Chapter 9 Nine, hand to hand

"If they come up," she thought, "if d'Estrèche tries to kidnap me on the spot, there is nothing I can do. Before I can be rescued, they have taken me into a burrow, and from there it is only God knows!..." Is there any reason why this should not happen?For once the bandit had won the medal, once Dorothy had been captured, he had only to run away. Suddenly, she understood where she had gone wrong.Whether it's forcing de Estreche to venture out of the hole, or taking advantage of his chance to catch him, the whole set she envisions is too detailed and annoying, and is often frustrated by reality or the little jokes that fate plays with us. .It is very dangerous if the outcome of a battle depends only on the gains and losses between minutes and seconds.

She retreated into the house at once, and stuffed the metal box under a mass of debris in the small storage room.The enemy has to work hard to find it, and the time for his escape will be delayed.But, just as she was about to leave the storeroom, de Estreche was already standing in the doorway, making faces at her with a sarcastic face, spectacles and a bushy beard. Dorothy never carried a pistol.All her life she believed only in courage and wisdom.In this terrible moment, facing the man who had killed her father, she felt a little remorse.Her first reaction was to shoot him in the head. Guessing her hatred, he seized her by the arm and twisted it back, just as he had done with old Madame Juliette Azel.Then, leaning over her, he said intermittently, "Tell me... where did you put it?"

She was so hurt that she didn't expect to resist, and led him to the small utility room and pointed to the pile of things.The metal box was found immediately, and he weighed it in his hand, inspected it with satisfaction, and said, "Everything went well. Great victory! Twenty years of hard work finally paid off. Apart from that, , and you, Dorotai, the most beautiful and most fascinating reward." He searched her skirt, made sure she was unarmed, and then hugged her, not seeing how much strength he had, and lifted her legs back and head forward on his shoulders. "You really worry me, Dorothy." He said with a cold smile. "What! No resistance at all? How clever, girl! There must be a trap in here. So, I have to withdraw quickly..."

When she got outside, she saw the two men guarding the gate.One of them she knew, seen at Juliette Azaire's house.The other face was pressed against the barbed wire of the small window, watching the movement on the road. De Estrechet called to them: "Take care, my friends, that you are not caught in the sheepfold. As soon as I blow my whistle, you have to retreat to the hill." He strode up the mountain by himself, still walking like flying under the weight.The girl smelled the musty smell of the cave from his clothes.He grabbed her by the neck, pinching her bruised and purple with his callused hands.

They reached the wooden bridge to cross.An entrance to the burrow was probably in the bushes and rocks a hundred meters from the bridge.De Estreche had put the whistle in his mouth. At this time, Dorotai cleverly grabbed the metal box protruding from his pocket and threw it into the pond.The round box rolled a few times on the ground and fell into the water along the river bank. "Stinky bitch," the man slammed her to the ground and cursed. "If you dare to move, I will twist your head off." He walked down the slope and walked forward in the mud by the river with one foot high and one foot low, watching Dorotai while swearing.

The girl didn't want to run away, she looked again and again at the top of the courtyard wall, where the police and servants would appear at any moment. It had been at least five minutes, but there was no one there.She was still full of confidence, hoping that de Estreche, who had lost his composure, would show his flaws, which would be just for her to take advantage of. "Yes, yes," he said through gritted teeth, "you're trying to stall, little one. So what? Do you think I'll let you go? Never in your life! I got two things, one gold The medal, one is you, Raoul, a country bumpkin, don't think I will give up. Besides, he deserves it. My men have been instructed: when they see him, they will hit me on the head hard..."

He went on searching for a while, and then with a sudden cry of triumph, he straightened up, holding the metal box in his hand. "I found it, my dear. Luck is evidently on my side, and your hopes have failed. On your way, Cousin Dorothy." The girl glanced at the courtyard wall.No one was there.The abominable thing approached again, she took a step back instinctively, the man laughed, any resistance seemed absurd. He stretched out his stiff arms, and roughly carried her on his shoulders again. There was hatred in his movements, but also the same strong desire. "Dorothee, say good-bye to your lover, for he loves you, honest Raoul. Say good-bye to him, even if you shall still see him, then, it has happened, let me please let him worrying thing."

