San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-08-31
CHAPTER X.
A PECULIAR POSITION.


"There, you see we shan't starve you," said
the first man; land you can make yourself a
bed with these when you've done"
"Will you leave me lightp
NO" says the man with a laugh. "Wild
sort of lads like you are not fit to trust with
lights Good night"
The door of the inner cellar was closed and
bolted for it was not like ours, a simple arch
and then the outer cellar door was shut as
we'll; and Mr.. Barclay sat for hours reproach-
ing himself for his infatuation, before,
wearied out, he lay down and fell asleep.
How the time had gone, he could not tell,
but he woke up suddenly, to find that there
was light in the cellar, and the two men
were looking down at him.
"That's right-wake up" says the principal
speaker, "and put on those"
"But"--began Mr.. Barclay, as the man
pointed to some rough clothes.
''Put on those toys, confound your cried
the fellow fiercely, "or"-
He tapped the butt of pistol; and there
was that in the mans manner which showed
that he was ready to use it.
There was nothing for it but to obey; and
in few minutes the prisoner stood up I'M
bound and in regular workman's dress
That's right" said his jailer. "Now
come along; and | warn you, once for all,
that if you break faith and attempt to fall
out, you die, just as sure as your names Bar
clay Drinkwater!"
Mr.. Barclay felt as if he was stunned; and,
half led, half pushed, he was taken into what
had once been the pantry, but was now a
curious looking place, with a bricked round
we'll in the middle, while on one side was
fixed large pair of blacksmith's forge bel
lows, connected with a zinc pipe which went
right down into the well.
"What does all this mean?" he said
What are you going to doF'
"Wait, and you'll see," was all the reply
he could get; and he stared round in amaze
ment at the heaps of new clay that had been
dug out, the piles of old bricks which had
evidently been obtained by pulling down par
tition walls somewhere in the house, the lower
part of which seemed, as it were, being trans
formed by workmen. Lastly. there were oil
lamps and a pile of cemert, the material for
which was obtained from q barrel marked
"hour"
The man called Ned was better and Joined
them there, the three being evidently pre-
pared for work, in which Mr. Barclay soon
found he was to participate, and at this point
he made stand.
"Look here" he said; II demand an ex-
PLANTATION. What does all this mean!"
"Are you ready for work. cried the leader
of the little gang, Selling him by the collar
menacngly.
you people have obtained possession OF
this house nnder false pretenSes, and you
have made the place an utter wreck in
sist on knowing what it means"
you do-dO YOU" said the man, thrusting
him back, and holding him with his shoulders
against pile of bricks. Then, once for all,
l tell you this: you've got to work here along
with with US in silence, and hard too, or else
be shut up in the. cellar in darkness, and
half starved till we set you free"
1.-The police shall"-
"Oh, yes-all right Tell the police How
are you going to do it,"
Easily enough. I'll call for help and"-
DO" said the man, tax ng a small re-
volver from his breast Now, look here
Mr. Drinkwater; men like US don't enter
such an enterprise as this without being pre-
pared for consequences. They would be very
serious for us if they were found out. No.
body saw you come in where you were not
asked, and when you came to insult my
friends wife"
wife" exclaimed Mr. Barclay, for the
word almost TOOK ili1 "ratn away
Yes, Sir. wife; al. =; might happen that
the gallant lu5ba". IAd al accident with
goa. We can dig rs, you See Perhaps
we m!gG: put some y in one ard cover
him w. Now, 20 understand. Behave
yourself, and you ). come to no harm;
PLAY any tricks, aI..-- Look here, my
lads. snow orr ,DOrlr what Won have
in your pockets
Not now,' they said, tapping their
breasts. "te's gotn,, - work"
Mr.. Barclay, as lie used to say afterward,
felt as if he was in a dream, and without an
other word went down the ladder into the
WELL, which was about ten feet deep, and
found himself facing toe opening of regular
esq shaped drain, carefully bricked round,
and seemingly securely though roughly
made.
Way to Tom Tiddler's ground" said the
man who had fl!lowel him "NOw, then,
take that light and this spade. I'll follow
with basket; and you've got to clear out
the bricks and earth that broke loose yester-
day"
Mr.. Barclay looked in at the drain like pas
sage, which was just high enough for man
to crawl along easily, and saw that at one
side zinc pipe was carried, being evidently
formed in lengths of about four feet, joined
one to the other, but for what purpose, III
his confused state, he could not make out.
What followed seemed like a part of a
dream in which, after crawling Iorg way.
at first downward, and then, with the pas
sage sloping upward he found his farther
progress stopped by quantity of loose stones
and crumhlad down ealth unnu Mhlch hN