Litchfield enquirer., 1879-09-04
WHOLE NO. PITS
"Fifteen two; fifteen four; and one for his

of rough comfort, about this room, with the fire burning steadily in the grate, the two men sleeping on the trunk, the recumbent figure on the coke box, and the two players seated at the plank on trestes, the candle-light casting gigantic shadows on the white canvas walls. Rembrandt might have sketched it but no one seeing the picture would have thought of writing under by way of legend, the fearsome name which the room had oddly acquired. It looked too homely and drowsily peaceful for such suggestion.
 Day was already far advanced, and every one was awake except the two players, who | were discovered with their arms stretched out | on the table, and were ruthlessly reused by their comrades. Number one was bustling about the room, blaming everybody but him. | self for letting the fire out. Number Five was on his hands and knees pufing away at the deadened coke. No fire, no coffee; and the necessity for stimulant of some sort in view of the day's work was keenly felt Number One, roofing among the Crockery and wreck of last nights supper came upon a parcel of sugar. | Taking two or three lumps he deftly inserted | them where the coke still smouldering and presently the fire was burning, the kettle was | simmering, and breakfast became something more than a possibility. They made nasty but hearty meal and began to remove all tra- ce of their occupancy of the chamber Every | thing was slowed away in the t0ol-chestsabout the room, the plank was taken off the trestles and laid along the wall. Then Number One | produced from one of his pockets small case, | about eight inches long and three broad It | looked in the half-light of the shaded room something like the case of an opera-glass. His example was followed by his comrades, and presently there sounded in succession five clicks, not loud enough for the snap of pis- | tol, but uncommonly sharp and distinct. | ''All right ?" sad Number One, carefully placing the instrument in his breast pocket.
 ''All right" said the rest in chorus, and without another word they filed out after | Number One.
 Leading the way, he reached the staircase and began to ascend till he stepped out oD the upper roof of the chapel. It was now Il o'clock, and, though they were above any height at which they might be overlooked, it was necessary to observe precaution lest they | might be seen from below or from the town. They crept cautiously along, walking in the gutter of the roof and protected on the right hand by the battlements. Thus they advanced till they came to the gable end. Here was another door which seemed to open into dark ness Number One, who had never hestatcd
 in his movements entered, and was followed by his four confederates. They stood for moment till their eyes grew accustomed to | semi-darkness The roof of the room in which they now found themselves was lofty and composed of bare beams. The floor seem- ed to be series of pitfalls. Pathways com- posed of great beams ran across it, and on these man might walk, though on either | side were cavities, how deep could not be told in the shimmering light that came through the open door. After awhile the strangers dis cerned through the gloom other lights, appar- enty coming through the floor.
 Number one going down on his hands and knees carefully traversed the beam followed by his companions. A few feet on, thls beam was crossed by another beam, this again by others. The party breaking up, as it were at crossroads, each took his own path, crawling slowly over dust that lay fully an inch thick, and so fine as to be almost impalpabe to the | touch Each man seemed to make his way for one of the rays of light that pierced the floor, and bending his head till it touched the floor looked down.
 "Im a bit mixed' said Number One, after 1 intently gazing for moment through the aper- ture. "Here's the Herald right under me with the toes of his boots turned up to hls knees 1 think the altarmust be further up. Bear away with your backs to the light of the door,"
 Suddenly the blare of trumpets filled the darkened chamber. The burst of music seenI- ed to spring up from beneath rthe adventures, and Number Three starting at the sudden sound, fell off the beam, and with shrek rolled away into black space.
 "He's only fallen into one of the crevices," said Number One; "give him a hand up," And Number Three, sneezing violently, was | drawn up out of the dust hole.
 "Ah, here we are. Here's right over the altar A hole apiece; and, Number Three, mind you don't drop any dust down Give yourself good shaking before you stoop."
 Hurriedly gathering in the direction whence the voice came, the five figures stopped and bent their heads down till agaln they touched | the f1oor
 | TrLn .o;,,o. o, +bo;u I,ooo, oooh ,,o, ,o,,. l. , hand into his breast pocket and, amid the thick gloom through which the bright March morning outside vainly strove to thrust shafts 1 of light. these five figures could be plainly seen each to take out an instrument similar to | that which the leader of the band had exam ined when in the room below. The trium- phanG blare of the trumpets had died away, and the air was tremulOus with the solemn 1 tonest of the organ breaking into the stirring strains of the march from "Athalie." But, though the music seemed to shake the rafters with melodious thunder, it could not deaden the sound of the five distinct "clicks! !" which | followed upon gesture by which each of the | five figures seemed to fix a gleaming barrel in the aperture in the floor and return to his | breast pocket the case which had held it. Once more they bent down and seemed in tent 1 lY to watch for signal
 | It was rare sight upon which these greedy eyes looked down. St. Georges Chapel was crowded with congregation of fair women and brave men. Orders, jewels. and bright eyes flashed everywhere in the glad sunlight. | All the colors of the rainbow had been gather- | ed up and strewn about to make fair dresses | for fairer fairer forms The royalty, rank and | beauty of the greatest nation in the world were inclosed within the four walls of this lit- tie chapel whose ornate roof seen from below gave no hint of possibilities of ambush. The l cof hU flla ali ho K Oh i 1 from her neck. Near her chair stood the Prince of Wales and the King of the Belglans, Not far off, stalled as Knight of the Garter, was the courier Premier. with lugubriOus look that beled his errand. It was the critical mo- ment of the imposing ceremony. The trum- pets had forgotten to sound. The organ was stlled. The bride and bridegroom stood hand in hand and face to face at the steps of the al- tar, and through the hushed chapel there sounded the still voice of the Archbishop pro- nouncing familiar words echoed in a manly tone by the bridegroom In the gloomy cham- Der above, the five figures lay prone and mo- tionless upon the floor, each at an aperture covering particular member of the company at the altar steps
 Through the oppressive silence, the tortured ear and the OverwrOught brain might well fam cy they heard the wall that last night circled round the Town of Windsor and shook the folds of the royal standard. "The Oueem the King of the Belgians, the Prince of Wales, the bridegroom, and Lord Beaconsfield. Hal Hal Hap
 Would the silence never be broken? It seemed an age since the bridegroom had first held out his hand and taken within it the nn- gloved fingers of the bride. The air in the chamber seemed to grow thicker The silky dust that lay thick around stirred strangely as if touched by ghostly breath.
 Something else was moving.
 It was Number One, who, gathering himself up, rested on his knees, and with prelimina- " sound like the smackinr of lips observed;
 ''Well, only wish Mrs. Segg was here. When told her that was going to climb over roofs and spend a night on bare board just to see the Duke of Connaught married