Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-04-22
CHAPTER V.
HOW DICK CHANGED SIDES.

HOW DICK CHANGED SIDES.
! Dick, blowing CUT his lamp lest II
should attract attention, led the wsy ur
stairs and along the corridor. In the
brown chamber the rope hsd been made
fss. 10 the frame Of an exceedingly heavy
and ancient bed. l. had not been de-
tsched, ma D OK, taking the coil to the
window, begsn 70 lover it slowly and
cautiously into the darkness Of the night
joan stood by, but IS the rope length.
eued, and Dick continued to pay it out,
! extreme fesr began 20 conquer her reso,
luton.
"Dick," she said, sis it so deep? ]
may not e say it. l should infsllibly fall,
good Dick"
It WAS lst st the delicate moment OF
! the operations that she spoke. Dick
starJed the remainder of the coil slipped
from ais grasp, and the end fell with a
J splash into the moat. Instantly, from
the bsttlement shove, the voice of 8 SEN
J tireI cried, "Who goes?"
| ga murraini" cried Dick. 1--WE are
/ paid, now! Down with you-.ake the
rope"
"I cannot" she cried recoiling.
"Au ye cannot, no more can l." said
Shelton. chow can l swim the moat
without you? Do ye desert me, then?"
"Dick," she gssped, ~ cannot. The
strength is gone from me-"
"By the mass, then, we are all shenI!"
he shouted, stamping with his foot; and
then hearing steps, he ian to the room
door and sought to close 1t.
Before he could shoot the bolt, strong
arms were thrusting it back upon him
from the other side. He struggled for q
second; then, feeling himself over
powered, ran back to the window. The
girl had fallen against the wsll in the en-
brssure of the window; abe was more
than half ipsensible; and when he tried
to raise her in his arms, her body was
limp and unresponsive.
AT the same moment the men who had
forced the door against him laid hold
upon him. The first he ponisrded at 8
bl3w, and the others falling back for o
second in some disorder, he profi'ted by
the chance, bestrode the window sill,
saiz d the cord in both hands, and lei his
body clip.
Tne cord WAS knotted, which msde it
the easier TO descend; but so furious Vas
Dicks hurry, and 60 small Was his ex-
perielce Of such gymnastics, that he spsu
rouni and round in mit-sir like a crlmi-
nal upon giboet, and TOW best his heSG,
and now bruised his hands, against the
rugged stOnework Of the wall. The air
roered in bis ears; he saw the stars over
head, snd the reflected stare below him in
the most, whirling like dead leaves before
the tempest. And then he lost hold and
fell, and soused head over ears into the icy
water.
When he came to the surface his hand
encountered the rope, which, newly
lightened OF his weight, was swinging
wildly to and fro. There wss red glow
overhead, snd looking up, he saw, by the
light of several torches and q cresset full
of burning Goals, the bettlements lined
with faces. He saw the mems eyes turn
ing hither and thither In quest of him, but
he WAS too far below, the light reached
him not, and they looked in vain.
And now he perceived that the rope WAS
considerably too long, and he began to
struggle as well as he could towards the
other side OF the most, keeping his head
shove water. In this way he got much
more thsn bslf way over; indeed the
bank WAS almost within reach, be
fore the rope began TO draw him back by
its own weight. Taking his courage In
both hands, he let go and made leap
for the trailing Sprays of willows that hsd
sIesdy, thst same evening, hslped Sir
Daniels messenger to land. he went
down, rose again sank sec nd time,
AID then his hand c,ught branch, and
with the speed of thought he had dragged
himself into the thick Of the tree and
clung there, dripping and painting, and
still half uncertain of his escape.
Bus ell this had not been done without
considerable splsshing, which hsd so
far indicated his position to the men
along the bsttlements. Arrows aud
quairels fell thick around him in the dark
ness-shick like driving hsil; and sudden
ly e torch WAS thrown down-fsred
through the air in its swift passage
strck for moment on the edge of the
bank, whore it burned high snd lit up It's
whole surroundings like boufle-cnd
then, in q good hour for Dick, slipped
of, pumped into the moat, and WAS in
stantly extiDguished.
1t had served its purpose. The
marksmen had hsd time to see
the willow, and Dick ensconced
among its boughs; and though
the lad instantly sprsDg higher up the
bank, and ran for his life. he was yet not
quick enough to escape a shot. An ar
row struck him In the shoulder, another
grszed his head.
The pain of his wounds lent him wings;
and he had no sooner got upon the level
than he took to his heels and ran straight
before bin in the dark, without thought
for the direction of his flight.
For few steps missiles followed him,
bu. these soon ceased ;snd when st length
he came to halt aud looked behind, he
was already good way from the Most
house. though he could still see the
torches moving to and fro along its bat
Elements.
BE leaned sgainst a tree, streaming
with blood and water, bruised, wounded,
alone, and unarmed. Fur all that, he had
ssyed his life for that bout; and though
Josnns remained behind in the power Of
Sir Daniel, he neither blamed himself for
an accident that II had been beyond
his power TO prevent, nor did he augur
suy fatsl consequences to the girl her
self. Sir Daniel was cruel, but he was
no likely to be cruel to young gentle
woman who hsd other protectors, willing
and able to bring him to account. 1t WAS
more probable he would make haste to
marry her to some friend of his own.
"Well," thought Dick, "between then
and now 1 will fad me the means to
bring that traitor under; for l think, by
the mass, that be now sbsolved from
.ny gratitude or obligation; and when
war is open, there is a fair chance for
all"
In the meanwhile, here he WAS in q
sore plight.