The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-10-06
CHAPTER ".


covered, the men had followed US through
the run and upheaving the box and stone
had come up into the wharf cellar. Nor was
left for moment in doubt, for as drop
ped ON my knees Putty cried outs
Look out, mattel We've got him. The
beggar's just tumbled over that bloomin
box"
Then tie cultural voice of Drigo from
the farther end replied in broken English:
knife himi Dead or alive, I'll give q
hundred pounds for him."
/ strained my eyes in vain to penetrate
the darkness i could see nothing. Not
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. could
not Chamber into the opening without some
noise which would betray my whereabouts
to the villains, and before could squeeze
through the knife would be driven into me.
was not in a condition to reason that I
might escape death by declaring at once
that was not Taras. expected to be
murdered for helping him to escape.
i dared not move, for could not tell
whether my enemies were before or behind
me-to the left or to the right, but / held
myself in readiness to spring away at the
first touch, at a 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
that foreigner see in the dark better than
II Was he stealthily drawing upon me to
wreak his vengeances Anything was pos
sible to foreigner fancied at that time.
Not the death that followed, but the ac-
tual horror of having knife thrust into
my body froze my blood.
Suddenly a fickering. luminous streak
appeared in the black distance as Putty
tried to strike match. 1t was wet. He
tried another, producing another blue
streak.
1--WE must get light somehow, or we
shall get a-stickin one another" he NUT
tered. "Ain't you got ERE q dry match,
mater 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. But
after few moments of terrible suspense
another streak appeared in the darkness at
some distance from the others. Drigo had
found match and was trying it. He was
more successful. A green spark fell, and
the sulphur began to bubble up into violent
flame. 1t already threw livid light on
his hideous face and a CLEAN on the knife
In his hand. In another moment / should
be seen.
How could escape' The easement was
beyond them.
The steps were behind me, but dared
not turn my back on that knife The box
In front of me suggested a better means,
and as Drigo raised the burning match,
y L. <.la n IL Al a.
tervening 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
figure dash past and drop down the hole,
and under the impression that il was Taras,
as knew by their cries, they gave chase in
an instant, one-Drigo, believe-dropping
down before had passed through the Sec
ond tub, but was out Of arms reach and
made good use of my start.
The water had risen considerably. 1t was
up to my throat in one part. Ny sodden
petticoat clung to my legs and weighed me
down as rose to my feet. Nevertheless I
scrambled up into the cellar of the Joy while
the men below were cropping for the foot
irons, swearing furiously A lamp stood
ON the ground where they bad left it beside
with his foot. One edge of the stone lay
square with the side of the hole. Seized by
a savage impulse caught hold of the stone
by the farther edge and raised it into per-
pendicular position. Then, as Drigo's head
appeared, with vindictive deviltry in his
appraised face, pushed and let it fall 1t
struck his head, and he fell with a howl on
his comrade below.
1t was easy enough to escape now. A
glimmerlng light in the bar showed me
that the flap was open; against the wall
rested the steps by which they had de-
scended. But the blow had dealt Drigo
filled me with fiendish JOY and whetted
my thirst for vengeance. All the evil pas
sions of my nature were animated with a
craving for retaliation as thought of the
evil those men would have done to Taras
and me. The only wish of my heart was
to infiict some terrible punishment upon
them. dragged up the stone and poised
il in the hope that Putty might come up
and that might serve him as had served
Drigo. But he was wise enough to profit
by the experience of the other and pre-
ferred to stay below and vent his fury in
curses.
While was waiting the stone slipped,
anu III uioNlnk W hccP ~ III pOSitiOh III
foot struck the lamp and overturned IL. IL
was a large benzine lamp, and as the oil
ran out It took fire, sending up licking
tongues of fame. The pool spread, and the
blazing liquid running over the edge of the
shaft ran down in a fiery stream and
dropped In gouts of flame. The men below
shrieked aloud In terror.
"Get out Of my way" shouted Putty.
ave shall be burnt alive IL we stay here.
We must get back 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 Drigo, gasping for breath, cried
I'VE can't 20 back. The waters up to
the top"
The pool Of fire kept spreading. could
hold the stone no longer. It fell with a
thud, cutting OFF the sound of mingled ex-
ecrations from below. i ran up the steps
into the bar. and having drawn them up
after me, 80 that IL the men got out Of the
shaft they could not escape from the cellar,
I let down the Zap. The place was thick
with suffocating smoke. Scarcely able to