The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1892-01-07
CRU Ell
-=AS=
The GRAVE
The Secret Of DunraVen
Castle.
BY ANNIE ASHMORE,
Author of faithful Margaret" ETC., Etc
CHAPTER XI-(COntinued.


it after ell
A sudden panic seized him; he bound
ed up the bank, leaning his hand upon
the bowider as he passed-the bowlder
rocked upon its pivot He did not stop
until he was Geep in the thicket, out of
sight of the horrible place; there he
threw himself upon the ground and
buried his head in his hands, his pulses
laundering and his breath laboring.
"He is dead by this time." he greaned;
. 'it must have been a shaft, he disap-
peared SO quickly-no cry, no groan. He
is gone; my enemy is gOne." He grov-
eled still lower on the ground, and
pressed his hands closer over his ears
A struggle ragged in his soul.
The man who could ruin him, the man
who meant to win, Viva, was dead, or
dying. He had only to let him alone,
and ne would be as secure in his place
-Ulva would be as much the delight Of
his life as before the fatal stranger came
to Dunraven. 49,
But stay! what demon-dream is this?-
Is he about to become murderer? Has
he not endured enough remorse and self
disgust for his past treachery, that he
should plunge into deeper crime?
And yet-why call it murder? What
had he to do with it? The man stepped
back of himself-he did not so much as
lay finger on him. He must be dead
long ere this; and if not?
Thus thu powers Of light and darkness
warred within him; but John Sircombe
could not live for five long years in sight
OF the innocent woman Re had helped to
>-betray, without deteriOrating so far
that evil was stronger than good in his
SOul ~
He crouched in the thicket in murder
Gus inactiOn, knowing all the time that
Edgar might still be alive, and only
wanting help to come forth; perhaps
unhurt
As that idea struck him he sprang up
in guilty fear and ran back to the place.
AS he came in sight of the boulder he
remembered how it had oScillated on its
pivot under his hand
He stole near the matted screen of
honey-suckle and wild brier; he listened
breathlessly-he heard neither moan
nor cry. Leaf by leaf, turf. by turf he
parted the tangled net work and peered
into the orifice. 1t was a natural cleft
In the rock, and cunning brains had
taken advantage of it to make the out
.-let to the dungeon of the southern bas-
:. ton. He. saw the. ruins Of winding
stairway, which seemed to lead into the
bowels Of the earth. A vault-like breath
came up from Unknown depths;
~. Sirtombe drew back trembling. and
:. stumbled up the bank behind the boulder
(which had. oscillated. He examined it
on every side. and measured its weight
~fifmly imbeddsa i6$ fEe'earih; st artef.'
q asS, PSA,s 6,ns
80 IL believe they used this boulder-tO.
block the entranee," muttered Sircombe.
He glided back to the pathway and
looked and listened intently.. .@Sshibg
hut the low sigh, of the rising wind
thr6ugh> tho trees: and the rising MUIR
muir Of the waves. - .
- Back he sped to his evil task then.
He laid his hands upon the boulder and
with all his gathered strength pushed
AGAINST it. It yieided-it rolled from its
pivot, swayed a moment on the verge,
then plunged down with hollow rever-
berations, and socketed itself in the
'orifice as If it had been created for the
purpose. A few crushed pebbles round
the rock, q ploughed up tra"k in the
moss, that was all the trace that was
left of the demoniac deed Sircombe
,anxiously went about restoring every
thing to its normal appearance: gath
cred up the fur wraps which had been
dropped in the heat of the argument
and fed from the accused spot
His whole care was now to protect
himself from suspicion by providing
reasonable evidence that Edgar had left
the isle He therefore sped down to the
shore, to the secluded little rocky haven
where Ulva's skiff was moored; thu ew
the furs into the boat and carefully
guided it to the entrance Of the haven.
Here he arranged the oars in the row.
locks. then he gave the boat one power
Iful drive with hand and foot which sent
1T flying among tho small. chopping
coast waves. and of it 0rifted on the
current and out Of sight
Then he fastened up the rockpath:
and met Kenmore half way.
A bitter and mOrose man was Ken
more at that moment for he was en-
igaging In q plot that his own clean con-
science called nefarious; and though too
stubborn to draw back, he liked Mr..
iSircombe, his abettor in the scheme,
less than ever for his cooperation.
He was laden with the boat cushions
and other comforts, some of them more
suggestive of q voyage to Scotland than
row round the island. Mr.. Sircombe
said quietly: There's no hurry-walk
slowly that may catch you; am going
back for something he forgot He is
down by the boat and willing to 60 for
IAN extended row: but your gloomy face
might suggest mischief and l do not
wish him to be startled. Besides, all
these traps look very unlike an hours
row"
Kenmore eyed the ground sourly; he
was troubled and angry; he had fancied
that he would be glad of any chance te
get rid of fair Oo.ava's fatal guest in q
quiet way; and had eagerly jumped a
tSircombe's proposition to do it thai
afternoon; but now that he was actually
Engaged in this clandestine business
with the much-depised director for Al
accomplice he felt like sneak.
Il Il dinna like it. Mr. SircOmbe.
.growled he with look askance, "T(
rather kill the man than cheat him.
Gamma bide- cheaterie And he threw
1,sc L. ho nd vOnl-of