The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1896-04-10

any tHulndry common Scllac WOulu nave
suggested that Danny should RIM off first
to the harbor muster with tho message that
no had been charged to deliver, but Danny
mad neither part nor lot in that ordinary
Inheritance.
Near the bottom Of the cbb tide the neck
hat divided the pier from the castle could
A fordcd. Danny stole down the pier steps
and crossed the ford as noiselessly as he
could. A flight of other steps hewn out of
the rock went up from the waters edge to
the deep portcullis Danny crept up. He
found that the old notched and barred door
leading into the castle stood open. Danny
stood and listened. The footsteps that he
| heard before were now far ahead of him.
1t was darkest of all under these thick
walls. Danny had to pass the doorway of
the ruined guardroom, terrible with the
tradition of the black dog AS he went by
the door he turned his head toward it in
the darkness. At that instant he thought
he heard something stir. He gasped but
could not scream. He stretched his arms
fearfully toward the sound. There was
nothing. All was still once more; only
the reccGing footsteps dying away Danny
thought he had deceived himself. 1t wcs
as though lo had heard the rustic of
dress, but it must have been the soft rustic
of leaves. Yet there were no trees in the
castle
Danny stepped forward into the court
yard His nct feu softly on the grass that
new Grew there. But he stopped again.
ant his heart seemed to stand still He
could have sworn that behind him he
heard Ii ylt stelthy tread. Danny drop
ped to his knees, brcathless and trembling.
1t was gone. Tho deep, thick boom of
the sea came from the shore far behind.
and the tAin low plash Of broken Yates
from the rocks beneath. Tie footsteps had
ceased now, but Danny could hear voices.
He rose to his feet, and walked toward
whence they came.
He found himself outside the crumbling
, walls of the roolless chapel of St. Patrick.
, He heard noises from within and crouched
behind "a stone Presently n light was
. struck. 1t lit all the air above it. Danny
crept up to the chapel wall and peered in
: at one of tho lancet windows.
A company of men We're there but he
could not Distinguish their faces. The sim
gle lantern they carried was now turned
with its face to the ground. One of them
had a crowbar with which he was prizing
up Il stone 1t was gravestone. The
men were tearing open an old vault.
There was some muttering, and one of
/ the men seemed to protest Stop, he
G cried I'm not going to have hand in
9 a job like this. I'm bad enough, God
Y knows but no man shall say that helped
}. to violate a rave. "
. Danny shook from head to foot. He
: knew that voice. Just then the sea swal
d low shot again overhead, uttering its low,
|, mournful Cry. At the same instant Dan.
ny thought he heard a half stifled moan
/ not far from his side, and once more his
k ear caught that soft rustling sound Quiv
g ering in every limb, he could not stir He
II must stand and be silent He chung to the
j. stone wall with cOnvulsve fingers.
e The man with the crowbar laughed
Q "Dowse that now" he said and laughed
g again.
e "Och, the timid he is to be sure and tn,
y religious, too, all at once"
y Danny knew that voice also and knew
y as well that to utter a word or sound a
IT that moment might be as much as his lif
n was worth, The men were raising TIT
g stone.
"Hear, bear hand" said one
a "Nevor," said the first speaker.
le There wac a low, grating laugh. On
1t of the men l"GHed into the vault
4 "Now, then, tail on here more hands
10 Let's have it, quick"
g Then Danny saw that, lying on tn
I'd ground, was something that he had not oh
N served before 1t was like n thick blacl
g. roll some four feet long. Two of the mel
in got hold of it to hand it to the man below
r "Comc, lay down. Dye hearY"
lie Danny terror mastered him. He turne
ne to run. Then the man who had spoke
ne first cried, whats that?"
Sc There was moments pause.
g. whats WHAT" said the man in tn
"a vault.
T, "I'll swear on my soul saw woma
ly pass the porch"
Id A bitter little laugh followed.
Sh "Och, it's always woman he's seem. "
I'd Danny had found his legs at last. Fly
es ing along the grass as softly as lapwing
ed he reached this old gate. Then he turne
tn and listened No; there was nothing
lis show that he had been heard He creT
he down the STEPS to the waters edge. Thel
IT, in creek he saw boat which he had NJ
Ne, observed Oh going up. He looked at u
Of name. 1t WINS Ben-my-chree.
he Danny turned to the ford. The tide ha
OF risen foot since he crossed, but he paC
died through the wafer and gained the pie
..s Then he ran home as fast as his long les
ed would carry him, wet with sweat an
af specchlcss with dismay.
he Next morning Danny remembered tin
al. he had forgotten all about the harbor ma
pit ter and the light.
he "Och, the cursed young imp that he is,
'or cried his uncle, Bill Kisseck, hitching h
D. hand into Danny's guernsey at the necl
a and steadying him as if he had been a sac
n. with an open mouth. Jaw, the boob
up Just takin rovin commission and sna
N. pin his finger at the ould master. VIII
nut dye think would "a happent to you,
lat beach comber, if some ship had run asho
I'M and been wrecked and scuttled and c
hands lost, and not a pound of cargo lie
he at her and never light on the pier, al
ter all along of you, ye idiot waistrelp'
(COntinued.)