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grrrrrT. : I: t 1 be I c^S |. ? of Flame i _____ __ f I I W 1 ! nprii T f ? : By ! LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE P ! h, I:! Illustriiiock by Ellsworth - ^ I t . ill fca r-i j?rwr -~*** ? The laacar came with what might have seemed Buspicious alacrity, considering the fact that he was coerced, that O'Rourke held him at the pistol's point Gaunt and sombre in the moonlight, moving noiselessly in his bare feet, head up and arms swinging limp, he advanced without a pause until about six feet from the Irishman; at which dlstanoe O'Rourke, collecting his wits, found voice enough to bid the fellow, "Stop!" The serang halted, impassive, unmoved "The sahib has called," he s'aid in an even voice. "I am come. What is J the sahib's will with me?" His words, together with his halfindolent, half-deflant, wholly contemptuous bearing, supplied the one thing needful to restore to the adventurer his self-control. O'Rourke drew himself up, master of self once more, and looked the lascar in the eye. "You stand," he said slowly, choosing his words, "on the edge of the grave. Do' you comprehend that, f* dog?" "Aye, sahib!" "I have called ye, then, to demand | back that which is mine, the leather bag which ye stole when ye slew your brother, pretending falsely It was he who had slain the captain. I counsel ye, speak truth and render back to me that which ye have stolen." The serang stiffened, his eyes glistening in the moonlight "Sahib!" he T: cried as if in supplication. "No words, dog!" cried O'Rourke i> aternly. "Do as I bid ye, or abide the result of disobedience!" Mmv - v ; v ? ??tj ine ettuxu, six.u mt? bt?rttiig sxuwly, "Is full of eyes and wisdom. He ees what no man would believe be could see. I am content." He bowed his head with curious submisslveness, atretchlng forth bis palms as if in token of surrender. O'Rourke caught at his breath. He had scarcely hoped for this; he hhd merely called the serang aft as the leader of the lascars, hoping to fright1 en him into revealing whichever of his comrades had stolen the great M ruby?if he knew. "Ye have, then, the leather bag?" he / demanded, exultation in his voice, t "Aye, sahib; or, if not that, I have that which was therein." "The stone?" "Aye, sahib." "Then give it me." ^ "I am the sahib's slave." The se[ rang flashed a strange smile at the revolver in O'Rourke's hand. His attitude puzzled O'Rourke; he would hardly have believed this of the man; rather he could have conceived of him as denying the theft to the last and fighting like an unchained fiend to retain his booty. His present pose was out of character, or the Irishman mis Judged him. Out of character or no, It was con?[ fortc'j!?. r* with head Vent, i was fun "! Ids of hi& sash; O'Rourke tu-u c 1: over long about it, yet was inclined to give him time in view or his abject surrender. At length, still smiling oddly, the 1 man lifted his eyes and stretched forth a hand tight closed. "The sa, hibhe said gently, "shall see that \ his servant spoke truth. Let this weigh with the sahib for raercv. Be; hold!" The brown fingers unclosed and in the hollow of his palm tremb' *d that which seemed a ball of crystalized rose fire, the stone that man has j; named the Pool of Flame. O'Rourke \ uttered a low cry of satisfaction, step ping forward to snatch up the jewel. Simultaneously he was aware of a quick gasp from the direction of the woman, followed, ere he could account ; for them, by two pistol shots. The adventurer groaned, pitching forward blindly, one side of his head, from the ear to the temple, a-quiver ' with an agony as if a white-hot iron had seared him there. He stretched forth an arm aimlessly and gripped an v Iron stanchion, stopping his fall, and hung there for what seemed an eon, sea and skies swimming blood-red before his eyes, in his ears a thunderous rushing as of mighty waters, t By supreme effort of will he kept himself half-erect, clinging to the rail, and opened his eyes. So briefly had pain blinded him that it was patent barely a second had elapsed since the \ firing of the shots. To his left a r atrlcken