Argosy, Vol. 120, No. 1 — page 133: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE GREAT The wretched creature was impaled in a — most tortuous manner, but Arthur did not attempt to withdraw the blade. He looked quickly away from the hideous, bloody con- tortions which were becoming more and more feeble. Facing the count’s astonished men, he. cried: “He is dead, or will be any min- ute! I am unarmed!” He threw his hands above_his head. “I surrender my- self to you!”’ He came boldly forward. A commotion ensued. Some ran to the dying man, others rushed away for aid. Whether or not it was his audacity that saved him from instant death, Arthur did not know. Perhaps the men were too be- wildered by the sudden rush of events; or, maybe the real reason was the confusion at- tendant upon the horribly grotesque death of the count (he had almost immediately expired in a paroxysm of agony). Arthur came to no harm for the time being. ~ He was bound and placed with a guard at his side and another before the door, in a small, cell-like room at the top of the house, there to await word from the king. An- nouncement of the murder of the secretary had at once been sent to the palace. DISCOVERY, 128 But the king had been very near the room occupied by the prisoner that very morning. He had been searching the hid- ing-places of the Sansito abode and, finding many long-looked-for documents! Some of these had been instantly consigned to the flames. The noise of the procession continued, and before Arthur’s mind came visions of the new world, and Noanita. How strange had been his hallucination and how wonder- fully fortunate! If he had not thought he saw Noanita, he probably would never have been roused from that curious state of apathy, and would have drunk the poison. Then he almost wept to think of the suf- fering that he had brought upon Judith and himself. Would they never see each other again? He slept little that night, wretchedly | musing; vainly striving to unravel the mys- tery of himself and Sansito. Next morning he was ordered to appear before the king at noon. He made himself as preser:table as possi- - ble and, guarded by four men, was con- ducted to the palace. He was hopeless about the future. He had taken the life of a nobleman, almost as powerful as the king, By this same messenger, Arthur had, and one who was very close to Ferdinand. vainly sought to communicate with Judith. But Sansito’s majordomo, who had taken charge of everything, flatly refused. All that day and night Arthur remained in confinement; but he was fed and made moderately comfortable. He surmised that he was well treated because the words of Sansito, concerning his birth, had been over- heard by the hidden guard. These men probably did not believe that he was the son of the Prince of Viana, but they were going to take no chance with one who might be of the blood-royal. Next day Arthur expected to be sum- moned before the king, or thrown into some dungeon, but the day passed and he re- mained unmolested. During the afternoon he heard a noise in the street,.and was informed that it was the procession of Columbus going to his audience with the sovereigns. The young man now understood why he had not been brought before Ferdinand. No matter if he had struck in self-defense— still, he killed the greatest man in Spain! He noticed how the people whom he en- countered in the halls and corridors looked away, or deliberately walked aside. Evi- dently the news of his deed had become common property. To his surprise, Ferdinand received him in private, even dismissing the four guards after ordering them to unbind their prisoner, When they were alone, the king com- manded Arthur to tell all that had taken place during his visit to Sansito. Briefly the young man recounted the events leading up to the secretary’s death. ’ “ There is more here than appears on the surface,” Ferdinand remarked thoughtfully. “Tell me what gained you such enmity? What do you know concerning yourself? Tell me everything.” And Arthur did; beginning with the death of old Tobit, and the discovery of the bags of gold behind the “Agony in the comicoookks CO@