The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1888-01-25


as it thou, Karar cry; ~ am Macuma.
zahn. Bid the guard let down the bridge and
throw wide the gate. Quick, quici!'
Then followed space that seemed to me
endless; but at length the bridge fell and one
half of the gate opened, and we got into the
courtyard, where ut last poor Daylight fell
down beneath me, as / thought, dead
struggled free, and leaning against a post
looked around. Except Kara, there was no
body to be seen, and his look was wild, and
his garments were all torn. He had opened
the gate and let down the bridge alone, and
was now getting them up and shut again las,
owing to very ingenious arrangement Of
cranks and levers, one man could easily do,
and indeed generally did do)
"Where are the guard ~ gasped, fearing
his answer as never feared anything before.
II know not" he answered; "two hours ago.
as l slept, was l seized and bound by the
watch under me, and but now, this very mo.
ment, have freed myself with my teeth.
fear. greatly fear, that we are betrayed"
His words gave me fresh energy. Catching
him by the arm, staggered, followed by
Umslopogaas, who reeled after US like a
drunken man, through the courtyards, up the
great hail. which was silent as the grave, to.
wards the queens sleeping place.
We reached the first anteroop-no guards
the second, still no guards. Oh, surely the
thing was donel We were too late after all,
too latel The silence and solitude Of those
great chambers was dreadful and weighed
me down like an evil dream. On, right into
Nylepthas chamber we rushed and staggered,
sick at heart, fearing the very worst; we saw
there was a light in it, aye, and a figure
bearing the light, Oh, thank God, IL is the
White Queen herself, the queen unframed
There she stands in her night gear, reused by
the chatter Of our coming from her bed, the
heaviness of sleep yet in her eyes and red
blush Of fear and shame mantling her lovely
breast and cheek.
"Who is itin she cries @What means thisl
Oh, Macumazahn, is it thoui Why lookest
thou so wiidyl Thou contest as one bearing
evil tidings-and my lord-oh, tell me not
my lord is dead-not deadl" she walled,
wringing her white hands.
II left Incubu wounded, but leading the
advance against Sorais last night at sun
down; therefore let thy heart have rest
Sorais is beaten back all along her lines and
thy arms prevail"
~ knew it, she cried in triumph. II knew
that he would win; and they called him an
outlander and shook their wise heads when
gave him the commando Last night at sun
down, sayest thou, and 1t Is not yet dawni
Surely
"Throw cloak around thee, Nyleptha,"
broke in, 'and give us wine to drink; ay, and
call thy maidens quick if thou wouldst save
thyself alive. Nay, stay not"
Thus adjured, she ran and called through
the curtains towards some room beyond, and
then hastily put on her sandals and thick
cloak, by which time dozen or so Of half
dressed women were pouring into the room.
"Follow us and be SILENT" said to them as
they gazed with wondering eyes, clinging
one to another So we went into the first
anteroom.
"Now," said, "give us wine to drink and
food, il we have it, for we are near to death. "
The room was used as q mess room for off,
GERS of the guards, and from cupboard some
fagons of wine and some cold flesh were
brought forth, and Umslopogaas and drank
and felt life flow back into our veins as the
good red wine went down.
"Hark TO me, Nyleptha," said, as I put
down the empty tankard. "Hast thou here
among these thy waiting ladies any two OF
discretion"
'Ay she said. surely
Then bid them go out by the side entrance
to any citizens whom thou canst bethink thee
Of as men loyal to thee. and pray them come
armed. with all honest folk they can gather.
TO rescue thee from death. Nay question
not do rs say, and quickly Kara here will
let out the maids
She turned, and selecting two of the crowd
of danises, repeated the words had uttered
giving them besides a list Of the names OF
tie m II to whom each should run
"Go swiftly and secretly go for your very
lves,n added
In another moment they had left with ka
r,i, whom had told to rejoin US at the door
leading from the great courtyard on to the
stairway rs soon as he had made fast behind
the girls. Thither too, Umslopogaas and !
made our way, followed by the queen and
her women. As we went we tore of mouth
fuls of food, and between them ! told her
what knew of the danger which encom
passed her, and how we had found Kara, and
how all the guards and men servants were
gone, and she was alone with her women in
that great place and she told me- too. thata
rumor had spread through the town that our
army had been utterly destroyed, and that
Sorais was marching III triumph on Milosis.
and how, IN consequence thereof, all men had
faller away from her
Though all this takes some time to tell, we
had not been hut six or seven minutes In the
palace, and notwithstanding that the golden
roof of the temple, being very lofty. was
ablaze with the rays of the rising sun, 1t was
not yet dawn, nor would be for another ten
minutes. We were in the courtyard now,
and here my wound panied me so that had
to take Nylepthas arm, while Umslopogaas
rolled along after US, eating as lie went.
Now we were across it, and had reached the
narrow doorway through the palace wall that
opened on to the mighty stair.
looked through and stood aghast as well
might. The door was gone, and so were the
outer gates of bronze-entirely gone They
had been taken from their hinges, and, as we
afterwards found, hurled from the stairway
TO the ground, two hundred feet beneath.
There in front Of US was the sernicircular
standing SPACE about twice the size OF
large oval dining table, and the ten curved
blacl; marble steps leading on to the main
stair-and that was all.
CONTINUED NEXT WEEK.
Don't Experiment.
You cannot afford to waste time in