He climbed up the hill after crossing the bridge. This is the end.In another thirty seconds, even if the attack were to be made, de Estreche would be invisible even if the man with the gun appeared on the wall, and he would have enough time to enter the burrow.Dorothy lost.Raoul and the police arrived too late. "You can't feel it," de Estreche whispered, "to feel you trembling on my back, behind you, your body so close to me that you can't escape it, What a good feeling. What's wrong with you? Are you crying? Don't cry, little girl. Anyway, don't you? You want to be lying in the arms of handsome Raoul one day and act like a spoiled child... There is no reason to say that I It must be more annoying than him, huh? Hey! There is such a thing, hey!" He said loudly, obviously irritated, "You haven't finished crying yet."

He turned her over his shoulder and looked away from her face. He was confused. Dorothy was laughing. "What's the matter? What are you laughing at? Thanks to your smile, what's the matter?" As if he was threatened by danger, Dorothy's laughter frightened him.What's so funny about this beggar?He suddenly became furious, and after leaning her against a tree, he raised his fist inhumanely and hit her. He had a ring on his hand, and with his strength, the girl's forehead was suddenly bleeding from under her hair. She still smiled, and even though her mouth was sealed with a cloth strip, she still mumbled: "Look at how barbaric you are!"

"If you smile again, I'll bite your mouth off, bitch," he said, bending over her bright red lips, gritting his teeth. He said so, but he didn't dare to act rashly, and he even had to pretend to be respectful on the surface. It can be said that he was frightened by Dorotai.In fact, she was also afraid, and soon stopped laughing and became serious again. "What's the matter? What's the matter?" he asked repeatedly. "Not only are you not crying, but you are laughing, why?" "I laugh," she said, "because of those two plates."

