The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, July 02, 1903, Image 3
I
The king
' i_ .honl
>-U^J
A NUvtL Uf AiYltKIV^AlN Lin
^rrrr'
U2Y MAURICE
Copsrtsht, 18PH and I*?; 1
CHAPTER IV.
CONTINUED.
r
The writer of this story has become
the owner of a curious and singularly
interesting collection of papers, labeled
"The Pearl River Records," and it is
from these and from Dick Becket's
stories that he has obtained the main
facts in connection with Rev. Max
Burns's sojourn in the region of
Honey Island. The information is
meaeer enouch touching the old man's
motive; but this lack naturally came
of his reticence aud caution in communicating
with the people who
treated him so kindly. Supplementing
the tiddler's reminiscences and
the "Records"?most of which have
to do with the exploits of various outlaws,
from Ratnoau, Lafitte, Murrell
and Copelaud, down to Rube Burrow
and Eugene Bunch?the recollections
of Orlando Favre, a very old halfbreed
Indian, who died some fifteen
years ago, have been relied upon; but,
after all, the facts are meager aud
scattering. Indeed, what has already
been told iu the present chapter caufl^pot
be added to. The farther adveu^^^ures
of Max Bums, iu so far as they j
will be fouud of importance in this |
story, will be looked for at another
stage of our progress.
We must now return to the bay of
> Saint Louis, where we left Yasseur
and Fairfax enduring as best they
could a situation atouce awkward and
trying in the extreme. To be bound
and gaggod could be borne aftor a
fashion, so long as the evil was enforced
by an irresistible enemy; moreover,
since every moment added tho
torture of cruelly tight-drawn cords
to wrists and ankles, the first part of
the ordeal was inuoh milder than the
latter part; bnt when it caute to lying
prone, stiff and speechless while a
great tire raged almost over them it
was the unbearable that had to be
borne; it was torture-too exasperatiug
for even the temper of Fairfax. He
too gave wty to violent '"paroxysms
of silence,'' as he afterward expressed
it.
When Vasseur was at length released,
he was too weak aud benumbed
by the pressure of the bonds end
by the exhaustive wrath-passion that
lie had indulged in for his cuffs to do
xunch harm; but he distributed both
with unstinted liberality as he limped
and hopped wildly about amongst the
negroes.
xac uouse anu ntwrij everjmiug m
it were burned to ashes in an incredibly
short time. Fairfax could
not repress a smile when he found
that bis traveling-bag containing his
clothes had been saved, while his
sketches and his weapons?his pistols
nnd his gun, a rifle of great value?
had been overlooked and left te be
destroyed. As for Vasseur, his mind,
what little of it was presently available,
raged with the memory of his
lost treasure of jewels, tie screamed
iu French, he screeched in Italian,
and through it all ran somethiug
about having been betrayed and
robbed by an individual who owed him
an etertial debt of gratitude. All this,
considering that the man was still in
his night-clothes, of which a red
night-cap was a most conspicuous garment,
wonld hive been highly amusing
at any other time; and even now,
of ? + o w/wat if Has WAlT-illr fllmOSt I
demoniacally, comical.
Fairfax dressed himself forthwith,
And then stood, with his hands in his
pockets, staring at the scene, as' one
does when one feels especially perplexed
and helpless in the midst of
sudden disaster. He turned quickly,
however, when Vassenr came near.
Tho little fellow could scarcely speak 1
intelligibly, and the froth of excitement
was clotted ou his lips.
"It was /at Piorre Rameau!" he
cried, not forgetting to air his English
even in this extremity. "Zat .
villnine. zat robbaire! He steal j
evaretiug! He bum my rnaiaon; he
care off my propriety!"
Usually it was not hard for Fairfax ,
to find words; but now he could frame ;
no suitable comment on this occasion.
He stool looking at his swarthy little
host, and smiliug half mechanically,
without moving his lips to make him
a respouse. There was pathos as well
as comedy in the situation.
The negroes, men, women and
children, gathered in awe-struck
groups to gaze on the fire, making
their remarks in undertones, the
women crying aud the little ones :
clinging to the skirts of their mothers. J
"Ah! Ze villaiue! Ze sconn'rel! !
