Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1885-12-25
CHAPTER TX.
TIE poNJoN OF rIsINo.

THE DONJON VI il9iN'.
The fortress of Pisino is one of tho
most formidable buildings which arose
i'll the middle ages. 1t has II fine feudal
aspect. 1t only wants the knights IN It's
vaulted halls and the ladies' IN their long
brocaded robes and pointed hornets Mt
its arched windows, and tine archers and
crossbowmen on its mlchicolations, its
battlemented galleries, ut the emnrl-
sures of its mangmals, Its portculls aud
its drawbridges. The stonework Is still
intact but the Governor with his Aus
trian uniform, the soldiers with their
modern weapons, the wardcrs AMI turn
KEYS Who no longer wear the parti-
colored costume, half yellow aad half
red, of the old days strike false note
in the mids. of all this magniiicene of
the past.
Ii was from the donion of this fortress
that Count Saudorf was endeayorlng to
escape during the last hours before his
execution. mad attempt no doubt;
for the prisoners did not even know N
what part of the donjon their prison lay
nor ANYTHING of the country across which
they would have to journey after their
escape.
And perhaps it was fortunate that
their Ignorance was complete in the mat
ter. Had they known more they might
have rccoiled before the difficulties, TO
say nothing of the impossiblllties of such
an enterprise.
1t is not that this province of Istra
offers no favorable chances for an escape,
for no matter what direction the fugi-
tives took they would reach the seacoast
in u few hours. 1t is not that the streets
of pisino are so carefully guarded that
there is a risk of being arrested Mt the
very first step Bat TO escape from the
fortress, and particularly from the don
Jon occupied bv the prisoners. had up to
then been considered impossible. Even
the idea had never occurred to any one.
The situation and exterior arrange
ments OF the donjon i'll the fortress of
Pisino were rs follows: The donjon
occupies one side Of the terrace with
which the town hero ends. Leaning
over the parapet of this terrace the eve
plunges into a large, deep gulf, whose
rugged sides covered with thick cntan-
pendicularlv Nothing overhaugs the
wall there is not a step 10 enable any
one to ascend or descend not fence
70 halt st not n prominence To seize
hold upon in any part OF 1t nothing
but the uncertain lines smooth, rugged
and irregular. which mark the oblique
clcarage of the rocks In word, II il
an abyss which attracts, iasSnates and
never gives back anything that drops
into it.
Above the abyss rises one of the side
walls of the donion, pierced with few
windows giving light to the cells on the
different floors. Were a prisoner to lean
out of one of these openings ne would
recoil with terror, lest vertigo drag him
into the void below. And if lac fell
what would be his fate; His body
would be dashed to pieces on the rocks
Mt the bottom, or it would be carried
away by the torrent whose current dur
ing flood is irresistible.
The abyss is the Brico, as it is called
in the district. Through it runs river
known as tho Foiba. This river finds
its only outlet in n cavern which it has
gradually cut out of the rocks. and into
which it falls with the impetuousity Of a
tide-race or whirlpool. Where does it
go as it passes under the town ? No one
knows. Where does it reappear? Not
one knows of this cavern, or rather this
canal, bored in the schists and clays-
no one knows the length, the height or
the direction. Who can say what thous-
ands of angles, what forests of pillars
supporting the enormous substructuro
of the fortress and entire city its waters
are dashed against in their course
Many bold explorers, when the water
level has been neither too high nor too
low, have taken q light boat and
endeavored to descend the Foiba through
the gloomy tunnel. but the arches have
been too low and have soon interposcd
an impracticable obstacle. In fact,
nothing is known of this subterranean
river. Perhaps it is lost in some still
deeper cavern and enters the Adriatic
below the tide mark.
Such then, was the Brico, OF which
Count Sandorf did not even know tho
existence and rs the only escape was
by the window of his cell. which opened
above the Brico he would be- almost rs
certain TO meet his death as If he stood
in front of the firing party on the morn
ing of his execution.
Zathmar and Bathory waited bu. for
the time to act, ready to remain behind,
if necessary, and sacrifice themselves to
help Count Sandorf, or ready TO follow
him If their flight would not hamper
his.
no DE CONTINUED