"What plate?" "Two plates for the medal case." "These two?" "yes." "Well?" "Well, they are the plates of the Dorotai Circus, which I use to perform the turntable..." He froze. "What nonsense are you talking about?" "Yes, that's right," she explained. "Saint-Quentin and I, we welded together. I carved the magic saying with my knife, and we threw it into the pond last night." "You're crazy...I don't understand. What's your purpose in doing this?" "Under your torture, Mrs. Azel gave a few vague words, including Xiaohe, so I believe you will fall into the trap." "What trick?" "I'm going to get you out of here." "Do you know I'm here?" "Of course! I also knew you were watching us salvage. So, I'm pretty sure what happened. You saw the box come out of the water. You thought it was a medal. You thought Raoul was gone. I am the only one in the villa, so it is impossible for you not to come. Sure enough, you have come. " He muttered, "The gold medal...so it wasn't in the box?" "No, the box is empty." "Where's Raoul? . . . Raoul, are you waiting for him?" "yes." "Just wait for him alone?" "And the police. They have an appointment." He clenched his fists and said through gritted teeth: "You bastard, you reported me?" "I denounced you." In d'Estrèche's mind there was absolute conviction that she was telling the truth.The metal box he held in his hand could be easily pried off with the tip of a knife if he wanted to.What's the use of prying it open?The metal box is empty.He already knows.He suddenly understood the purpose of her play on the pond. He also felt incredible when he saw everything happen. Now, he can explain the uncomfortable and uneasy emotions at that time. However, he has come.He blindly fell headfirst into the trap she had boldly laid out.What magical power does she possess?How can he get out of the net that is getting tighter and tighter? "Let's go," he said, intent on getting out of danger as quickly as possible. But, as if all his willpower had been paralyzed, he did not pick up his victim again, but instead asked her a question: "Well, the box is empty. But, do you know where the medal is?" "Of course!" Dorothy said, she just wanted to gain some more time, her eyes were always quietly looking at the wall. His eyes lit up. "Ah! You know . . . you admit that you know, but you are too careless! Now that you know, girl, you must tell me. Otherwise . . . " He drew his pistol. She joked: "Like with Juliette Azel, eh? You count to twenty, no, it's no use." "I promise, hell..." "empty words!" No, it is certain that this battle still has to be fought.Although exhausted and bleeding from his face, Dorotai seized every opportunity with incomparable perseverance.She had the distinct feeling that de Estreche would kill her in a fit of rage.But it was also clear to her that he was terribly flustered, that she was in complete control of him.He didn't have the courage to walk away and give up the fateful medal he was crazy about.Let him hesitate for a few more minutes, and Raoul will be there! At this moment, something happened that seemed to interest the girl so much that she bent down especially to see it clearly.The old baron was about to leave the villa with a suitcase in his hand. Instead of his usual long overcoat, he wore a woolen jacket and a felt hat on his head, which showed that he had chosen it specially, that is, Said it was brainstorming.there's one more thing.Goliath was not with him.He waited a while, stomping, and when his dog arrived, he grabbed the collar, got his bearings, and headed for the gate. The two accomplices blocked his way.He murmured a few words and insisted on going over.Those two pushed him, and he was very annoyed.At last he left them and went into the woods, keeping his grip on the collar, but leaving the box behind. His intentions are obvious.Both Dorothey and de Estreche knew that the old man must be looking for treasure.Although he was crazy, he never forgot about the treasure hunt.The holy day drew near, and on the day he had appointed himself, he locked his box and, like a wound-up robot, set off at the appointed hour. De Estreche called to his accomplices, shouting at them: "Search his things." Since he found nothing on the old man, no medals, no clues, he walked around in front of Dorothy several times, as if he didn't know what to do next, and finally came to her side. "Answer me. Raoul loves you. It's a good thing you don't love him. Otherwise, I would have put a stop to your romance two weeks ago. But, anyway, on the question of medals and property, you Serious about him, you're a co-conspirator. Stupid girl, I'll make you happy, because there's one thing you don't know, and it's up to me to tell you. I'm sure, wait until I say After listening to you, you will also tell the truth. So, you have to answer my question. This medal, you must wonder why I am still looking for this medal, because as far as you know, I have already obtained it from you I stole it from my father, how do you explain it?" "My interpretation is that it was stolen again by someone else." "It is. But do you know who stole it?" "have no idea." "Raoul's father, Georges d'Avernoy." She was shocked, and then retorted, "You're lying." "I didn't back down," he said emphatically. "You remember your father's last letter, the one read by Monsieur Chaney at the Roberley estate? The Prince de Argonne tells of a night in the hospital when he heard two men talking under the window, He saw a hand reaching towards the table to remove the medal. But the man down there, who accompanied the other man in doing this, was Georges d'Avernoy. Dorothet, the bastard. Robbed his friend the next night." Dorothei trembled with anger and disgust. "Lies! Raoul's father! He can do such things? He can be a thief?" "Dorotai, that's more than that. Because the purpose of this operation is not just to steal... Of the two people, one of them put poison. Prince de Argona saw the tattoo on his arm, and he He does not deny his actions, however, he