Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-10-17
CHAPTER V.
A BITTER REVENGE.

CHATTER N-
 BITTER REVENGE.
 At the sound l instinctively crouchet down as one does in expectation of q blow and stretching out my hand I felt th' rough splintered edge of the box The sig nificance of it's being there was plair enOugh-the escape of Taras had been dis covered, the men had followed us through the run and Uphcaving the box and stone had come up into the wharf cellar. Nor wa. l left for moment in doubt, for as drop ped on my knees Putty cried out:
 Look out, mate! We've got him. The beEgars just tumbled over that bloomi1 box"
 Then the EutIural voice of Drigo from the farther end replied in broken English:
 Knife him! Dead or alive, I'll give a hundred pounds for him"
 strained my eyes in vain to penetrate the darkness. 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. 6ared not attempt it. 1 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 q condition to reason that l might escape death by declaring at once that l was not Taras. l expected to be murdered for helping him to escape
 l dared not move, for l could not tell whether my enemies were before or behind mc-to the left or to the right, but l held myself in readiness to spring away at the first touch, at breath, which might warn me of their approach. Those moments Of silence as the men waited for some fresh . sound to guide them were terrible Could l that foreigner see in the dark better than l? Was he stealthily drawing upon me to wrcak lis vengeance? Anything was pos siblc to a foreigner, l fanced at that time. Not the death that followed, but the ac- | tual horror of having a knife thrust into my body fro2e my blood.
 Suddenly a fickcring, luminous streak i appeared in the black distance as Putty l tried to strike q match. It was wet. He ! tried another, producing another blue streak.
 We must get light somehow, or we shall get a-stickin one another" he nut tered. ''Aint 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 and was preparing to cut me down. B,H aftcra few moments of terrible susneu A another streak appeared in the darkness at some distance from the others. Drigo had found q match and was trying it. He was more successful. \ green spark fell, and the sulphur began to bubbleup into violent flame. It already threw a livid light on his hideous face and a G!eam on the knife in his hand. In another moment I should be seen.
 How could escape? The easement WAS beyond them.
 The steps were behind me but 1 dared not turn my back on that knife The box in front of nIc suggested a better mems. and ns Drigo raised the burning match. making the way clear, I shot across the in. tcTveninE space and dropped down the shaft into the run. The light was so dim and my movement so rapid that was not recognized by the men. They saw only a figure dash past and drop down the hole, and under the impression that il was Taras, '9S l knew by their cries, they gave chase in an Instant, UEe-Drico, believe-dropping down before had passed through the sec Cud tub, but l waS out of arm $ reach and made good Use cf my start.
 The water had risen considerably, It was up to my throat in one part. My soddeu petticoat clung to my legs and weighed me down as l rose 10 my feet. Nevert heless l scrambled up into the cellar of the Joy while the moH below were Eroping for the foot irons, swearing fUriously \ lamp stood on ;he ground where they had left it beside the hagstone which Tgras had thrust aside with his foot. One edge of the stone lav square with the side ofthe hole. Seized by a savage impulse, l caught hold of the stone by the further edge and raised it into a Der pcndicular position. Then, as DriCo's head appeared, with vindictive deviltry in his upraised face, pushed and let it fall It struck his head, and he fell with a howl on his comr.ldc below.
 It w;Is va~y enough To escape now A giimmevin= light in Ihe bar showed me that the flap waS open; against the wall rested the steps by which they had de scendcd. But the blow had dealt Drigo filled me with a iirndish joy and whctted my thirst for vengeance. All the evil pas sions of my nature were animated with craving for retaliation as l thought of the evil those men would have done to Taras and me. Thc only wish of my heart was 10 intiict some terrible punishment upon them. l dragged up the stone and poised it in the hope that Putty might come up and tlat might serve him as had served DriGU. BUt he WIS wise enough to profit by the experience of the other and pre- fvrrcd 10 stay below and vent his fury in curses.
 While Was waiting the stone slipped. and ln moving to keep il in position my foot struck thc lamp and overturned it. It was q large hcrzine lamp, and as the oil ran out il took fire, sending up licking tongues of flame. The pool spread, and the blazing liGul running over the edge of the shaft ran down in n fiery stream and dropped in s2outs of flame. The men below shrickcl aloud ill terror.
 Get ort of my way" shouted Putty. We shall be burnt alive # we stay here. We must get hack through the hole"
 heard them curSing each other as they struggled together, each trying to get first into the run. Then when the struggle ceased DriEo, gasping for breath, cried:
 We cant go back. The waters up to the top
 The pool of fire kept spreading. could hold the stone no longer. It fell with 6 thUd, cutting of the sound of mingled ex- ecrations from below. l ran up the steps into the Car, and having drawn them up after me, so that if the men got out of the snai1 they could not escape from the cellar, l let down the flap. The place was thick with suffocatiaS smoke. Scarcely able to breathe, l gruDed my way down the pas sage, drew the bolts of the door and got out onto the balcony.
 TaEas was waiting for me at the end of the stairs. His figure was just discernible by the faint light that came from the gas up Ferryboat alley. In a couple of min utes was by his side, panting for breath.
 i've kep' you a-waitin, gasped.
 Not long" said he
 Indeed all that I have narrated in this chapter may have taken place in less than % minutes.
 Have you been running?"
 ''Hes, one way and another I've had a pretty good run for it."
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