Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-01-25

IN the middle ages. 1t has a fine feudai
aspect. 1t only wants the knights in its
vaulted halls and the ladies' in their long
brocaded robes and pointed bonnets al
its arched windows, and the archers and
crossbowmen ON its maclncola;ions, Its
battlemented galleries at the embra-
sures of its mangmals. its portcullis and
Its drawbridges. The stonework is still
intact but the Governor with his Aus
trian uniform, the soldiers with their
modern weapons. the warlers and turn
keys who no longer wear the parti-
colored costume, half yellow and hall
red, of the old q VS., strike false note
In the midst of all this magnifcene Of
the past
that Count Sandorf WAS endeavoring to
escape during the last hours before his
execution. A mad attempt, no doubt
for the prisoners did not even know in
what part of the donion 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 recoiled before the difficulties, to
say nothing of the impossibilities of such
an enterprise.
It is not that this province of Istria
offers no favorable chances for an escape,
for no matter what direction the fugi-
tives took they would reach the sescoast
In few hours. It is not that the streets
of Pisino are 30 carefully guarded that
there is q risk of being arrested at the
very first step. But to escape from the
fortress, and particularly from the dom
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 donion in the fortress of
Pisino were as follows: The donjon
occupies one side of the terrace with
which the town here ends. Leaning
over the parapet of this terrace the eve
plunges into o large, deep gulf, whose
rugged sides, covered with thick entan-
clements of creepers, are cut down per-
pendicularlv. Nothing overhangs the
wall; there is not step to enable any
one to ascend or descend not fence
to halt at not prominence to seize
hold upon in any part Of it nothing
but the uncertain lines, smooth, rugged
and irregular, which mark the oblique
clearage of the rocks In o word, it is
an abyss which attracts, fassinates and
never gives back anything that drops
into it.
. Above the abyss rises one of the side
walls of the doniou. pierced with few
windows giving light to the cells on the
different floors. Were a prisoner to lean
out of one of these openings he would
recoil with terror, lest vertigo drag him
into tbs void below And il he fell
what would be his fate? His body
would be dashed to pieces on the rocks
at the bottom, or it would be carried
away by the torrent whose current dur
ing food is irresistible.
The abyss is the Brico, as it is called
in the district. Through it runs river
known as the Foiba. This river finds
its only outlet in q cavern which it has
gradually cut out of the rocks, and into
which it falls with the impetuousity of O
tide-race or a 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 substructure
of the fortress and entire city its waters
are dashed against in their course |?
Many bold explorers, wh-- t:ie water
level has been neither too high nor too
low, have taken a light boat and
endeavored to descend the Foiba through
the gloomy tunnel, but the arches have
been too low and have soon interposed
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 the
existence and as the only escape was
by the window of his cell, which opened
above the Brico, he would be almost as
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 but for
the time to act, ready to remain behind,
If necessary, and sacrifice themselves to
help Count Ssndorf, or ready to follow
him if their fight would not hamper
his
well all three CO." said Sandorf.
"Wait till we get out before we
separated"
Eight o'clock then struck from the
clock In the town. The prisoners had
only twelve hours to live.
Night began to close ina night
which promised to be very dark. Thick,
almost motionless clouds unrolled them
selves cumbrously across the sky. The
atmosphere was heavy. almost unbreath-
able, and saturated with electricity. A
violent storm was coming on. Light
ming had not vet passed between these
masses of vapor, heaped around like so
many accumulators, but distant growl-
ings were heard along the SUBMITS of
the hills that encircle Pisino.
Under such circumstances offered
there was some chance of success, if an
unknown gulf had not gaped beneath
the feet of the fugitives. In q dark
night they might not be seen. In Q
noisy night they might not be heard.
As Sandorf had instantly recognised,
fight was only possible through the
window of the cell To force the door.
to cut into it's strong planks of oak, al
bound and ironed, was not to be dreamed
of. Besides. the step of sentinel
resounded on the flags Of the corridor.
And once the door was cleared. how
were they to find their way through the
labyrinth of the fortress? How were
they to pass the portcullis and draw
bridges. at which there were always so
many men on guard? On the side of
the Brico there was no sentinel but the
Brico was a better defence 10 the face of