Ze robbaire! Oh! Ah! Ah! Ahl My |
jewels! My pretty jewels!" still :
wailed Va9seur, after the house was j
white ashes and the sun had come up ,
from the sea like a great round flower
^ * of flame. ".My precious stones! My
beautiful cross! My money! Zey
are all gone?gone! He took zern!
Oh! Ze perfiiie vurrcbjnej'
"When" Fairfax had pulled himself ;
together sufficiently to consider the
situation calmly, his first effort was
toward reducing Vasseur to a rational
state of mind, a task by uo means
easy to accomplish. He succeeded in
a measure at length, and whuu the
poor little man had found some
clothes and a pipe, the whole matter
was talked over; and so it happened
that Fairfax heard a strange story.
Eight years prior to the robbery at
Vassenr's, the two men, Vasseur and
Itameau, had been comrades and equal
[ OF
:Y ISLAND
DURING THE WAR CF 1S12,
RTTT
THOMPSON,
,y r.ettrt Eccner'i Son?.
j saarers in tlie dangers and fho proGts
| cf a daring piece of piracy done in
the fjir East. In dividing the spoils,
Vasseur gladly accepted a large
quantity of jewels, some of them the
personal properly or xtauiouu, in lieu
of their value in money, his passion
for precious stones controlling his
greed for gold; but a goodly pile of
money fell to his share also, and he
abandoned the sea forthwith to settle
himself on a plantation in Sau
Domingo, whence, when disturbances
came, he fled to his present abode on
the beautiful bluffs of the bay of Saint
Louis.
Vassenr gave the details of his story
1 without reserve. He was boiliug over
with indignation, and his passion
made him recklessly communicative;
indeed, ho was almost crazed, and
seemed to find vent for his overcharge
of nervous excitement iu laying
bare the innermost secrets of his
past experience.
Under ordinary circumstances and
in a normal mood, Fairfax most probably
would have refused to bear these
terrible confessions; and yet they were
of a kind of enthrall the imagination
of a young man, himself passionately
fond of adventure; aud when he was
told that the daring aud villainous not
just perpetrated by the riders from
Honey Island had beeu directed by
Pierre Rameau in person, he felt that,
no matter what had been Yasseur's
crimes, the little man was justifiable
in considering himself atrociously be- i
trayed aud outraged by his former
partner in felony.
It was a revelation to Fairfax thus i
to fiud himself the companion ami j
{ comrade in misfortune of a whilom ;
I pirate; but, strange as it may seem, he ;
I did not recoil from the discovery. '
j Doubtless he recognized it as a neces- !
sary part of the life around him; at all j
events, he found a certain exhilara- ;
tion possessing htm, and as he walked j
up to the Veraon place that same |
morning he could not cast oCf a sense j
! of the linktrhich connected him with j
: some great chain of picturesque events i
past, present and to come.
"When he neared the house ho heard
the noisy mocking-birds iu the -oaks
and magnolias, and the first person
he saw was Mile, Pauline Veruou
i standing, tall, bright and beantiful,
on the veranda under the vines.
; Something ia her form and face sent a
teudor thrill through him, and iu a
moment he was strangely happy,
j Youth oasts out the evil spirit of misfortune
so easily in the worse case;
I and, after all, what had happened to j
I Fairfax was no more than a stimulnt- J
; ing bit of experience in the rougher.
current of the wild life into which he '
j had voluntarily thrown himself. He [
had seen Pierre Kameau in one of his j
most picturesque attitudes, and tUo^
! apparition was of itself worth all that!
he had paid for it in submitting to the ;
gag and to imminent danger of being j
roasted alive. The artist within him J
was complacently happy over the,
whole affair. In truth, lie could not!
; have denied that the robber's face had J
' its fasciuation. Some day he would i
paint it from memory, or mayhap he j
might yet see those strange, terrible, i
magnetic eyes again.
Cn.VPTEPv V.
A B3EAKKAST AT VEBNOX PLACE. !
I As Fairfax approached the veranda, j
Mr. Vernon came out of the hall,
booted as if for a ride; at the same:
time a servant Jed a horse around)
from the rear of the house. Father]
aud daughter both smiled at the sight:
of tho young man. and Mr. Vernon
1 1 _:.i. ? l. 1??,1 i
WCICOIUUU 11IU1 Willi u uir.uj, louu <
"Good morning," his voice ringiug j
out pleasautly:
"Glad to see yon, my boy?glad to j
see you. Hope you slept well last
night. It wiie a grand night for
sound, refreshing sleep!"