cannot forget that the poison was provided by another person." "You lied! You lied! You are the only criminal! You killed my father alone!" "Don't you believe me? Here, here is a letter from him to the old baron, his father. Read this letter I found in the baron's papers: The indispensable gold medal is at last Got it, I'll bring it back on my next vacation. "Look at the date! A week after the death of the Prince de Argonne! You believe it, don't you? Don't you think we can work together without the coward Raoul?" This incident caused the girl great pain.But she straightened her chest and asked de Estreche calmly: "What do you mean?" "That's right. After the gold medal was handed over to the baron, he entrusted it to his former lover for a while, and then hid it somewhere. It belongs to you. Raoul has no The right to touch this medal. I will buy a medal from you again." "What's the price?" "Tell me... If you refuse to give in, half of the profit is fine." Dorotai immediately saw that the odds were in her favour.It's another chance to win a few minutes, crucial minutes at that.However, because it is necessary to hand over the treasure, it may also take a lot of risk, and may have to pay a high price.Now, can she still hesitate?De Estreche is losing patience.He was like a frightened bird, thinking about the attack that threatened him at any time, if he just ran away instinctively, the consequences would be irreparable. "It's absolutely impossible for us to be a partner! Share the benefits equally...Let me be your ally, no, ten thousand can't, I hate you. However, a temporary agreement may be negotiated." "What's your condition?" he said. "Hurry up. I asked you to make a condition, so hurry up." "Simple. You have two goals. The medal and me. You have a choice. What's your first choice?" "medal." "In this case, I will be free, and I will give you the medal." "On your reputation, you know where it is." "On my honor." "How long have you known?" "Five minutes. Before that, I didn't know it. I know it now. Something that happened just now reminded me." He believed she was telling the truth.He couldn't help but believe it.When she talks, if her eyes are fixed on you, then every word she says is true. "Then tell me." "Now it is your turn. You must promise that when I keep my promise, I will be free." The robber blinked.To him, this kind of thinking is very ridiculous, and Dorothy also knows that it is meaningless to ask him to swear. "I promise," he said. Then, he repeated: "Then tell me. I don't know what you're planning, but I always feel a little unreliable. So, I'm on guard. Don't forget, beauty." The struggle between them has reached a fever pitch, and has a special feature, that is, both sides of the struggle are very aware of the other's intentions.De Estreche had no doubts about Dorothet's conviction that Raoul was on his way to the Villa after being blocked by accident, and he knew that Dorothee's actions depended entirely on the arrival of reinforcements.But one little thing tipped the scales for victory.De Estreche was confident that he was in perfect safety, because his two accomplices were keeping their eyes on the surveillance window at the gate, watching the road and waiting for the car to arrive.However, the girl cleverly took precautions first and asked Raoul to abandon the car and choose a hidden road.All Dorothy's hope lay in this. So she explained it very calmly, with only one thought in mind, to delay the conversation between them as much as possible. "I've always believed," she said, "that I'm sure you think as I do, that the Baron has, so to speak, never left his medal." "I've searched everywhere," protested de Estreche. "Me too. But, I don't mean he carried it with him, I mean he kept it all the time, and still does, and keeps it within easy reach of him." "how?" "Yeah, that's what he's always done, just reach out and get the medal." "Impossible. If that were the case, we would have seen it long ago." "No, like just now, you didn't see anything." "Just now?" "Yes, he just left the manor under the instinct. This is the day he set before he became a fool." "He left without the medal." "bought." "They searched his trunk." "When he left, he didn't just take the box with him." "Then, what else are you carrying, hell! You are more than a hundred meters away from him. What did you see?" "I saw he was carrying something else." "what?" "Goliath." The simple name, with all its implications, left de Estreche speechless. "Golya," continued Dorothei, "Golya was with him at every step, Golya was within reach of his arm, Golya was held by him when he was gone, and is still held by him. Pay attention Look. His five fingers are gripping the collar tightly. You heard that, tugging at the collar!" De Estreche was again convinced.He immediately found that what the girl said was in full agreement with the facts presented before him.Dorotai once again brought the light.Beyond that, it remains dark and full of contradictions. De Estreche collected himself.He resolved to act immediately, and he saw clearly all the safety precautions that had to be taken to rule out any eventuality. He took a string from his pocket and bound Dorothei, and sealed her mouth with a kerchief. "If you're wrong, dear, you're in trouble. You'll pay for your mistakes." Then he added sarcastically: "If you're not mistaken, you're in for it too. I'm a catcher." He yelled at the two accomplices: "Be careful, you two! Is there anyone on the road?" "No." "Be careful! We can leave in three minutes. Hear my whistle and meet at the entrance of the tunnel. I will take the little girl with me." Although severely intimidated, the girl remained the same.All she could see was a good show between d'Estrèche and the baron, unfolding before her eyes. De Estreche ran down the hill and across the river to the old man, who was sitting on a stool in the clearing, Goliath's head resting on his knees. Dorothy felt her heart beating violently.The reason is not that she is