrlnco. and nt his side stone Noma, carrying Inher hand a little shield and a spear. At thismoment, the saw him, and called tn him:"You have fought well. Wizard, but to-morrow-all vnur magic shall avail vnu nothing,'or It shnll be jour last dav upon this earth ""Av. Noma." he said, "and yours, also."Then of a sudden a tompany nf the King'smm rushed from the shelter of the wall uponthe attackers, driving them back to the koonte.and killing cvsral. so that In the confusionand gathering darkness Hokosa lost sight ofher. though a man ut his side declared ththe aw hi r fall beneath the thrust of an assegai. And thus ended the second day.Njw when tho watch had lieen set the Kingand his Captains took counsel together, fortheir hearts were heavy."Listen." ruld Nodwengo. "Out of 5.000soldiers n thousand have been killed nnd nthous ind Ho among us wounded. Hark to thogroaning of them. Also vve have with us women anil children and sick to tho number ofl'-'.OOO. a' d between ns and those who wouldbutcher them every nnn there stands but a single wall. Nor is this the worst of it. Thespring cannot supplv the wants of sn great nmultitude In this hot place, and It Is fenredthat rresentlv thn water will bo done. Whatwuv shall we turn' If w e surrender tn Hafelaperhaps he will spare the lives nf the womenand children, but whatever he may promise,the most nf us he will surely slnv. If wofight and are defeated, then once his regiments are nmong us. all wi'l be slnln accordingtn the undent custom of our people. Ihave bethought me that we might retreat 'through the valley, but the river beyond Is In Iflood: also, it is certain thnt before this multitude cnuld reach It. the Prince will have senta force to cut us nil whllo ho harassea nurrear. Now, let him who has counsel speak.'"King, I have counsel," s.l Hokosa. "Whntwere the words that the Messenger spoke to usbefore he died? Did he not sav: 'riven nowthe heathen Is at vnur gates, and many nf voirshall perish nn his spenrs: but I tell vnu thathe shall not conquer?' Did he nnt snv: "Befaithful and cling tn the Cross, end dn nnt dnretoriiuht your Lord, fnr He will protect nuand y-iur children after vnu. end He will bevnur Captain and rem shall te His people'' Didhe nnt bid ynu also tn listen tn mv cnunsel?Then listen tn It, fnr It Is his; Your caseseems desperate, but have no fear and take nnthnught fnr tho mnrrnvv. fnr nil shall vet bewell. Let u now nrav to Him fhit the Me.seneer has revealed tn us. and Whnm now heImplores on our behalf In that place where heU tn guide us nnd tn ssve ns, fir then surelyHe will hearken !o nur praver.""So be" It." said Nodwengo, nnd going outhe strod upon a pillar nf stnnc in the mnnnllc'it and niTered up bis supplication in thehearing of the multitude.Meanwhile those In the cnmpnf Hnfela weroalso taking cnunsel. They had fought brnve.1'. Indeed, nnd carried tli srhnnes; but atgreat cost, since foreverj- man that Nodwengobad lost three o' theirs had fallen. Moreover,thev wero In evil rae with weariness and thowant nf water, ns esrh drni thev drank mustbe carried to them from the Great Place Inbags made nf raw hide, which rtftiseel It tostink, fnr thev hnd but few gourds wl'h tliem."S'ovv, it Is strange," said Hafela. "thntthese men -.honld flirht so bravely, "celng thatthere are but a handful. There can be eenrco.'",000 nf them left, and yet I doubt not thnt bofore we carry tho-e last walls of theirs asmany nf sis or more will be dnwn. Aye. nndafter they are none with wo must meet theirgreat Impl when It returns, nnd of what willbefall ns then I cnrcelv like to think.""Ill fortune will befall vnu wtile Hokosalives," broke in Noma. "Had It not been fnrhim, this trouble had beon done with hy now;buthe is n wtzsrd.niiil by his wizardries he defeats u and puts heart Into "Nodwengo nndthe warriors. You yourself have seen htmthlsTdav defj Ing ns not once, but mnnv times,for upon his flcnh steel has nn power: as ' nndthis ts but the lieglnnlnr nf evil, for I nn- surethat he leads vnu Into some deep tran wherevou shall perish everlastlnclv Did he nnthimself declare tint the pnwer nf that deadn'llto woikernf miracles hnd follen upon him,nnd who can fight ngnlnst mrglc?""Wl o, indeed?" said Hafela, hnmhlv: for,like nil savage", he wns very superstitious,and, moreover, a sincere believer In Hnknsa'ssupernatural camcltles. "This wizard Is tonstrung fnr us: he Is Invulnerable, and. as Iknnw well.be enn rend tho secret thnnghts ofmn and ran suck wisdom from thn deadwhile to his eves tho darkness 's nn blind.""Nav. Hafela." answered Noma, "there Isone crack In his shield. Hear me: if wo rnnb-it'eatrh blm and hold him fast, we a'mllhave no need to fear him more, and I think Iknow how tu bit the trap.""How will vnu halt It?" asked Hafela."Thus Miilwav between the knpple nndthe wall behind which He the men of the Kingstands a fat rock, and all about that rock areetietrhei lh" bodies nf dead soldiers. Nowthis Is mv plan- that when next nne of thosedark ftnmi rlomls passes over the faro of thnmnnn. sz nt the srrnncest of nur warriorsshould crenn upon their bellies Into the shadownf tint rn-V. nnd the-o cast themselves dnwnthis w -iv nnd that. n though thev wero nlsnrumherrd with MieT slain. This "ilntie youshall despatch n herald tn call In the ears nftho King that ynu dcsrr f0 treat with him nfpe-i-e, The he will answer that If this be soyou en come beneath the walls nf his enmnand your herald shall refuse, saying that loiifear treachery '"But he shall add hat If Nodwengo will p,iIrt.V",',.n. ,0 nil'.'ln,'B alone tn that flat rock, youwill bid me. Noma, whom none can fear, to dnlikewise, and that there we can talk Ineight of hnth ai rules, nnd returning makereport to you nnd t, Nndvvenro. B Aft?",ward, so snnn as Hokosa haa set his foot uiionthe rnck. thne men who seem to he dead hhallspring upon him and drag him to our campwhere we ran deal with him: fnr onro thewizard Is takiin. the cause nf Nodwengo Is Inst"A good pitfall," said tho Prince; "but willHnVosa walk Into it?" "'"I think so, Hnfela. for three reasons HeIs altogether without fear: he will rte-lre It";l'l' make peace on behalf of the Kingand he has this strange w-nkness, that he tllilnves me. and will scarcely t uffer an occasionhn.Tlvor?5rl"rnIl-ra' " ' "'".ouah'S."So he It," said the Pilnce, "The a-ame. ..he trlfd. and If It fulls, why. we loseon'higwhereas. if It succeeds, vye gain Ifoko-a , wh cl.1. much i for with you I think that our armsw II never prosper while that accursed wizardsits )onder weaving hlssne Is. and hrinelnir r,f,imen to death by hundreds nnd bv thousand, m?'!," "i1" J1" li'" or,,rr8" " PreJentl'ywhen a cloud passed over the face of the mnnnsix men crert forward under the lee of the flS.rnck and threw hemselvcs down here anilthere among the dead, ""a ftnaSoon the clone! pnaed, and the herald artvanned across the open space blowing horn"ano jvavlng a branch In his hand to i&oVthShe came upon a mission of peace. ow "'(lb he co-iH-lU'd.)A WOMAN LH N TUAINER. I,v,ifir, rr.iXKA'fi i:xrrnii:xci:s x.vTit It OAOi: or It Kit I'KTS.1,1 onu Ar Tpeaehernup. neasfa, Hhe Bay,,and Bomettiwea Trove Cnsllr to thersliowrmnn In I.lon'e I'nce-Training theAnlmnle-Hex Annlnat Sex In Ihe Cage.A wedding In a lions' race (with the linns In f !It) relieves the ceremony of a good deal of the U 1conventionality usually surrounding such nc- Icaslnns, and three of the beasts held In mo.menlarv repose are picturesque substitute f0.the customary ushers and best man, even Itthey are nnt likely to become popular. Mm.Plankn, ono of the few Hon tamers, changedher name under suoh circumstances, and shestill enjoys going Into the same cace femror 'five times a day. She has still the husoand that isho married six years ago at St, Lnut In the Icage. Hut tho cage has no new terrors for her Ion that account,Pouie or tne experiences of the few womenwho undertake to enter lions' cages and turform with them are so different from me puo.Ho Impression on the subject that they areworth recounting. It Is not generally known Ithat there Is no beast used In public pcrfoim-ancesless to beronnird on and more persistent rIn treachery than the Hon. "Lions are lion,"Is Mine. Ptankn's summing up nf their disposetlon: nnd the tone of It Implies n world of Iknowledge of their natures which seems mott Preaellly condensed In Artemus Watd's formula :"uncertain critters.""There's Nero," said Mme. Planka, who Is ahlnndo so unmistakably from north