Fairfax lifted his hat and shook
hands with them both. For the single
moment that his fingers closed
over those of Mile. Pauline he looked
into her any but friendly eyes nud
forgot all thut had passed during the
night.
"And how are they down at Vasseur's?"
continued Mr. Vernon. "Is
my little neighbor well?"
He always spoke of Vasseur in the
diminutive.
The iuquiry caused Fairfax to start
? ?? ? ' Ul v. TL iftAa ?n .1A tiinnoif JAM
pcrucpiiuijr. 11 nuo n muv uauoiuuu
from the mood of the moment to a
thought of what had come to pass
daring the night. At first he had no
words ready. Like an abashed boy,
he stood looking now at Mile. Pauline
and then at her father. There was
little enough of shyness or hesitation
in his nature; but somehow the qv.estian
threw him into confusion. Just
then tho subject called up was not
welcome to him; it would have been
so much pleasauter could he havo
been left alone with Mille. Pauline to
forget that there ever was a Yasseur. !
He hesitated but a moment, however,
seeing that his change of countenauce J
had stirred up some sort of uneasiness
in the mind of Mr. Vernon, who had j
observed it.
"Vassenr was robbed last night,"
he bluntly said, "and his house was '
Domed."
"Robbed! Burned!" exclaimed
Mr. Vernon, who?o turn was was now
to be taken by surprise.
"What do you mean to say, Mr.
Fairfax!"
Mile. Pauline urew close to hot
stalwart, shaggy father, and put an
arm over his immense shoulder. The
blood had left h*r face, so that it wag
i" as a lily p;+a).
It aiu not giro 1'uirias any pleasure
to tell the story, Perhaps, being a
very young man, ho was aware that
his part in the affair had been neither
heroic nor picturesque, and that be
r.r:"t r.t best appear to Lave been ru
easy victim to a bold assault. This
?.:i a. * ;
was aii ?.\Huaiuuuj5 consciousness.
Mr. Vcruou's brow grew dark as be
listeuerl, and be combed bis beard
with his fingers.
"I will ride down and see Vcsseur,"
he said. "It may be that I can be of
service to him. Go in, Mr. Fairfax;
the ladies will ask you a thousand
(juestions; T will return immediately."
"But it is dreadful! It is dangerous!
Yon will bo killed!" cried
Paulino, clingiug to him, nervously,
"Don't go, father! Please, don't."
lie kissed her, laughing meantime
to pooh-pooh her fears, then went
down the steps and vaulted with a
superb show of muscular energy into
the saddle. Before he rode away, ho
sat for a time stroking the glossy neck
of his horse, while the groom fetched
a pair of heavy holster pistols and
hung them at the pommel of the saddle;
then hi3 gun was also handed to
him.
Mrs. Vernon made her appearance
at this point. She saw forthwith that
sometning unusual had happened, and
began to ask questions, growing excited
as she proceeded. Tho groom
stood listening with open mouth and
roiling eyes.
' .Mr. Fairfax will tell you everything,"
said Mr. Vernon; "it's nothing
so terrible, after all. The danger
is past, if thore ever was any, and I'm
only going down to console poor little
Vusseur."
"And, say, dear," he turned and
added to his wife, after he had ridden
to some distauce, "ask Mr. Fairfax to
have some breakfast; I dor t think he
has taken any this morning. I may
return in lime to have coffee with you;
but don't wait."
Mrs. Veruon made a gesture of despair
and began to cry hysterically.
"I will not stay in this terrible
place any longer!" she exclaimed witli
vehemence. "We must go back to
the city at once. Oh, but this is unbearable!
Robbers down there?only
a mile or so away! What if?if?whal
if they had come here!"
This was addressed to Mr. Veruon,
but he did not hear; his horse was already
galloping briskly away. The
three, Mrs. Veruon, Pauline and Fairfax,
stood looking after him until he
had passed out of sight amid the
fringe of trees along the bluff of the
bay shore. What to them was a real
ity, quite in keeping -with the time
aud the place, must appear to us, al
this distance aod with our surroundings,
like an illustration torn from
some old novel. Even in that day,
however, when every inhabitant o!
the gulf coast was more or lees familiar
with lawlessness aud violence in
their most picturesque forms, there
was something startling in each new
phase of the reckless life thai
throbbed along the old Creole borders.
