Page:Silver Shoal Light.djvu/334

 the proceedings of your great Government as we," sneered the Count. "You evidently are not aware that a transport comes down the bay to-night under the darkness cover. It will turn here to go up the coast. It is very dark, but no fog; therefore it expects the Light, hein? There is no Light. What happens, hein?"

He gave a last savage jerk to the rope and laughed.

"It is my idea, all mine! For the Fatherland!" He broke off his fanatical whisper with a sort of snarl. "Schmidt, why do you stand there? Dumkopf! The child, quick!"

Joan made a wild effort and found that she could not move.

"No!" she cried, "no! I implore you, if you have one human feeling, don't touch him! Oh, you know, he can do nothing; he is quite helpless. You know it! Oh, you couldn't!"

"Dot's true," muttered Schmidt, the butcher. "I seen him blenty often."

"Be still," said the Count. "We're losing time. Be quick, erbärmliche Blindschleiche!"

Both the men stood between Joan and Garth, hiding him from her. Against the light she saw Schmidt's short, square form, the Count's lithe, sinuous figure, saw them bending down. There