The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-07-11

task, for many Of them were large and
heavy. On we went, working like
maniacs, singing barrels and cheeses
and boxes pell-mell into the middle of
the room. At last there only remained
one huge barrel of vodki. which stood
n the corner. With our united strength
N ROLLED 1t out and there was a little,
low wooden door IN the wainscot behind
It. The hey fitted. and with cry Of de-
ughf we saw 1t swung open before us.
With the lamp in my hand I squeezed
my way In, followed by my companion.
We were In the powder magazine of
the) )castle-a rough-walled cellar. with
BARRELS all around it. and one with the
top STAYED In in the center. The pow
der from 1t lay In black heap on the
dbor. Beyond there was another door,
but It was locked.
I'VE are no better off than before"
cried Duroc. I'VE have no key"
I'VE have dozen." cried.
'Where?
II pointed to the line Of powder bar
eels.4.
You would blow this door open"
Precisely"
But you would explode the maga-
sine."
was true. but I was not at the end
Of my resources.
I'VE shall blow open the storeroom
door," ! cried.
ran back and seized a tin box which
had been filled with candles. 1t was
Hbout the sic Of my busby-arge
enough to hold several pounds Of
powder. Duroc filled 1t while I cut off
the end Of a candle. When we had
4niSfed It would have puzzled coloael
Of engineers to make better petard.
put three cheeses on top of each other
end placed 1t above them 30 as to lean
against the lock. Then we lit our
candle-end and ran for shelter, shutting
~ door Of the magazine behind US.
It was no Joke, my friends. to lie
among all those tons Of powder, with
thS knowledge that II the flame of the
explosion should penetrate through one
thin door our blackened limbs would be
shot higher than the castle keep. Who
could have believed that a half-bnch OF
candle could take 80 long to burn? My
ears were straining all the time for the
thu4dtng Of the hoofs Of the Cossacks
who were coming to destroy us. I had al
most made up my mind that the candle
must have gone out when there was
smack like . bursting bomb. Our door
new to bits, and pieces Of cheese with
atShower Of turnJps. apples and splin-
teFS Of caseB were shot among us.
A. We rushed out we had to stagger
through an impenetrable smoke, with
Ill sorts Of debris beneath our feet, but
there was . glimmering square where
the dark door had been. The petard
had done It's work.
In fact, Il had done more for us than
Ne had ventured to hope. 1t had
shattered jailers as well as Jail. The
0rst thing that saw as I came out
Was I man with . butchers ak in his
hand. lying Nat on his back with a
eaplne wound across his forehead. The
second was : huge dog with two Of its
In broken twisting in agony upon the
door, A. Il reared itself I saw the
hruken ends tapping like fails At the
same instant I-heard q cry. and there
vaa Duroc thrown against the wall
With .the other bounds teeth In his
4hroat. aI6 pushed It of with his left
hand. willis again and again he passed
a. esbrs siIrough its body. but 1t was
sspt untii I blew out ITS brains with my
plstoI thats ~ json Jaws relaxed and
~ fercs, bloodshot eyes were glazed
~ death.
Tksre ~ no time for us to pause. A
I 4sjjnnnssn Scresm from in front-a
t1r1am Of mortal terror that told US
etsh now Ne might be too late.
3 Hhere were two other men In the hall.
~ my covered away from our drawn
0toeds ana fufiouD faces.
s ~ blo6d ~ streaming from Du-
~ o6ce aa1 ,dysins the Gray fur Of
~ poI1sso. oud4 was the iad's nre.
2111svcr. 1IBok ~ thot in front Of me.
73Hi a - oo1y over his shoulder that
II iE11If 4 G1inlooo q scene % we
q = a. hanspf " which We