It is impossible for men and wcmen
to live in the midst of romance and
not realize it in some degree.
"He ought to have lived iu the days
of Richard the Lionhearfc." said Fairfax,
turning his gaze from where Mr.
Vernou had disappeared in the wood
to the pate faco of Pauline. "Ho
would have been a knight of iron with
that frame of his." He spoke lightly,
more to break up the situation aud
II II._ 1- i:~? 1 lr +1.
i;uu l lie Jilli iun uatu iv inciuoci *ro
than to give expression to the fancy
of tho moment, suggested by the
superb horsemanship just witnessed.
"But the robbers! They will kill
him!" insisted Mrs. Vernon. "He is
going right to them!"
"Xever fear, madam," said Fairfax
with an assuring smi'e; "there isn't
the slightest danger. Those gallant
knights of the load are many miles
from here at present. It appears they
knew too much about Vasseur's treasure,
and so planned a successful laid
<11 it. 'llieie is 110 more uanger from
them; they are gone."
"lint we have jewels, too," said
Mrs. Vernon with a quics look at
Pauline, "i'hey might want our diamonds!"
Fairfax laughed outright, and the
ladies joined liiui timidly, as if under
protest.
"If X may speak of it," he said,
"you are forgetting to make further
mention of breakfast. I nru preposterously
hungry after my night's
adventures."
"A thousand pardons!" exclaimed
Mr3. Vernon. "Wo will go in at
once."
The appeal to her hospitality was
with her, as it has always been with
th9 Southern hostess, sufficient to
drive almost anything else from her
mind. Paulino led the way to tho
breakfast-room, where the table was
spread near a mile alcove in tlic soft
light of vine-colored windows.
Although he felt it necessary to
bide from tho ladies every doubt ho
might have as to their perfect security,
lio found himself tingling with
pleasure, to kuow that his presence
gave them a sense of safety. It now
seemed to him inexplicable that Mr.
Vernon should have brought his wife
aud daughter to this lonely and exposed
place. If tho bay of Saint
Louis is a secluded, dreamy, far-withdrawn
spot even uow, what was it at
the beginning of our century?
"I shall insist on going back to our
house in New Orleans at once," said
Mrs.Vernon, as they took their places
it the table, and she signaled for a
servant. "I am uot williug to live
here any longer."
(to be coxtixued.)
Small forks were not introduced
nto use until the seventeenth cen;ury.
I
A PI0BUE8T
'One of Indiana's Use!
" I Feel Like i
, I ll I
I | j| 1
(' !-??_?%>??^%>%/%/?^?/\^<t/\*l'?'WWVW^VW<'VW^'V^/V '
*
[ | Mr. John W . Meng, .M Jefferson Ave.,
! i Indiinapoiis Business College, writes:
( | "1 firmly believe that 1 nue my flat
, ! and change of food und water wrough
, j monthh I suffered with Indigestion an
, ! the only thing to do was to give up tng
| tunt to do. Seeing an aL of I*eruna a
give it a trial, and used it faithfully )
troubles had a>l disappeared and I sc.
( of I'eruna in my grip all the time, an.i
t keeps me in excellent health."?John 1
> rif HE most common phases of summer [ i
J. catarrh are catarrh of the stomach ; i
and bowels. Prruua is a specific for sum- ; ]
mer catarrh. ! <
i Hon. Willis Brewer, Representative in '
Congress from Alabama, writes the follow- j
ing letter to Dr. Hartman:
House of Representatives, i j
Washington, D. C.
The Peruna Medicine Co., Columbus. 0.: j
Gentlemen?"I have used one bottle of
Peruna for lassitude, and I tike pleasure! 1
iGU/^Af^EEI^^URE^i^oll bcwe! troubles
I blood, wind or. the stomach. bloated bowels, ft
1 pains after eating, liver trouble, sallow skin am
8 regularly you are sick. Constipation kills iron
B starts chronic pilments and tone years of suffer
R CASCARr.TO today, for yoa will never get wc
right Take our ad"ice, start with Cascareta
I rooney refunded. The genuine tablet atampei
I booklet free. Address Sterling Remedy Compt
j Natural Flavor
Cottage=
i Corned Beef
== it righ
Keep it in the house for emergencies?for sti
you want something good and want it quiclr. S
appetizing lunch is teady in an instant.
j Libby, McNeill & Libby, Chii
| health Insurance
i ff When traveltog there's a heap of com- Va
. fort in knowing thst ycu and ycurdear H
, H ones are protected from accident ty jvi
M insurance.
