Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-02-01
TRANSLATION Copyr ghted.l

"The courage we have. said Zathmar;
"but have we the strength ?"
"Whnt does il matter 2" replied Bath
DRY eff strength fail us we shall die an
hour or two sooner, that is oil. "
There is no need TO die, Stephen"
said Sandorf Listen TO me, and you
also, LAdislas do not miss any of my
words. If we possessed a rope, we
should not hesitate 10 hang ourselves
outside the window, so that We might
slip to the ground. Now this cable is
better than rope. because its rigidity
will render its descent much easier.
Like al lightning conductors, there is
no doubt but that IL is fastened 20 the
wall with staples. These staples will be
fixed points on which our feet may find
q rest There is no swinging to dread,
because the cable Is fixed to the wall.
There is no vertigo to fear. because it is
night and you will see nothing Then,
once through the window, we have only
10 keep our GOODNESS and courage and we
are free. That we risk our lives is pos
nble. But it gives MS ten chances to
one whereas il We wait till the morn
ing. and our keepers find US here it is
hundreds upon hundreds to one that We
have to diei"
"Be il So" replied Zathmar.
Where does the cable end ?" asked
BAthory.
"In q we'll probably" answered San
dorf, but certainly outside the donjon,
and well take advantage Of It. LIDO not
know. / only SEQ one thing at the end
Of it and that is hberty-perhaps
Count Sandorf was right In his sup
position that the lightning conductor
was fastened to the wall by staples at
equal distances The descent would
thus DO easy. for the fugitives could use
the staples as stepping stones 10 keep
them from sliding down too swiftly.
But what they did not know was that
when II left the crest of the plateau on
which rose the wall Of the donjon the
iron cable became free, plunged into the
waters Of the Foiba, then swollen by
recent rains. Where they reckoned on
finding firm ground at the bottom Of the
gorge was foaming torrent leaping
impetuously into the caverns of the
Broo. II they had known this. would
they then have recoiled from their
attempted esoapel No.
death for DEATH" said Sandori
1--WE may die after doing all we can to
escape death"
The first thing was 10 clear the pass-
age through the window. The crossbar
that DISTRACTED II would have TO be re-
moved How was this to be done with
out pair OF pinchers, a wrench or any
other tool The prisoners had not even
q knife
"The rest will not be difficult" said
. Sandorf but that may prove impossi-
blel To work."
And he climbed up to the window,
seized the crossbar vigorously with his
hand, and felt that it would not require
such very great effort 20 pull il down.
The iron bars which formed it were
loose in their sockets. The stone, split
away at the edges, did not offer very
much resistance. Probably the light
ming conductor, before it was repaired.
had been in inferior condition for its
purpose, and electric sparks had been
attracted 10y the iron of the crossbar,
and had acted on the wall and how
powerful such influence would be we are
well aware. This may have been the
cause OF the bTeakages round the sock
cts into which the ends of the bars were
thrust, and Of the decomposition of the
stone, which was reduced to n sort Of
spongy stlte, as il il had been pierced
by millions Of electric points.
This explanation was given bV
Stephen Bathory as soon as he noticed
the phenomenon.
BUTT was not explanation, but work
that was wanted, and that without
losing moment. II they could manage
70 clear the extremity OF the bars, after
forcing them backwards and forwards in
their sockets, 90 as TO knock of the
angles Of the stone. il might be easy TO
push the iron work out Of the embrasure,
which widened as il went outwards.
The noise OF the fall was not likely 10 DO
heard amid the long rollings of the
thunder which we're going ON almost
continuously in the lower strata of the
oloudA
"But we shall never get that iron
work out with our hands," sAid Zath-
mar.
"Nol" answered Sandorf 1--WE ought
10 have apiece Of iron, a blade"
Something Of the sort was necessary,
there could bs no doubt Friable ~ the
wall might be round the sockets, the
nails would be broken. and the fingers
worn till they bled in trying 10 reduce
IL 30 powder. 10 could mover he done
without some hard point or other.
Sandorf looked around the cell which
was feebly lighted from the corridor by
the small fanlight over the door. Then
ne felt the walls ON the chance ola nail
having been left in them. lie found
nothing. Then II occurred 10 him that
Il would not be impossible 10 take OF
one Of the legs of the iron bedsteads,
which we're fixed tothe wall The three
set 10 work. and soon Bathory called to
his companions In whisper.
The rivet Of one of the metal laths
forming the lattice-work of the bed had
given way. All that was necessary was
10 sieze hold Of this by the free end ana
twist II backwards aud forwards until
A broke on.
This was soon done. Sandorf thus OBJ
tanned a thin pieces Of iron. about an inch
wide and Ave inches long which he
wrapped around the end with his silk
cravat. and with Il he began 10 clear
away the four sockets
This could not be done without some
noise. Fortunately the rumbling VI
The thunder prevented the noise from
being heard During the intervals of
silence Sandorf stopped, 10 resume his
task az soon "a the storm began again.
The work advanced rapidly.
1 Bathory and Zathmar took MP their
,poUitions near the door and listened. so
a. to stop him when the sentry went
by.
Suddenly Sh--sh-sh-" escaped
from Zathmar's lips
The work instantly stopped
"What's the matter7" asked Bathory'
listen" answered Zathmar.