lascar was still in the' act of falling; before him Mrs. Prynne stood motionless, her face a mask of horror, 1 still noised: to the right the ' JOT VAT w r , _ eerang, drawing a kris, was smiling * lardonically, his eyes fixed upon the woman who hadv set at naught his plans. O'Rourke tried to call a warning to lier, for it was plain that she was appalled by what she had done, heedless Of all but the man she had killed; but ft was as if the bullet that creased his temple had temporarily paralyzed him; his tongue clave to the roof of' Hi* moutn and ne could neither move , ncr nor speak. , It ' Powerless (he believed!, he watched on i the serang gather himself together, of i like some gaunt cat. and spring; in j sma : two str ides he would have been upon i ten the woman and the night had been ; ing crowned with its most pitiful crime, j and Yet in midair, O'Rourke saw the man unti falter and fall back, dropping the j froi kris and clutching frantically at noth- i root ing. | that Stupidly the adventurer saw the dow smoke trickling from the muzzle of dm: his own revolver and knew that, some- ion; how, he had managed to pull the trig- slee ger. His heart leapt In his breast, so and keen was his gratitude. Trem >llng by : in every limb, he essayed a second evei ; time to fire and put a final perlou to soli< i the serang's career. But his shot stat ! went wide and the cylinder jammed self ] so that the hammer would not rise A i a second time. With an oath he let dro; go the rail and attempted to bridge the distance between himself and the lascur, ?uo ?as uuw ai a cun.siut ra? | ble distance reeling away toward the rail. Hut his overtaxed strength, sapped s^ori by loss of blood, failed hitn; and inal- tion Ice infused new vigor into the serang, com new power to accomplish his final ('ha fiendish act. neec Grinning with anguish, the man leapt away from O'Rourke, staggered rt,g; and. jerking back his arm, flung the Pool of Flame from him with all his , c w to f Slight. nth O'Rourke paused, petrified with de- oim spair. The great stone, gi.. ing in n the moonlight like the very heart of deal fire, described a long and flamhig arc and . . . the sea leapt up with ? H hiss to welcome it and it was gone. A bitter cry broke from the Irish- % man's lips; he made for the man, misi rlung the Pool of Flame With All His uuu* miyiit. a-hom he would gladly have killed ^ with hl6 hare hands. But again he j|? failed. The lascar, perhaps guessing ff his Intention, was at the la?t too quick / for him. I By a supreme effort the gaunt se- ^ rang seised the rail, lifted himself upon it, and dropped over the side, fol- x lowing that to win which he had given his life. CHAPTER XXV. Mrs. Prynne, roused out of her semi- w stupor by O'Rourke's cry. with some I k' return of her habitual clearness of ; thought, stepped to the companlonway U and called for her maid. ac O'Rourke passed a hand over hie eyes, and brought it away black with blood, but was no more than half aware of this. Dazed and heart-brok- 0f en. he stared blankly round the shambles that was the deck, then, recover- nc lng slightly. s;i\. Cecile join her mis- j ^ tress, and id." i zed t:iat, whatever his | ati personal grid, pair, and despair, r.e Dr must play the parr, of the O'Rourke. So he turned and staggered down into th| the saloon. m< Danny was in his berth, sleeping the ' ; childlike and logli'.e sleep that was I M ever Lis. Dravcs, below, his ears deaf* J L ened by the mighty chant of his en- j gines, had been no more conscious of j the drama on dock than had Danny. j O'Hourke caught the boy will hands j mr that gripped his shoulders cruelly, and " shook him awake, then methodically yc booted him up the steps to the deck. Once there, Danny came to his prop- [ . er senses and fell with a will to the ! ltl0' tasks O'Rourke set for him. With Ce- r'c cile he lifted the unconscious captain can and bore him down to his berth, then live, left him to the ministrations of mis- tiiost tress and maid and returned to throw i jj, overboard the last corpse, that of the i 0f ^ lascar whom the serang had set to arp c slay the adventurer from behind. \ O'Rourke