! More people become 11 then Injured.
1 H Are you protected from illness t You ES
' H tle?<y'd ** DOn t tra79' Wlth?ut a bot- M
I Dr, Thachw's $
I Liver and Bleed Syrup ?
; u All it costs is 50 cents and It may save K2
' ten times that in doctors' bills, besides 53
a you i-bscJute protection from m
D Hi health. r.
m Great for all Liver, Kidney Blood Si
H Troubles. Ask your dru^rcrist. pn
3 25, 50 cents end $1.00 per Bottle. $S 1
8 11 00 sise contains mere than twice SO cj i
k! Write our Consultation Department, f'
H expieining symptoms, and receive tree fif '
B TMACHER MEDICINE CO., M <
Chattanooga, Tenn. a *
j
; M CHKCS WHERE AIL ItSl fAilS. UiJ
U Best Cough hyrup, rat tea Cood. Ueo t**J
r?J la time. 8oM bv drttggKa pH ?
' wjjfESSBsnamsgggp ?
COLLEGE HAN.
:ul Educators Says :
i New Man."
. X'VWW^^'WWWWVWWWWW.J
*
ir. uwif ^ ' l
[ndianapoiis, Ind., State Representative of
i health to Peruna. Constant travel
t havoc, with mi/ ntomnch, and for
d c itarrh of the ntomnch. I ielt that
occupation, which 1 /clt very reluc
:* a specific for catarrh I decided, to
or six iceckt, when 1 found thai my
enipd I ike a tteir mm. 1 have a bottle
[ nrctiHl mally take a few doses which
II'. Metig.
n recommending it to those who need a
rood remedy. As a tonic it is excellent,
[n the short time I have us?d it is has
lone me a great deal of good.''?Willis
lirewer.
If you do not derive prompt and satisfactory
results from the use of Peruna,
I'/rite at once to l)r. Hartman, giving a
full statement of your case and he will be
pleased to give you his valuab'le advice
;ratis.
Address Dr. Hartman, President of The
Hartman Sanitarium. Columbus. Ohio.
CANDY jf
. CATHARTIC
i, appendicitis, biliousness, bad breath, tad s
>ul month, headache, indigest;on, pimples, a
d dizziness. When your bowels don't move 8
t peaple than all other diseases together. It |
ing. No matter what ails you, start taking I
11 and stay well until you get your bowels
today under absolute guarantee to cure or 8
i C C C. Never sold in bulk. Sample and 8
iny, Chicago or New York. joa >
ruiiiit??w??aa?u?J
si/ J
==
ke our choice corned beef, cook it and sear-on
none by experts?better than is possible at
When just richt we put it in cans to keep
t until you want it.
ppers, for sandwiches?for any time when
limply tarn a key and the can is open. An
r?a<fn Write lot our free booklet. "How
L>a?U. to Make Good Things to Eat." I
J 1
ybursfora <
_ BROMi
[ lUr tS old Evf. R-y
CHURCHES
SCHOOL HOUSES
AND HOMES
must have their avails tinted and decorated
with ALABAST1NE, the only
iurable wall coating, to insure health J
and permanent satisfaction. Write for f
:ull information and free suggestions by j
)ur artists. Buy only in packages propsrly
labeled "Alabastioe."
ALABASTINE COMPANY, !
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH,
and I OS Water Street, New York City
So. 27.
"?lc.V\*.7u? Thompson's Eye Water
- p-tr 111J
FOR WOMEN
Much That Every Woman
Desires to Know
SjTII
ill PnnnllllM InllAAII.
HUUU1 Odiidiivc Hiuiocutic
Cleansing
And about the Care of the Skin,
Scalp, Hair and Hands.
