Finally, feeling wet at the elbow, he put the
stiletto in his pocket and hurried off to the hotel.
[Illustration: WIPING ITS BLADE ON THE CLOTHES OF THE PROSTRATE MAN]
Tina fell back against the wall with a cry at the sight of the blood.
She would have fainted, but something told her that she would be well
advised to keep her senses about her at that moment.
"I can't imagine why he should attack me," said Standish, as he bared
his arm to be bandaged. "I never saw him before, and I have had no
quarrel with any one. It could not have been robbery, for I was too
near the hotel. I cannot understand it."
"Oh," began old Lenz, "it's easy enough to account for it. He----"
Tina darted one look at her father that went through him as the blade
had gone through the outstretched arm. His mouth closed like a steel
trap.
"Please go for Doctor Zandorf, papa," she said sweetly, and the old man
went. "These Italians," she continued to Standish, "are always
quarrelling. The villain mistook you for some one else in the dusk."
"Ah, that's it, very likely. If the rascal has returned to his senses,
he probably regrets having waked up the wrong passenger."
When the authorities searched for Pietro they found that he had
disappeared as absolutely as though Standish had knocked him through
into China.
Pages:
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93