St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-16

lOl n SUuIiu.
1.-The donjOn is built on high rock which
rises from the valley" remarked BathOry
The height does not NATTER answered
| SandOrf. There can be no doubt that
the lightning conductor reaches the ground,
because that is necessary for it to be of any
use. And so we shall reach the ground
without the risk of fall. s"
The reasoning was right. rs rule, but it
was wrong in this instance, for the end
of the conductor was plunged in the waters
of the Foiba.
The window being clear, the moment for
escape had come.
MY friends" said Sandorf, .'this is what
we had better do. l am tine youngest and,
l think, the strongest. 1t is my place,
therefore. to be the first to go down this
iron rope. In case of some obstacle which
is impossible for us TO fOreSee preventing
my reaching the ground, L may have
strength enough TO climb back to the win
dow. Two minutes after l have gone.
Stephen, you get out Of the window and
follow me. Two minutes after him. Lads
les, you come the same way. When we
three have reached the foot of the dOnjon
we will act according TO circumstances"
I'VE will obey you. Matthias" answered
BathOry. We will do what you tell us to
do; we will go where You tell us to 90.
But we do not Ike your taking the greatest
share of the danger on yourself"
Our lives are not worth as much as
yours" added Zathmar.
They are worth quite as much in the
face Of an act of justice which has to be
DONE" answered Count SandOrf. And if
one OF us alone survives, he will be the one
to perform that act Shake hands, my
friends ~
And then, while Zathmar went to watch
at the door of the CELL Sandorf climbed
into the embrasure. \ moment afterwards
ne was hanging in the air. Then. while
his knees gripped the iron rope, he slid
down. hand under hand. feeling with his
feet for the staples on which to rest.
The storm burst forth again with extra
ordinary violence. 1t did not rain. but the
wind was terrific. Flash overlapped flash.
The zigZags crossed and crossed above the
donjon, attracted by its isolated position
and its towering height. The point of the
lightning rod cleaned with pallid brilliancy
as the electricity Streamed off in a long
spear point of flame, and the cable shook
and swung with the furious laShings of the
storm.
The risk that was run in hanging on TO
this conductor. through which the electricity
was travelling, to lose itself in the waters
OF the BucO, was terrible. Had the APP
paTatus been in perfect condition. there
would have been no danger of a stroke. for
the extreme cOnductibility of the metal
compared TO that of the human body, which
Is very much less. would have preserved
the daring man who was suspended from
IL But if the point of the conductor were
blunted. or there were any solution of con-
tlnuity in the cable, or rupture occurred
at any spot below, stroke was quite pos
Sible. due to the meeting of the positive
and the negative; and this without flash,
owing to the tension of the accumulation in
the defective apparatus.
Count SandOrf was fully aware of the
danger to which he was exposed. a senti-
ment more powerful than that of the in
Stinct of preservation made him brave it.
He slipped down slowly, cautiously,
through the electric emanatiOnS which Ell
velOped him as a mist. His foot sought
each staple down the wall. and for an in
slant he paused, and as binding flash il
lumlned the abyss beneath him he tried,
but in vain. to discover its depth.
When Matthias had descended about
sixty feet from the window, he found firm
reSting-place. 1t was sort of ledge a few
inches wide which marked the beginning of
the base OF the wall. The lightning con-
ductor did not end here, it went down
lower and-unknown to the fugitive-from
this point downward it was unfastened and
toated free, sometimes skirting the rocky
wall, sometimes swinging in mid-air, some
times scraping against the rocks which over
hung the abyss.
Count SandOrf stopped to recover his
breath. His feet rested on the ledge his
hands grasped the iron cable. He saw that
he had reached the first course of the ma
sOnry Of the dOnjon. But how far he was
above the valley, he could not estimate.
That must be very deep" he thought.
In fact few large birds, dazed with the
binding brilliancy of the lightning, were
flying round him with heavily Tapping
wings, and instead of rising sank out of
sight beneath his feet. Hence he must be
on the brink of a precipice which fell away,
deep down below him.
As the birds disappeared he heard a noise
above, and by the light of VIVID flash he
saw confused mass detach itself from the
wall
IL was Stephen BathoTy escaping from
the window. He had grasped the conductor
and was slowly slipping down to join
Count SandOrf. Matthias waited for him.
his feet firmly planted on the narrow ledge.
There Stephen could wait while he con-
tinued the descent.
In few minutes both were standing on
the narrow stOnework.
As soon rs the thunder ceased for an in
slant they could speak, and hear each other.
And Ladislas?" asked SandOrf.
He will be here in a minue."
Nothing wrong aloft?"
Nothing"
Good l viii make room for Ladislas,
and you, Stephen, wait till he reaches
you"
Agreed"
\ tremendous flash seemed to envelope
them in flame. 1t seemed as though the
electricity cOursing through the cable had
penetrated their nerves. They thought
they had been struck.
''MathiaSi MathiaS" exclaimed BathOry,
under an impression of terror that he could
not master.
BE cool! 1 am going down. You will
follow" was Sandorf's reply.
And already he had seized the cable with
the intention of slipping to the first staple
below, where he intended to wait for his
companion.
Suddenly there were shouts from above.
They seemed To come from the window of
the cell. Then these words rang out
''Save yOuTselvesr'
1t was Zathmar's voice.
Immediatelya bright light shot from the
wall, followed by a sharp report. This
time it was not the cable broken by a
lightning fash which lit up the gloom; il
was not the roar of the thunder which re-
sounded in the air. y gun had been fired,
chance shot probably from one of the en-
brasureS Of the dOnjOn. 1t was Just as
much signal to the guard as if bullet |
had been aimed at the fugitives. The es-
cape had been discovered.
The sentry had heard some noise. He |