himself proceeded to the j *or bridge, where he found the helmsman lutc1' still at the wheel, soberly keeping the Lax? vessel on her course. The circum- bottl stance at the time surprised him; but to y< It afterwards was developed by dint qUjci of cross-examination of the remainder of the crew that the serang had spe- ^ f cially exempted Quick and Dravos ; from the general massacre, they being ; a held necessary to the navigation of t0 I11 the ship. He bad likewise put strict c?nl? Injuctions on the helmsman not to de- tho ; sert the wheel, whatever the tide of in y< battle, whether for or against his brethren. The stabbing of Quick seemed to have been accidental, or necessary under circumstunces unforeseen. As a matter of fact, the remainder of the lascars were thoroughly cowed i and proved unbelievably docile for the * balance of the trip. Thus It was that the voyage of the Ranee from Aden to Bombay was 51 pushed through without further fatal- mm lty. To the Irishman, how oer, must ? go more than half the credit; for fo^ t>r. ty-eight hours he never left the bridge once c.os?.u nis eyes lii Eiumocr. ^ . was not indeed until the Ranee, &/ the stroke of the hour, the evei:ingjSH the fifteenth day of June, walked i @5 irtly into Bombay harbor, the 'nlational code signal "NJ" flutter- TO from her peak, rounded Colabra S3 dropped anchor off the point; not B* il Danny and Dravos, free at ieng'.h ' Afi u their toil in the broiling engine:n, came on deck to relieve him, $3 O'Rourke collapsed?stumbled n the bridge ladder and lurched | nkcnly down the saloon comyan- 2r? vay. His head humming with , to I>, his brain bemused with fatigue ?2$ pain, his eyes heavy, he brushed Mrs. Pryn'ne without seeing her or SSf ii hearing her low cry of pity and ij5 ciiude; and so entering the first eroom that he came to, threw dim- j? , already asleep, into the berth. 2? s he did so a loaded revolver ped from his numb lingers. . . Sw? TO BE CONTINUED. gi vast amount of ill health is due ? impaired digestion. When the nach fails to perform its funcs properly the whole system be- ?j! es deranged. A few doses of k | mberlain's Tablets is all you Jff; 1. They will strengthen your di- ?|i ion, invigorate your liver and Ss, jlate your bowels, entirely doing y with that miserable feeling due ?3! aulty digestion. Try it. Many ?! ;rs have been permanently cured 0: hy not you? For sale by all K ers. S, yde is patiently waiting to know /? ther he is sane or insane. In the S1 ntime the chairman of his com- ?5! ;ion is taking & trip in Europe. |? [r W S Gunsalus.a farmer living S? Fleming, Pa, says he has used Eg mberlain's Colic, Cholera and Di- Jgf loea Remedy in his family for 'teen years,and that he has found be an excellent remedy, and 555 s pleasure in recommending it. sale by all dealers. mr be disturbance created by the as- * ination of Rosenthal leads one to der what would have happened a dozen been lulled. j r7 ?ne 7 Pain Pill, [ Take lt E"7' Dr. Miles' Anti-Pain Pills ill help you, as they ave helped others. Good for all kinds of pain, scd to relieve Neuralgia. Headhe, Nervousness, Rheumatism, _ liatica, Kidney Pains, Lumbago, Dcomotor Ataxia, Backache, ' omachachc, Carsickness, Irribility and for pain in any part the body. "I have always been subject to uralgla and have suffered frpm for years. While visiting my son d suffering from one of the old I tacks, he brought me a box of \ Miles' Antl-I'ain Pills. I u?ed pm as directed and after taking em It was the first time in years e neuralgia ceased from the use of pdicine." MRS. E. C. HOWARD. 4 AO wl# T ?? ?! ATI At all druggists. 25 doses 25c. ILES MEDICAL CO.. Elkhart, Ind. 5 EEP IN PERFECT HEALTH. >u owe it to yourself, your family and work to keep in the best possible conn. If you have strong, ready muscles h, heathy blood and a clear brain, you do more and better work and really A and enjoy living and be a blessing tc I ; you love. _ uch of the eternal grouch and many J I le aches and pains you sec every day ausod directly by a lazy, torpid, over- ; : ed liver, and all of that may be abso- y cured by II. L. T. (Richardson's j I itive Tonic). One fifty-cent or dollar ; e of this magnificent tonic will prove ? >u that it is the finest laxative and the \ lest strength buildimr tonic ever of- I I ! sick, suffering humanity. (Jet a bot- j j rotn your druggist today, and keep it ! I js in the family medicine chest reudy j :t the Liver right in o.ie night or cure I ria, constipation. or bilious fevers in hortest possilde time. If not on sale -ur town, write 11. L. T. Co., Acder .1 R. L.T. i i Perfect Tonic 1 THE BEST LIVER MEDICINE A!