afraid that the other party will find the medal.The gold medal was hidden in Goliath's collar, and she knew it.The point is that this last-ditch effort to buy time doesn't go to waste. "If within a minute there is no gun on the wall, I shall not be able to escape the clutches of de Estreche." She is a girl who would rather die than submit, so this minute is actually a minute that decides her life or death. The actual time was more than a minute.De Estreche jumped at the dog, unexpectedly meeting the baron's resistance.The old man pushed him away angrily.Goliath barked wildly, struggling to break free from the bandit's hands. The battle continues.Dorothy watched the whole process, sometimes worried, sometimes full of hope, encouraging Raoul's grandfather from the heart, cursing the robber's arrogance and stubbornness.At last the old baron, exhausted, seemed to suddenly lose his mind about what might happen. Goliath also showed a state of exhaustion with no desire to fight.It lies at the feet of its owner, and no longer cares how others touch it.Trembling with excitement, de Estreche's fingers grasped the collar under the bushy neck hair and groped down the nail-headed leather strap.The clasp on the collar was opened. But that's the end of what he did.The dramatic scene finally appeared.A thin black figure emerged from the wall and shouted, "Hands up!" Dorotai smiled again, feeling an unspeakable joy and relief.Her plan was delayed, but succeeded in the end.The first person to appear was Saint-Quentin, and beside him appeared a second black figure with a long gun barrel pointed forward. De Estreche put down what he was doing and stared in horror at what was happening before him. At the same time, two more commands "Hands up! . . . hands up!" At the place indicated by the girl, two more guns were aimed, and the three gunmen aimed directly at the same target: d'Estrèche. However, he is still hesitating.A bullet grazed his ear.He raised his hands.Because no one paid any attention to the two accomplices, they ran away, and after crossing the bridge they flew straight towards the lonely hill called "The Labyrinth". The door of the villa suddenly opened.Raoul rushed in, followed by two people Dorothy didn't know, who were supposed to be the police sent on her report. De Estreche remained motionless, with his hands raised all the time, and it seemed that he would not resist if given the opportunity to talk and move.The three rushing men surrounded him and for two or three seconds blocked the view of the servants who were aiming at him.Taking advantage of this opportunity, he suddenly drew his pistol and fired four consecutive shots.Three of the shots went flying, and the fourth hit Raoul in the leg, and he fell to the ground with a groan of pain. Obviously, such dog-jumping moves are useless.Several men swarmed up, surrendered de Estreche's weapon, and he was subdued. They put him in chains.At the same time, his eyes were searching for Dorotai, and the eyes were full of hatred. The girl had quietly crept behind the bushes, a place that was almost unnoticed. Saint-Quentin found Dorothy, followed by Montforgon, and they were shocked when they saw her face covered in blood, and immediately got busy with her. "Quiet!" she commanded, keeping them from asking questions. "Yes, I was hurt. But it doesn't matter. Captain, you go to the baron quickly, try to get close to Goliath, stroke it gently, and take off its collar. There is a metal plate with its name engraved on it, metal Beneath the card is a locket containing the medal we're looking for. Go and fetch it for me." The child went. "Saint-Quentin," continued Dorothy, "have the police seen me?" "No." "You have to make everyone believe that I have left the villa, and you are going to find me in La Roche, the provincial capital, by the Ion River. I don't want to get involved in the investigation. They will come to me for questioning, which is a waste of time." "But what about M. Darvernoy?" "Inform him at the first opportunity. Tell him I'm gone, he'll know why later, and ask him to keep everything about me a complete secret. Besides, he's hurt, and in all the confusion they don't mind Come to me. They will search the hills and catch the accomplices. No one can see me. Cover me with branches, Saint-Quentin. Well... Now, tonight, come to me, four of you, and carry me up Caravan, we're leaving early tomorrow morning. Maybe I'll be sick for a few days. Overworked, overwrought. Don't you worry. That's it, boy?" "Yes, Mom." As she expected, after the two policemen imprisoned de Estreche in the villa, they passed not far from her and went up the hill, led by their servants. She heard their exclamations.There was no doubt that they had discovered the entrance to the labyrinth from which the two accomplices had escaped. "It's useless to chase," Dorotai said in a low voice. "The rabbit has gone far." She was very tired.However, she must not relax until Montforgon returns.She asked Saint-Quentin why he had delayed the attack. "There was an accident, didn't it?" "Yes," he replied. "The police messed up the inn, and the three servants were delayed at the wedding... By the time everyone was assembled, the car broke down again." Montforgon came running back."St. Quentin," said Dorothy, "maybe there will be a city or a castle on the medal. In that case, you'll have to inquire and drive there in a caravan according to what you've heard. , Captain, have you found it?" "Yes, Mom." "Give it to me, dear." Dorotay touched this gold medal that everyone coveted and regarded as the most precious mascot, guaranteeing all the best, and was extremely excited. The medal was as large as two five-franc pieces, but much thicker and less regular in shape than they are now, and rougher in mint, with a dull, dull gold. On one side of the medal is engraved the motto: In Robert Fortuna On the other side the following two lines: "July 12th." Dorotai whispered to himself, "It's not too late." As she spoke, she fainted.