Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-04-15

live, would marry you blithslyi and
livs or die, love you"
Sac answered nothing.
"Come," he ssid, "speak up, Jack
Come, be good maid and say ye love
mel"
"Why, Dlck," she cried, "would I BIS
here?"
"Well, sec ye here" continued Dick
ian We but escape whole, ws'Il marry
end, an we're to die, We die ,a1d there's
an end on't. But now that l think, how
found ye my chamber"
81 asked it of Dame HATCH" she al,
swered.
"Well, the DANES staunch," he an
swered; "she'll not tell upon you. We
nave time before u.s."
And Just then, as il to contradict his
words, feet came down the corridor, and
fist beat roughly on the door.
"Here!" cried voice. "Open Master
Dick; open!"
Dick neither moved nor answered.
SIT is all over" said the girl; and she
put her arms about Dicks neck.
One after another, men came trooping
to the door. Then Sir Daniel arrived
himself, and there WAS sudden cessation
Of the noise.
"Dick," cried the knight, "be not an
ass. The Seven SleeI ers h sd been awaka
ere now. We know she is within there
Open then, the door, man"
Dick was sgain suent.
"DoWn with it," sid S;r Dsniel. And
Immediately mis- followers fell savsgely
upon the door wit foot and fist. Solid
as 1t wss, and strongly bolted, it would
soon have given aWsY; out once more
fortune interiered. Over the thunder.
storm OF blows the cry of sentinel was
heard; it was folio wed by smother; shouts
ran along the battlements, shouts
answered out OF the wood. In the frs
| moment OF alarm Il sounded es If the for
esters were carrying the M0at House by
assault. And Sir Daniel and his men de.
sisting instantly from their attack upon
Dicks chamber, hurried TO defend the
walls.
"Now," cried Dick, 1--WE are saved"
He seized the great old bedstesd with
both hands, and Mt himself in vain to
move it.
"Help me, jack. For your life's sake,
help me- stoutly!" he cried.
Between them, with huge effort, they
dragged the big fram3 of oak across the
room, and thrust 1t endwise to the cham
Der door.
Eye do but make things worse" said
Joanna sadly. "He will then enter by
the trap"
mot so," replied DICE. "He burst
not tell his secret to so many. Il is by
the trap that we shall fee. Hank! The
attack is over. Nay, it w.s monet"
1t hsd, indeed, been no attack. It WAS
the arrival OF smother party of stragglers
from the defeat Of Risiugham that had
DISTURBED Sir Daniel. They had run the
gauntlet under cover OF the darkness {;
they had been admitted by the great
gate; and now, with great stamping of
hoofs and jingle Of accoutrements and
arms, they were dismounting in the court
"He will return anon" said Dick. "To
the trap!"
He lighted lamp, and they went to-
gether into the corner of the room. The
open chink through which the light had
glittered was easily discovered, and tax
ing stout sword from his small srmoury
Dick thrust it deep into the seam ard
weighed strenuously on the bilt The
trap moved, gsped little, and at length
came widely open. SEEKING it with their
hands, the two young folk threw it back.
the darkness.
"Now," said Dick, "take ye the lamp
and go first. will follow to close the
trap"
So they descended one after the other,
and as Dick lowered the trap the blows
began once again to thunder on the pan
els of the door.
CHAPTER ".
THE PASSAGE.
The passage in which Dick and Joanna
now found themselves was narrow, dirty
and short. At the other end of it door
stood partly open; the same door, with
unlocking. Heavy cobwebs hung from
the roof; and the paved flooring echoed
hollow under the lightest tread.
Beyond the door there were two
branches st right angles. Dick chose
one OF them at random and the pair bur
ried with echoing footsteps along the
hollow Of the chapel roof. The top of
the aIcaed ceiling rose like whales
back in the dim glimmer Of the lamp.
Here and there were spyholes, concealed
on the other side by the carving of the
cornice; and looking down through one
OF these Dick saw the paved Fl DOR OF the
chapel-the altar, with its burning tapers
and, stretched before it on the steps,
the figure OF Sir Oliver praying with up
lifted hands.
At the other end they descended a few
steps. The passage grew narrower; the
wall upon one hand was now of wood;
the noise OF people talking, aud q faint
Pickering OF lights came through the in
terstices; and presently they came to q
round hole about the size Of mans eve,
and Dick, looking down through 1t. be-
held the interior Of the hall, and some
half dozen men sitting, In their j,cks,
about the table, drinking deep and de-
molishing venison pie. These were
certainly some Of the late arrivals.
"Here is no help" said Dick. "Let us
try back"
"Nsy," said Joanna; "maybe tae pas
sage goeth farther"
And she pushed on. But few yards
farther the passage ended at the top Of
short flight OF steps; and 1. became plain |
that, IS long as the soldiers occupied the !
hall, escape wss impossible upon thst
side.
They retraced their steps with all i'm
sginable speed, and set forward to sx-
plore the other branch. It WAS exceed |
Ingly narrow, SCARCE wide enough for q
.arge man, and it led them continually up |
and down by little breakneck stairs until
even Dick had lost all notion of his where
,bcuts.
At length 1t grew both narrower and
an hn tai 50