The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-07-19

walls of the cavern. made nv es-
cape as quick as possible, and swung
the bowlder back into its place. said
that you should die the most horrible
of deaths, and now am about to exc
cute. my threat
yhe Corsican, while speaking. had
moved the bowlder aside, and now he
grasped the arm of Vannina and thrust
her forcibly into the black loathsome
cave. With an exultant laugh he
pushed the bowlder. back into it's place.
thus imprisoning the girl in the vile
serpent.s ,den., Without waiting to
hear the wild cries for help uttered nv
iVannfna, the Corsican strobe So.
from the spot leaving her to her is..o.
The cavern in which our heroine
found herself was sufficiently lofty to
permit Other standing erect, but it
was so very narrow that she could
touch both walls with her outstretched
hands. Her horrible situation forced
her to give vent to several wild cries
for help; but as the sepulchral ring of
her own voice added to the terror of
her situation, and she soon ceased.
All was intense darkness within the
cavern, save for a narrow stream of
light that come in betwixt the bowl
der and the side of the cave. .-Desper-
ately the girl pushed against the bowl
der IN her attempt to remove It but
her struggles were in vain, for the
rock was as lmmOvable from the inner
side. as the cliff itself. In despair
she sank upon the rocky floor of the
cavern and strove to pierce the dense
gloom which surrounded her. Pres
emily her eyes caught two small bright
specks, close to the floor of the cavern
and less than three yards distant.
They were SO intensely bright that she
gazed upon them in wonder. As she
gazed they seemed to transform their
phosphorescent whiteness. into rain
bow hues Of marvellous brightness and
beauty.
As if spellbound, she continued to
gaze upon them, and presently they
slowly but surely commenced to ap-
proach her, their Ii les changing and
scintillating, and seeming to penetrate
with their horrible intensity to her
very brain. An indescribable sensa-
ton of horror and dread crept upon
her, and she strove to move her limbs
and take her eyes from those strange
~ beautiful objects. But i'm vain.
Strange, celestial music filled her ears
with its mellifuent strains, and a
subtle charm seemed cast over her
whole being. Though she half real
lied that to submit to that charm
would end in her doom. yet she was
10th to cast off it's influence.
Nearer and nearer drew these OBJ
]ects, more and more powerful became
their influence, until Vannina might
have touched them with her out
stretched hand.
At this juncture hoarse, strange
cry smote her ears and drowned the
melody which had possessed them.
And the cry, as it was repeated, re-
solved itself into her own name. In
an instant she turned her eyes toward
the bowlder. The charm was broken
and her wild cries of horror, as she
realized that those strangely brilliant
spots were the Orbs of a serpent, filled
the cavern, and she drew back from
them as far as possible. As she did so
a footstep sounded close to the mouth
of the cavern, and an instant later the
bowlder swung slowly back, admitting
a flood of dazzling light. With a cry
of joy Vannina sprang forth from the
horrible den and sank in swoon at
the feet of Nolan Gordon. The latter
had been but momentarily stunned by
the blow of the young Corsican, and
upon his recovery he beheld the latter
fleeing toward the beach with Vannina
in his arms.
He unhesitatingly started in pursuit,
though taking care not to show him.
self to the ruffian. When the latter
had effected his purpose and returned
toward the village, the young man fol-
lowed along the beach, divining that
the purpose of the Corsican was to
contine the girl. He noticed the loose
bowlder concealing the cavern, and
was about to investigate it when he
heard Vannina's cries.
The young American raised the
dropping form of the girl in his arms.
and bore her toward her dwelling.
Ere he had reached it, she recovered
her senses and briefly explained the
horrible position from which he had
rescued her.
81 must flee from this vicinity at
once,' she said in conclusion, cor Wit
torio will kill me in the end.''
Nolan Gordon's heart thumped al
most audibly as she turned those dark
ly brilliant eyes full upon his face.
s.sVannina, we know little of each