^ k&Sl.OO per Bottle. All Drug Stores. = Miles' Anti-Pain Pills relieve pain. r If you are not selling your rell's Warehouse, join the cro Every clay we are selling fo farmers, who go away well i prices thev received. 1 % Oursales^are averaging i pound. Bring us a load and Gass, Hopper I PR< v - t i?? ???????. SEND NO ft' Yon Want The Souih's Gt Wc Make It Easy Tor Yoi YOUR CH> Sign the blank, and send it in today. You get tl mediately. On April 1st, 1913, you pay us $1.0( you, you may have choice of a splendid array oi SUBSCRIPTION S?n<l It Nnw. I.??t Vn SOUTHERN RURALIST, 20 S. Forsyth St., You are authorized to enter my subscriptio 1ST for 3 years. You are to start my paper at < $1.00 for the three-year period. This order is giv at liberty to stop the RURALIST at any time b) Name S Date Post Office l jjojt Science I *:' ; JbESWg be1te" th 1 Jf ?pm Are Wei wmpr rm/ A wrap holds moisture, cracks *5* '??y^3SSBv P 1V wire. A small amount of displa' stfef- the protection against rust at I V 1 Ovtys?- 51&' } Staya cannot slip. They are alt become eae piece when the union Every Rod AM Dont allow your prejudice In favc have heretofore known, to warp y PWWwWBi 'Pittsburgh Perfect" fences repr nflf ' worth of standard material is daily The hoop on the average sugar barrel in the i^iatcd country ^oce^sto Ha made in a large factory, its tires were welded by electricity. JOU will t Hh washing machines, on many tuba and buckets. Examine them. ?PITTSBURGH PERFECT" fences are made by this modern, simple an if "THE WELD THAT MELD." BS Mm r?ssstMAK USTEM MOW! Every agent handling "PI Hjg Iff I i m 2. f'lw? fences ia authorized to guarantee this I St That the wires are |o uneven ground?That the srays win woi sc^oiow ,,WU4 u"' ^U RM 'at. fence is all right In every particular. - - - w Mmtbhi aatiefactiot 3h| Coo Id you aak any mora detinue proiccuuu* ?u? f31 absolutely assured. "Pittsburgh Perfect99 Fences I THE FARMERS SUPPLY CO. GET THE ELECTI lie County Reco he County Re< ' r w r/-v r>l/ ll/AHl 4D THRICE-A-WhEK INtw yukn wukl ob Printing of Quality D mmmmmrmmmmm Tobacco at Gor- I If wd and do so. S r a lot of the best *9; satisfied with the ;|; ) to 11 cents per j|j be convinced. 1 Gorreil, I | DPR1ETORS. i g _______jf a * ^ I l? ,'t.? ? ?' ak-M..*. uV.-. / "S >'i ?A <-/ it \i .!Li A / eaiesi Fain F agr j ? i, And This Is A 4NC E a re RURALIST 3 years, started im- g ) for the three years. When we bill | [ premiums just like you paid cash. J g BLANK | a rorgei _ Atlanta, Ga. , 5 n to the SOUTHERN RURAL- I )nce. ^ On April 1st, 1913,1 will pay 'en with the understanding that I am j paying the subscription to that date. t. or R. F. D State ias derreloijcdsom&ttitop Infinitely* ^ tan the old style wragi or olam&a sburgh Perfect" 'ENCES | IS ded by Electricity | aothod of oonatruotfoo. Yaara otllfo aroaddod uL a elimination of aarfoua tanca do facta. Vffl the fralvanizing and allows the water to attack the bare BH[ ced iralvanizin. on "PITTSBURGH PERFECT"reinforces |Kj he electrically welded joint} examine the joint. qSpi rays just where they were put. Stay and strand wlr?? MB| id made. The fence is like a solid sheet of perforated steei. is Guaranteed Perfect c ^ 9 r of the rapidly-declining and now antiquated methods'yoa Ik our good judgment. ^ escnt orogrc ss, because hundreds of thousands of dolass Mjg welded by electricity. iS. re is an electrically welded product. If your wagon was ind electrically welded hoopa on ice cream freecers and ?mco d marvelous process, producing Tl SBURGH PCRfEC1*^waj-JS-e?-fit*- I ictty adjustable ' JwLf- B u?Thatw KB | ON NEWS rd $1.00?iJE :o|*d $1.75 -D 1 YEAR ^ v . m. a one at snort iMonce i