Too much stress cannot be placed on
the great value of Cuticara Soap, Olntmcnt
and Resolvent In the antiseptic
cleansing of the macoos surfaces and of
the blood and circulating fluids, than
affording pure, sweet and economical
; local and constitutional treatment for
weakening ulcerations, inflammations,
! itchings, irritations, relaxations, displacements,
pains and irregularities
I peculiar to females. Hence the Cuti- -"g
cura remedies have a wonderful influi
once in restoring health, strength and
beauty to weary women, who have
been prematurely aged and Invalided
by these distressing ailments, as well as J
such sympathetic afflictions as anaemia,
chlorosis, hysteria, nervousness and
debility.
Women from the very first have fully
appreciated the purity and sweetness,
the power to afford immediate relief,
the certainty of speedy and permanent
i cure, the absolute safely and great
! economy which have nmle the Cutlcura
remedies the standard bkin cures and
hnraonr remedies of the civilized world.
Millions of the women use Cutlcum
Soap, assisted by Cuticura Ointment,
for preserving, purifyine and beautifying
the skin, for oleausing the scalp
of crusts, scales and dandruff, and the
stopping of falling hair, for softening,
whitening and soothing red, rough and
6ore hands, for annoying irritations,
and ulcerative weaknesses, and for
m:iny sanative, antiseptic purpose*
j which readily suggest therns^lvjs, a?
well as for all the purposes of the toilet*.
bath end nursery.
Sold lh mufhowt Hit world. CrHem* RMotant Jh?. (la
form cf i hur..;*i? Cottrd Pfllt i5c. prrrU: of 91). Ulnf.
r..nt, J?.. Soto. T<. IXpoU:
r*<j i Pint, i Kurd, It I'm; lioMnn. 17 <'nlumbc*rifi^9R?l?'"
l'v'trr Dnut ( hrm. Corp., Snl, I'ri prittort.
Qt*"Srncl fur " A Hoo> for Witiw.'1
i nn>.i.KT.o TnfcnW I
I M JV1T illxo lauuiw u &
: Doctors find 1
IA good prescription I
I For mankind. g
aa ordinary occasion. The H
family bottle {price CO cenlsj D
contains a supply for a year.
In Hot WeathoT
g to keep the natural channels of the
1 biliousness, headaches, refreshes
j the stomach, aids digestion, cools the
f blood, dears the brain. Contains no
\ narcotic or irritant drug.
I Used by American Physici&CS
I neatly Co years! ? |
1 SOr. and Si.Of).
/ At Druggists or by mail from
\ The Tarrant Co.,
CURED
Dropsy s,
Removes all swelling ia S to 20
days ; efTjc'.s a permanent cure. t
in 50to Co days, '.'rial treatment
given free. Nothir.gcan be fairer
Write Dr. H. H. Green's Son*>
Socialists. Box R. Atlanta. 6a,
ft/lNPCQ CURED WITHOUT" CUTTIW6,
11 n! f U L (1 A New Vegetable Remedy.
wCure Guaranteed in Every Case Treated.
NATIONAL CANCER MEDICINE COMPANY,
Austell Building, Atlanta, tia.
1
Clear Head
QSELTZER,
r ?>rrtr wr* w~% rr* .
Jr*' x-sJrCJC, '?- j
Do You Want lour Money
to i;ahx *
7% INTEREST
PKU ANNUM f
Write nao for i?riii*til?ra of a safe. secure i a vestmrnt
purine sewn v?er rent, rn uoncaate of on*
LuoJr.d dollar* or more, A'nrii rrfsrettc.-i>.
M'. If. HOIitC. Si,r. , i'runn,
well Drilling
3vi A. x ?&-& k ST.
3. II. Haftoi, of Rem, Mis*., writes as follows:
"I will say that I have never ?e?n u Well DrlHliwr
Machine that would eiinal the "Ohio" Machine for
this j art of the country. It Is the fastest machtno
In earth or rock fnat I ever seen, and I am wall
pleased with It. I have had tio trouble with It ainca
I s-artfd It."
Parties wishing to In v klndof Well Machinery
address .LOOM IK MACHINE 0O? Ttittn, Oldo.
I HI!DC PAWnCD Absolntelv pa'n'eM. Ifo
uun" IrslHtCl, tr.lfe No r>!n?c n No act Is.
?i ' s'oiigUlng o'is Writ*
and state case tully and eet mvoolnt-it ml t rie* M
tor a. cure. Dr. Scot i Mason.U *x V}, ~rj Krhige.V*. M
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