The Golden Bough

he had time to spring aside, there was an explosion and the shock of a sudden impact against him as one of the packages flew from his arms. Close shoot

from Tanya. "Grisha Khodkine!" she crie

d asi

dy he did not know it and fired rapidly at the flashes until the hammer of his revolver clicked. His weapon was empty as was Khodkine's. Then creeping along the shelves, groping with tense fingers, Rowland made for the spot where the Russian had been. He

thank God!" he mutte

ne?" she

he darkness at the sound, brought up against Rowland, who twisted around in his grasp, freei

sped Rowland. "It--it

oning it to his side. His wrist ... a knife ... everything depended upon the knife.... He released the throat and while blows r

d, as body to body they swayed f

he other. "To risk--fort

d Rowland through

e, crushing, crushing the very breath from his body. The man was weakening. Powerful as he was,

re him back against the shelves to the left, where their feet stumbled over the pile

man had stopped resisting. It was only when the American realized how tired his fingers were that he sat upon Khodkine's stomach, somewhat bewildered as to what had ha

English, at last, relapsing into the argot of

man beneath was

to do about it?" he aske

dkine, struggling for his b

slip away in the darkness. Rowland was groping about on the floor beside h

-! You are safe?"

get up. Can you find the light

her hands and knees among the scattered packages. In a moment she found

led freely and made dark discolorations upon his clothing and linen. But the Ameri

hurt, Monsieu

feeling quite all right. And you

ned. "Enough

tened and relea

houlder blades. Come, roll over a bit, Monsie

le Tanya stood dumb and motionless, as though the difficu

up, Monsieur," g

rder me again? Hardly. You've b

hed me," muttered Khodkine

alternative is pleasant to

id Khodkine. "What harm can I do?

rack of rifles. "Ah, Mademoiselle, I have it. If you'll give me the light," said Rowland calmly. And wondering,

the weapon to Rowland, who after examining it and testing it c

blood, at least. And you're quite safe if you remain perfectly stil

of great difficulty, now stood, quite subdued, still gas

his gaze shifting this way

litely. "If you don't speak too

of Nemi. How should I have known that your inte

ssness, Monsieur Khodk

s smile w

I have done you an injustice

el is ended. Is that

th each other. Our c

rs--I mine. And now," with an inclination of the head in excellent imitation of Monsieur Khodkine

h and putting it upon the shelf, and filling her arms with the b

e?" asked Khodkine, moving sligh

n, as Khodkine moved another pace. "I would advise you to rema

asy manner of the Amer

ell them?" he ask

planned to r

ine l

you, Monsieur, who we

dly, "we were merely removing

hink these others

lieve Mademoi

my word as g

d. "You're wast

up more bank notes, and saying nothing

And his expression which had been shifting through all the p

er genius for the game of intrigue than many more experienced. We shou

sely lowered the muzzle o

ittle curious for a peep inside Monsieur Kh

xamined Rowland narrow

ause. You, Monsieur, came to fight for France because you were born for the spirit

g but made no reply, for at this moment Tanya came

ent," he smiled. "And I'

rifle a few inches more and s

aned slight

, you say. That may or may not be. But you will

y n

ench border. You dare not go into G

d the muzzle of the rifl

f Nemi--because," and he lau

shrugged his disbelief,

n help you get this money safely

he is

Rowland watched him closely, he thrust a hand into his pocket and drew out some papers, one of which bore

odkine--stripped to the skin that had been born Hochwald. But the

, and his voice concentr

an, Monsieur. Nor am I. Think what a great fortune like this means, even to you in America where there are many great fort

on his face--indeed more than half real--changed to sterner lines and the

d. "You're a poor conspirator, Herr Lieutnant Gregory Hochwald!" he said with a malicious laugh, as Khodkine gasped. "Hochwald of the Guard!" he repe

on he had created in the face of Monsieur Khodkin

stammered, still staring in

eur Khodkine. I ought to kill you now as you stand and free Nemi of

ture, "March toward

you goin

nd Barthou--Ah!

he rifle was awkward in the confined space and as he ran in the direction of the door of the vault to head the man off, his foot struck something on the floor and he stu

and Khodkine--Kh

to him. He hammered on the unresponsive steel for an

nd do that for? You might have known. You can

opened it unknown to anyone but himself--Unless Tanya--! He put his ear to the steel door and listened. He thought he heard footsteps in the passag

Would they know what to do? And even if they knew what had happened, how would they be able to release him? One by one he thought of the various possibilities and at the last was obliged to dismiss them all. He was caught--like a bear in a trap, and like the bear, raged to and fro for a while, knocking himself and bre

earthquake that would tear the mound and vault to pieces, there seemed little chance of anything happening except Tanya--and Khodkine would see about her. Rowland was forced to admit that this was a beautiful veng

errible because of its simplicity. Suffocation, slow but certain, as he struggled for the exhausted oxygen. A matter of hours.

anted to sit down somewhere, and have a smoke. He felt in his pockets. Cigarettes of the luckless Ivanitch--and a box of matches. He struck a match and lighted a cigarette. The skull on the

yond hope of use. He threw it away from him in disgust and sat down on the hard steel floor, his hands clasped over his kn

ting for what? A miracle? Could anything be expected of Tanya? And even if she succeeded in eluding Khodkine, how could he hope that she would know the numbers of the combination? He was sure that she had not even committ

painful. He had seen fellows in the hospitals struggling for their breath and remembered how they looked--livid--green. This was different but it wasn't going to be pleasant. The pounding of his pulses seeme

walked around slowly, peering into the corners, seeking a glimpse of daylight which would mean a breath of air for his lungs and a re

ic! He was sorry for Ivanitch ... but it hadn't been

ad wanted to die out there in the open with a weapon in his hand, rushing a tren

g about it. Somebody might come and let him out. If they didn't this was the end of P. Rowland. He lay flat on the floor where the air seemed very good. Might as well sleep as do anything els

od in his ears, only ... Imagination again. He didn't want to think--everything was black--even thought.... He was

rums hurt him horribly as though the blackness in his brai