Bandit Love

His dark eyes were ablaze with ardour, his lean face was flushed, and

his breath was coming and going pantingly as he crushed Myra to him and

kissed her until his kisses seemed to be burning her very Soul and her

senses were reeling. All power of resistance had gone from her. She

felt dazedly as if she were encompassed by flames and no hope of

escape. She was conquered....

* * * Languidly Myra opened her eyes--and sat up with an involuntary cry of

consternation, for she could see nothing, and the terrifying thought

flashed through her mind that she had gone blind. Then she remembered

that the rocky apartment was dark as a tomb when the electric lights

were not burning, and she groped for the switch.

As the lights sprang to life, realisation of what had happened burned

its way into her horrified consciousness, and a burning blush stained

her pale, lovely face. She was alone in the bedroom, but she knew

instinctively that she had not been alone for long. Her hands went

convulsively to her breast, and she shuddered violently and moaned in

anguish.

Then followed anger--fierce, passionate fury against the man who had

imposed his will on her, and with clenched fists she beat the pillow on

which she knew his head had rested. The fury of rage speedily

exhausted itself, and Myra buried her face in her hands and sobbed

fearlessly.

"He will come back," she thought distractedly. "He will come back to

make mock of me, to gloat over me. Oh, if only I could get away! If

only I could die!"

She sprang out of bed and began to dress in frantic haste, starting at

every sound. She could not have explained what she intended to do or

the reason for her haste. All she knew was that she must get out of

the bedroom before Don Carlos returned.

Her hurried toilet completed, Myra with trembling fingers cautiously

opened the bedroom door and peeped out. The rocky corridor was

deserted, no sound came from the great cave, and the whole place seemed

almost uncannily silent. With an effort of will Myra mastered her

panic and tiptoed silently along the corridor towards the outer hall.

The corridor was lighted, but she found the hall, when she reached it,

in darkness, save for one tiny light above the electric switch on the

wall near the entrance. Myra pressed the switch and at once the

apartment was flooded with light.

"Oh, God, help me to remember!" breathed Myra, after a swift glance

around, to assure herself the place was untenanted. "Help me to get

away--if only it is to die among the mountains."