The Golden Bough

dark hair, peered eagerly into the half light of the garden. Monsieur Khodkine, it seemed, respected her intelligence. But it was a pity that he h

Nemi, because he seemed quite young, quite inexperienced and with good management could be made quite useful for her own ends. But she hadn't reckoned upon the speed of Monsieur Rowland's wooing and the sudden culmination of the adventure. She wasn't sure that she hadn't liked the spontaneity of his caress--hurried,

d. "So you've at last co

east, Max," s

o time for trifl

asted no time. I've learned what I wanted t

d contemptuously. "I could have told you that

so

t cost?" he mutt

led up at Khodkin

ffair," she

the vault. Tonight, perhaps--How do I know that even now he hasn't the com

e is much

thrust his fists into his trouser pockets a

s fetish. He was orthodox. He even gave his life for his convictions. And now whom do we find as Priest of Nemi--a friend of France, full of meaningless catchwords about Peace and Liberty--a boy from Amer

nse

that means nothing. You carry credentials from the Central Committee of Munich. He

t possible.

y that I'm not loyal to those who sent me here. In Germany I was born and bred, but the cause I serve is greater

laid her slim fingers along his hairy c

said with a laugh. "You may not always be pleasan

nks do I get?

red, running a han

he sh

want me to do

ept not to pl

lanned so

"And I'm going to

toward him in

ha

no further chances

ou ser

ociety of Nemi and the essence of the Society of Nemi--is Sociali

t, but you're

s----? We can't be sure of them. Most of this money should be appropriated for immediate use tomorrow, in Germany, in Austria, in Russia and Italy. And

you propo

tonight-

u--

ders and tapped her with a kind of el

I couldn't fulfill?" Then in a hoarse whi

re pre

long time. I always believe i

need my

chère Zoya, l

ll you d

d explosives. With luck I should s

here shall you ta

a safer place. Wi

se you

. There's no watch kept upon th

hat h

oom adjoins mine upon the other side of the house. Y

in a moment of silen

aith in you for nothing,

ve always been worth considering. You

and then obeyed with the deftn

ar," she laughed. "

and get your

Shall you

can wake when I please. Borr

d the house, wh

gether. Au revoir." And blowing a kiss at him wit

ting at daylight outside the wall. Three o'clock found them at the iron door which led down into the passage. Liederman had b

o rock to and fro and gaze a

muttered, ru

n here before us?

carrying his tools in their canvas wrapping, he threw the light of his pocket-torch down the step

ng?" she whispered when

I'm sure--the f

taken then. What c

. Perhaps we

rward ahead of him with a cry, and bending down beside the steel

he cried. "The

, his eyes big as saucers

he stammer

," she whispered.

ur----" she halted, he

He shrugged uneasily. "P

knob and handle, turned the light down, then went up

in the dust,--one small,

a Kor

o e

ne--but I don't

canvas covering of his tools, and examining the knob, listening intently. Then he threw off his coat

him--do you think?" sh

would only be what he

rowned at him, but

t he was intent upon his task and made no answer. The sweat stood out in beads upon his face and fell to

of the passage before Max Liederman announced that his work was completed. Then he atta

e steps with Zoya at his heels. The charge had been cleverly placed and by the use of an iron rod and a shor

cloud cleared, they saw a litter of papers upon the floor, and in the midst of the wreckage the figure of Rowland lying prone,

fro in an awful moment

waiting," he muttered. "Khodk

ent, and then fell to her knees besid

grunted in

ead?" h

His heart

o the air. Pfui! It is enough to stifl

andy. By the time she returned Liederman had loosened the American's collar, and after a while, in response to treatment, Rowland moved slightly and opened his eyes. He turned his head from side to side, gazing up through the trees a

in English. "And the--the bli

s-----" utter

up at his interr

the best

moiselle Korasov----?" qu

and across his brow

e Korasov! Y

tell you," cried Liederman wi

ya Rochal took comm

arouse Shestov, Barthou and Signori

d Rowland. "Only a little conf

ink of the brandy which

y kind, Mada

rded him in a mo

Philippe Rowl

ally, "There was a pig in the vault," he laughed. "

t, Monsieur. I'm afra

but nitro-glycerine is not th

sitting, toward the wall. He got up to his knees and followed her glance. It was still quite dark, but in the growing light he saw a movement in the branche

moment on the top of the wall and then they heard the thud of his boots as he reached the ground. In a moment, as the man emerged from the bushes, Rowland sp

ard-

He breathed hard like one in

e. Mademoiselle K

ded. "With this note

me se

derman's torch Rowland unfolded the slip of

the American. "Ma

beyed, transl

n Sh

rced. Lose no time. I am prisoner of Gregory Khodkine fleeing with bank

yan

Rowland turned

Stepa

obeyed Monsieur Khodkine until the time came, when I too

end. We shall lose no time.

. We did not believe him. He ordered Stepan to carry the bank notes--which were already in the suit-case--along the road. Stepan refuse

you

I went with them, carrying the suit-case until we c

---" explaine

n, to Picard, "They had passed the

The machine slowed down upon a hill and I slipped out a

one?" asked

sentries were stationed on t

clothing as they ran, their faces wan in the growing lig

handing it to him. "We took the liberty of reading

he read while the impatient

derstand how He

hal cut

e vault which showed signs of having been tampered with. And so with a crow-bar which Monsieu

n comprehension. Ro

dkine was robbing the vault. I interfered. We

derstand----" p

ations. The bank-notes of Nemi are in a machine bound for the in

the village,

ports

" cried L

Rowland----?"

y chances. We m