PAOLINA OR THE MILLIONAIRE'S PLOT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10186, 11 March 1911, Page 2

PAOLINA OR THE MILLIONAIRE'S PLOT.

OUR SERIAL.

By MARIPOSA WEIR. Author of "Evadyne's Temptation," "A Chase Round the World, 11 etc

CHAPTKR XLVI. —Continued. j j It \v;!s (lii s consideration, even more j than his thirst for revenge, that had J impelled him to folohv so closely upon Punderson's track- And now his enemy lay at the bottom of this gloomy pit, with all his gold upon his person, j For the count never dreamed for a mo- j ment that the treacherous man's assertion in regard to the disposition liO ( had made of tho treasure was true. He had no doubt that the long buckskin purse, crammed with double eagles, which ho had displayed so vauntingly at the "Tigerie," before Hand-J some Bob. was at this moment in his pocket. His attention was now drawn to tho wound he had received by the copious flow of blood and the increasing pain, he sat down on a fragment of quartz, and tearing his handkerchief into strips, bandaged it up. Examining the edges of the shaft it seemed to the Italian, who was as agile as a cat, that with the aid of a stout stick to thrust into the crevices and nooks of the rock, he could descend to the bottom; Looking round, he found a broken, bough suited to his purpose, and then returned to the shaft, and listened. Bending over the edge lie could, detect not even a faint moan, nor a heavy breathing. He resolved to risk the descent, and in a moment he was going down with far greater ease than he hand anticipated. The farther he went the narrower became the shaft, and in less than three minutes after entering the mouth of the excavation he had reached the bottom in safety. No sooner had Bulger issued from the back door of the. restaurant', than lie proceeded to the lower portion of the town, and walked out on the road leading to the ranch. He proceeded at a deliberate pace, pausing at intervals to listen, until he reached the Big Oak and the old quartz shaft. Here.the road was so.uarrow that it was scarcely possible for two vehicles to pass abreast: No place could be more favourable to Bulger's-purpose. Seating himself upon the rock, he laid his bowie knife and cocked revolver beside him, and, lighting a'cigar, waiting for the coming of his intended prey. He did not have long to wait. Before his cigar was half smoked out,' hie heard the sound of wheels and horses' hoofs.

and breathlessly awaited the course of events. Tho silonoe continued unbroken tor jsoveral minutes. "He's searching him for the money, che cold blooded monster!" said JJui~ gar, under his breath. "Poor Mark, I wish I'd been a bit quicker.'' Aj;d a pleasing consciousness of virtue swelled his bosom. There came a deep guttural exclamation, breathing of fierce rage and bitter disappointment, then a terrible outburst of blasphemy and then some sounds that warned the watch 3r at tho surf ace that the murderer was ascending. The count's face was ghastly it appeared above the rim, but it grew still more ghastly when ha saw the man squatting a yard in front of him, grasping in his hand a revolver levelled at his head. In the suddenness of his surprise he came near losing his footing and falling. "Stop where you are," said Bulger, "until you hand over the purse. The man you've killed is a friend of mine, and I want to take care of the money for his orphans." The count drew a long breath, and a convulsive twitching distorted his countenance. But he did not speak. "Come, I know it's hard to have to give it up after all your trouble," said Bulger; "I know it's rough on you. But so it was on him. Think of the orphans, and hand it over. There ain't no help for it, you see. I'm the master of the situation."

Still the Italian remained speechless. His mouth worked fearfully. "Say, my'friend, you'd bettor leave off making those faces, and hand over that purse. I m getting impatient." At last the Italian managed to find utterance. But his voice was hollow and unnatural. No one who heard it would have recognised it as bis. "Idiot!" he said, "you are deceived. There is no phrse."

"It won't do, old boy. 1 It's thin," returned Bulger, shaking his head. "I sympathise with the fix, you're in, and I'm almost ashamed of taking such an advantage of you, but it's got to be done, so hand over, and I'll rob the orphans to the extent of giving you a piece out of it." '"Beast! Idiot!" cried the other, in the same strange tones. "Do you hear me? I tell you there is no purse. He had on him not so much as one poor piece of silver." "Curse you!" cried Bulger savagely. "If you fool with me another minute I'll send you down; there below to sleep 'with him!" As lie spoke he rapped one of the -hands with which the Italian was holding on to the ledge, with the muzzle of the pistol. With a movement like lightning, the count seized the hand that held the pistol, by the wrist. "Come thou then with me," he cried, "for I will not go alone." Bulger put out his left hand for his knife, which lay beside him. At th:v same instant the count twisted the revolver from his right, and, trusting entirely for his support to his footing, and his hold upon his enemy's wrist, dealt him a terrible blow in the face with the butt. Bulger had now got hold of his knife, and, just ais lie received the second blow -with the pistol, life plnnged the Huge weapon half way to the hilt in the Italian's breast. "I die," tlie count groaned, glaring into his adversary's- • eyes,with set teeth, while' a diabolical smile passed over his face; "but I still have a little strength. I devote it all to you." As he spoke the pistol dropped from his hand, but his grasp upon Bulger's wrist seemed to tighten, as his body fell back a dead weight, and his head sank belo\y the level of the shaft. Confused and half stunned by the blows which had been dealt upon him with the pistol, Bulger uttered a fearful shriek of horror as he found himself swaying over the pit, utterly unable to free himself from the unrelaxing grasp of the dying man. : . He threw all his great strength into one final effort to rise, but the posture in which the crisis came upon him was so disadvantageous that the effort was vain, and, losing his balance, he was drawn head foremost down the shaft. (To Be Continued.)

Grasping his revolver', he stood up at the, edge of the rock, ready to stop the buggy, when he was startled by the shout of the Italian, and Punderson's cry of terror. The next instant the buggy was whirled past him at a gallop, and dark as it was, he could perceive that it had only one occupant. He. divined at onco what had occurred, and crawling stealthily near enough to the quartz mound, he .was able ;to hear all that passed between Punderson and his assailant until the filing of the pistol and the frantic appeal to him for aid. By the flash he recognised in the Italian the person whom he had seen dogging Punderson. Had there been a moment for reflection afforded, him, he would have rushed to the rescue of - his old comrade; and so have gained by what might pass for good deed,- the prize to obtain whicb he had meditated a crime. But before ho could recover his presence of mind, Punderson's appalling yell as he toppled over into the abyss, and the dull, heavy sound of his fall" as he reached the bottom, announced that all was over. As the sky cleared off, Bulger lay down behind a boulder, and watched the movements of the Italian. He had no doubt that lie would descend the shaft to plunder the body, and he soon determined upon his own plan of action. As to Punderson's denial that h© had the money about him, he was quite as incredulous as the count. No sooner had the Italian disappeared down the shaft than Bulger noiselessly advanced to th? spot, and walking slowly around the orifice, examined it carefully. On on© side the rim of rock overhung the cavity in such a way that it rendered egress from lielow almost, impossible. There was a place on the opposite side where the incline from the top was such as to make it ea,sy to step out. A person climbing up the shaft' would■ naturally select this place at which to make his exit from it. Here Bulger squatted on his haunches, close at the edge, pistol in hand,