Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-11-12
P v.
A RITTER REVENGE.

At the sound l lnstinctively crouched
| down as one does in expectation OF a
blow, and stretching out my hand l
felt the rough splintered edge OF the
box. The significance Of its being
there was plain enough-the escape of
Taras had been discovered, the men
had followed US through the run and
| upheaving the box and stone had come
no into the wharf cellar. Nor was l
left for a moment in doubt, for as l
dropped on my knees Putty cried out:
Look out, mate! We've got him.
The b~eggar's just tumbled owe that
bloomin' box"
Then the cultural voice of Drigo
from the farther end replied in broken
English:
"Knife himl Dead or alive, I'll give
q hundred pounds for him."
l strained my eyes in vain to pene-
trate the darkness. l could see nothing.
Not a ray Of light entered the cellar by
the hole under the stairs. To cross
the cellar and escape by the easement
was out of the question. | dared not
attempt it. l could not Chamber into
the opening without some noise
which would betray my whereabouts to
the villains, and before l could squeeze
through the knife would be driven into
me. l was not in a condition to reason
that [ might escape death by declaring
At once that l was not Taras. | expect
ed to be murdered for helping him to
escape.
dared not move, for I could not tell
whether my enemies were before or be :
hind me-to the left or to the right,
but l held myself In readiness to spring
away at the first touch, at q breath,
which might warn me OF their ap-
proach. Those moments Of silence as
the men waited for some fresh sound to
guide them we're terrible. Could that
foreigner see In the dark better than 1?
Was he stealthily drawing upon me to
wreak his venge-ace? Anything was
possible to a foreigner, ] fancIed at
| that time. Not the death that fol-
lowed, but the actual horror of having
a knife thrust into my body froze my
blood.
Sudd emily q pickering, luminous
streak appeared in the black distance
as Putty tried to strike a match. II
was wet. He tried another, producing
another blue streak.
1--WE must get a light somehow, or
we shall get a-stickin one another" he
muttered. "Ain't you got ere a dry
match, mate? Mines all wet"
To my increasing terror, Drigo made
no reply, supporting my belief that he
saw me ana was preparing 70 cut me
\ down. But after a few moments Of ter
/ rible uspen another streak appeared
in the darkness at some distance from
the others. Drigo had found q match
and was trying it. He was more sue
cessful. A green spark fell and the SUI
phur began to bubble up into violent
flame. 1t already threw a liyid light on
his hideous face and q CLEAN on the
knife in his hand. In another moment
l should be seen.
How could 1 escapsP The easement
was beyond them.
The steps were behind me, but 1
Jared not turn my back on that knife.
/ The box in front OF me suggested a
better means, and as >Drigo raised the
burning match, making the way clear,
I shot across the intervening space and
dropped down the shaft into the run.
The light was so dim and my movement
so rapid that l was not recognized by
the men. They saw only a 6g1re dash
Last and drop down the hole. and under
the impression that it was Taras, as /
knew by their cries, they gave chase in
an instant one-Drigo. / believe
drouplhR down before ] had passed
throuuh the second tub, but / was out