Germanythat her nwn words are not needed to verify thesupposition, "who would nevor attack anybody,to judge from the war he genorally behaves.But It was from him that I received the worstInjuries I ever had. Ho attacked me In St. Paulwhen I was showing there, and the scars I gotthat night will never leave mo. Spitfire wasabout to have cubs, and she was more surlythan usunl. I had to whip her, aud I did It ,hard. Nero was the father of her cubs, and jwhen I was raising my hand once to strike her heJumped up out of the corner of the cage, leapedon my shoulders, tore the skin, and broke my jshoulderhlade: and all because I was beatinghis mate. He had never done anything of thekind before during all the years I had actedwith him. and there was no reason for my suepectlng that he ever would. I never trust the (lionesses for a moment. Even Mrs. Bowser, whohas nlwuys been gentle enough, hates me. asererv femalo animal hates a woman who has tocontrol ber. My husband can go Into the cagewith her. and even with Spitfire, and they're asmild as lambs. But he doesn't dare to go In ,when Nero Is In there. It's 'sex against sex' Inthe lions' cage."One of the features of the lion taming businessfrom a purely professional point of view thatwill Interest outsiders grew out of the St. Paulstorv that Mme. Planka told TnEBu.v reporter.When Nero tried to protect hlsmate and leaped "3on the performer, his weight shook the cace . kuntil It tottered and nearly fell to the ground. ( ftThe two lionesses were In the cage with him fyand Mme. Planka. The people In front of thecage took fright, and In panic rushed from the fsdoU Some sprained their ankles or their wrists, j .and others lost their pocketbooks. All of them jwent to the manager to be reimbursed for theirloss. It was the owner of the lions, however,who was called upon to pay. It Is a matter nf jprofessional ethics that the manager shall not !be compelled to pay the damages In such a ca-e.If there was any responslbllty on anybody, itrested on their owner." But we couldn't have It said that we had ileft without paying or we couldn't have gone '' away to let the manager be sued," Mme. PlankaI explained. "Then we would never have gotten ,I engagements anywhere. So we paid out S-100 ,l for ankles and wrists that were said to have ;I been sprained and pocketbooks that were said -I to havo been lost. Once. In Montreal. Spitfirei got lon'e at IS o'clock one night after the performance. She was gone for three hours. They (i found her finally In a lumber yard under a pileor boards. I was waiting to hear wners shemight be found, and started out to get at her. -,I climbed under the pile of wood and could sconothing but her eyes shining In the dark. WhenI got to her it took an hour more for the men tolift away the lumber. She was quiet enough,but 1 could nnt persuade her to crawl out,and there was hardly room enough forme bloc flat on the ground to stayunder thn wood. We lay side byside there for an hour, she snarlingat the noise of the men at work as they camsnearer and nearer lifting off the board,. 'Iberwere afraid tn take oft the last few betweenthem and tpltflre and me. Sn I wns left to liftthem away myself. By that time the cage hadbeen brought np. and when I had cleared awaywhat remained of the lumber she was willing tocrnn 1 Into the cage. On the way to the lumberyard she had knocked down a man and killed ahorse. We had to pay fnr the horse, and theman wanted damages, too. Not only did howant tu he paid, but everybody who had enjoyedhimself during the hunt wanted his share. Nobody was paid that time hat the owner of thehnre. The man who was knocked down was awealthy man In Montreal, who bad been drinking too much. Nothing Happened to him moreetrloun than a bad fright, bpltflre waa behinda post when he came along and jumped outwith so much force as to knock him down.But he wanted tn be paid fnr an experience thatfew men In tho world ever hid."The work of preparing to go Into the cage Isnot of such a character as the public believes It ,to he. Mme. Planka says that her own experience I, practically that of others who aretrained fnr tho business."I had been training horses In England." shssaid, "and It was suggested to me that there