San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-08-31

yttHy
ats all right" he said. 'The chests are
here; but the fool has tainted away. Quickl
the lamp, and then the tools
He bent down and took a smoky oil lamp
that was handed to him, and drew a deep
breath for the sound of his voice had
seemed familiar; but the light which shone
on his face made me sure, in spite of his
rough clothes and the beard he had grown
1t was Edward Cunning, our old servant,
who was discharged for being too fond of
drink, turned bricklayer once again.
As he took the lamp, he got up, held it
above his head, looked round, and then, with
a grin of satisfaction at the sight of the
chests, stepped softly toward the opening
into the outer cellar, where Sir John and
were watching
1t didn't take many moments, and hardly
know now how it happened, but l just saw
young Mr.. BF-clay lying helpless on the saw
dust, another head appearing at the hole,
and then with the light full upon it, Edward
Cummings face being thurSt out of the OPEN
ing into the cellar where We were, and his
eyes cleaning curiously before they seemed
to shut with a snap. For, all at once-per-
haps it was me being butler and so used to
wine-my hand closed upon the neck of one
of those bottles which rose up sudden like
above my head, and came down with crash
upon that of this wretched man.
There was a crash; the splash of wine; the
splintering of glass: the smell of sherry-fine
Old sherry, yellow se4l-aud | stood for
moment with the bottle neck and some saw
dust in my Rand, startled By the yell the man
gave, by the heavy fail, and the sudden dark
ness which had come upon us.
Thea-I suppose it was all like FASH
lad rushed to the inner cellar and was drag
King the slab over the hole listening the
while TO a hollow rustling noise, which ended
as | cot the slab across and sat on 1t to keep
it down.
"Where are you, Burdonr' says Sir John.
Here, sir!-Quickl A light"
heard him hurry Off and it seemed an
nour before he came back, while sat listen
ing to terrible moaning and smelling the
spilled sherry and the oily knocked out lamp.
Then Sir John came in, quite pale, but look
ing full of fight, and the first thing he did
was to stoop down over Edward Cunning
and take a pistol from his breast. You
take that, Burden" he said, land use it if we
are attacked"
(Which we sha'n't be, Sir John, if you help
me to set this stone back into its place"
He set the lamp on one of the chests and
lent hand, when the stone dropped tightly
into its place, and we dragged couple of
chests across, side by side, before turning to
young Mr.. Barclay, who lay there on his side
as if asleep.
Now" says Sir John, as he laid his hand
upon the young mans collar and dragged
him over on"his back, Il think we had better
hand this fellow over to the police"
The doctor, you mean, sir. Look at
him"
needn't have babe him look, for Sir John
was already doing that
1t was doctor that fetched, and not the
police, for Mr. Barclay lay there quite insen-
sble. and smelling as if he had taken to eat
ing opium, while Ned Cunning had so awful
a cut across his temple that he would soon
have hled to death.
The doctor came and dressed the rascarS
wounds IS he was laid in my pantry, but he
shook his head over Nj. Barclay, and with
reason, for TWO months had passed away be-
fore we got HIM down % Dorking. and saw
his pale face beginnIn. to get something like
what it wa, with Miss Virginia, forgiving
and gentle, always bv hisside.
But In taking a very big jump, and
saying nothing about our going across
to the house opposite as soon as it was day
light, 10 find the door open and no one there;
while the state Of that basement and what we
saw there, and the artfUIuess of the people,
and the labor they had given in driving that
passage right under the road as true as a die,
filed Inc with horror, and cost Sir John
G5lQ