The Irish standard., 1895-12-21

stand in the little ;, anngHppr, Here ,thc
! darkness was awful. and as the warmth
Of the wine we had drunk passed from
orr veins our fears gathered thick upon
US and oppressed our souls.
Finally the senor touched me:
.sHarlx!' he whispered into my ear, II
hear men creeping about the room"
4 .'FQr the love Of God be silent, an
swered, gripping his hand :.
'-,'' .'6'@ CHAPTER TX. -.
:-asr"< ~fns "THN DUEL ss;as.
Now we placed our ears against the
panelling and listened. First we heard
z; creaks. that wore loud In the stiffness,
then soft heavy noises such as are made
!: by a sat when 1t jumps from = height to
!, the ground, and a gentle rubbing rs of
!, stockinged feet upon the floor After
this for some seconds there was silence
! that presently was broken by the click
. of Steel and the sound of heavy blows
delivered upon. some soft substance
with swords and knives The murderers
were driving their weapons through
the bedclothes, thinking that we slept
beneath them. Next came whis perings
and muttered oaths, then voice, Don
Joses, said:
u,
their light reached us through small
: our eyes to these we could see all that
passed in the room. There before us
was Don Jose, Don Smith, and four OF
their companions, all armed with knives
or machetes. while framed, as it were
I insthe wall, i'll the place that had been
y occupied by the picture OF the abbot,
stood our host, Don Pedro, holding 4
:: candle above hishead, and glazing with
his hsh-like eyes into every corner OF
the room. s..a.- g..
!. s.Where are they" he said. "Where
are the wizards? Find them quick and
: kill Them
Now the men ran to and fro about the
room, dragging aside the beds and star
ing at the pictures on the walls as
though they expected to see us there.
.'They are gone" said Jose at length.
! THAT Indian, Ignatio, has conjured
y man. thought it from the hrst."
y. Impossible" cried Dom Pedro, who
= was white with rage and fear. 1.-The
door has been watched ever since they
entered it, and no living thing could
force those bars. Search, search; they
must be hidden"
:: Search yourself answered Don
Smith sunenly, They're not here. Per.
haps they discovered the trick of the
picture and escaped down the passage
to the chapel"
.'It cannot be-" said Don Pedro again,
''for just now / was In the chapel and
saw no signs Of them. We have some
traitor among Us who has led them from
the house. BY heaven, if I find him
out!" and he uttered fearful oath.
'Shan we bring the dogs?" asked
Jose, and tremblsd at his words.
'sThey might smell their footing"
Fool! what is the use Of dogs in a
place where all Of you have been
tramping?" answered the father. "1o.
side, for. these men must be found and
killed OF we are ruined. Tell those
rascals to give up the search; and go to
, bed; it is useless. Then do you come
/" quiet to my room, and we will visit the
Indian and his daughter. If we are to
get their secret out CT them it must be
done tonight, for, like fool. told
that Englishman the story when the
wine was in me, thinking that he would
never live to repeat it"
eyes, yes, it must be done tonight,
for tomorrow we may have to fly.
But what if the brutes won't speak,
father?" u -
j. ;ssWe will find means to make them
speak" answered the old man with
hideous chuckle; "but whether they
speak or uot, they must be silent after
ward" and he drew his hand across
his throat and added: Come"
, An hour passed while we stood in the
hole trembling with excitement, hope,
and fear, and then once more we heard
IL, f<,71 Ivy Nv
Of voice whispering on the further
side of the panel.
Are you there, lord?" the whisper
said. Tits I. Luisa."
yes l answered,
Now she touched the spring and
opened the door.
e.:Listen,' she said; ''they have gone
to sleep. all Of them, but before dawn
they will be up again to search for you
far and wide. Therefor you must do
one of two tlings-lie hid here, perhaps
for days. or take your chance Of escape
ltsonce.''
Chow can we escape?'' asked.
- s'There is but one way, lord, through
the chapel. The door into it is locked,
but L can show you place from which
the priests used to watch those below,
and thence. If you are brave, YOU can
drop W tIle SECuA0f ytsi4ssdtilyhL3 VI ItifEf
height is not great. Once there YOU
can escape into the garden through the
window over the altar, which is broken,
as / have seen from without, though to
do so perhaps you will have to climb
upon each others shoulders. Then you
must fly as swiftly as you can by the
light of the moon, which has risen,
The dogs have been gorged and tied
up, 50, ii the Heart is your friend you
may vet &c unframed =
NowgI spoke to the senior, saying:
...Although the woman does not know
It, Ithinksit likely that we shall find
company in this chapel. seeing that che
Indian and his daughter are imprisoned
there. where Don Pedro and Jose have
gone tovisit them. The risk is great;
shall we take it?''
sssYes,. answered the senior, after a
moments thought, for it is better to
take risk than toperish by inches In
this hole Of starvation, or perhaps to be
discovered and murdered in cold blood. I
Also we have travelled far and under
gone much to find the Indian, and II we
lose our chance of doing SO we may get
no other
Now one by. one we climbed through
tlie.faase panel, and by the light OF the
,T1i,Ssa cd MS across the cham her