wasa good opportunity for a woman who waa willing tn undertake the Hon business. I was accustomed to animals from my experience withhorses, and I taw that there was more money Inthn I nn business. A trainer In the circus I wastravelling with offered to take me Into the cage.The first time I was frightened, dreadfullyfrightened, and I suppose that I did the wholething only nn my nerve. The trnlner put meIn front of him, and told me Juat where to stepand what to dn. When he was going tn step hetold me, nnd In that way we went about thecage. Two lions were In It. The next dayI went through the same experience, less ifrightened, and soon was bold enough to take a Ifew steps myself, so that he followed me Instead of my keeping In frunt of him and walklot In accordance with his suggestion. Thethird day we got Into the cage together."'One step with the right,' he said to start us.I put my font forward and the door of thecage slammed shut behind me. He had steppedout. and to pre ent the Hone seeing hlra while Iwas alone In the rage, ran out of the tent, Iknew that everything I was tolng todo depended nn Just what happened In that second.If 1 was ever tn conquer them and stay there. Ithad to be done the Instant the two beasts lookedup and saw me there. They did that at one,and I won. How I did It I don't know. Bullmanaged to let them see that there was to be ,one master there. Then I got out of the cage ai Iquickly as I could. It was easy after that. The? Iaccepted me asthelrmlRtress and did what thev Iwere told in. If I had lost then, the game would Ihave been up. I mightn't have been killed, fni 1the trainer had sent In men to watch me. but 1 Jcnu d never have gone back into that cag fngsln after that." Illevvnrds for what they do as well aa punish. 4ments for what they refuse to do are part ol Ithe system on which the three lions that Mme IPlankn appears wltn have been trained. Bui Vthe Importance of never allowing them to learr Vtheir strength Is. she says, the most Importantfeature In controlling them. w'll'eF wh" J" ten months old and powerful,will always lw useless to me." she snvs. " because he knows how much mnre powerful he isthan I nm. I have pla)ed with him since lnwas a cub. ne hns knocked ms down andknow that I ennnnt struggle with blm. hosnnn as they linn, that out they are uselets.Nern never raeunt tn attack me that night InM. Paul, but was only t"tng an effort to keepme away frnni Sp'ir. There was tn muchconfusion after what he did that he never real.Ized his own power. , But I hare never heen ableIn a x years tn train him tn undertake the leasti,. ..'..i' ,y',UMe'!led by beating aud btlhltigIn getting him to Jump through a honp whennohndy wiia present. A half hour later, at tnepublic performance, he could nnt be made todoin,ir-i'.yii0,!iWl. n''an' Snltfire, who hates meand would attack me If she got the chance. IsIk!.."'8 I lko b?,t n( the one I love to putl.IC-l'i1. h.T. P'f'orraance, because she doesevery bit of U with a snarl. Mrs. Bowser bans.:,i?' but i lun docile to rebel, aud Nero ii2i , a never hurt me for anything, although ItnSi. 2"fn. a" t',nKh he meant tn. Hut the1.J! ? 8Vtnre- w'h her- ugly dl.posltlnn, Is myfavorite alwas. Probably I'll always base her.5TS5.1 ?i no. 'rfnr,nr.rw0"ld: huv her, a herr,1ml,RLlon !" known by everybody In the lnilnets, bhe Iir,a a beautiful head, but nn utlr I.i.ir' 1niJ none of l,e wiflioBlcsl g-.r- B?" i.w"intli "" I.l"n't Blse Ser :7, 1wnnill i,ln?k ,.R" t-'nuah Spitfire ad 1 fl,?"," ''".together fnr many years tn entne Jr.Z"' i '" mjinix.nndl expect tniMiln'n Un llcage as long ne I havo the strength tnrraw ""ri,i.lJvetll.u." ono. end bought a In ue ni ii8??" P'i1 ' "".'"'ed the cage, nnt a bo -e "ItVei, L .V"" to ' ""I . n' l"l l me 1 'stick to them, home duvs we've plaveil as. fieto?.f".n ,lm. Jhoy erumblnfat tl .it but ';B""l0?n"''hfnrme. Hutlbat h'il ''r?v? ,akB " "ration and go liome''. 'S?ennl".sr.r" 'Home' Is the little IraV -' '&- i"1".1 1,'p"e over from I'ngland v. m .JT..Ir!!.' Kf ' ba.ck ' w'th my "Id ine rids , ,pnrtorm In a lent as many times a day as tinZVkLd c?.mM ,n ""'I the show. I arn nrnreat home than anywhere elio outside tliteM.y.
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