San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-01-19

tPe ground, and gentle rubbing as of
stock1nged feet upon the floor. After
Inas Tor some seconds there was silence
tQaf presently was broken by the click
81 steel and the sound of heavy blows
oellyered upon some soft substance
with swords and knives. The murderers
We're driving their weapons through
the bedclothes, thinking that we slept
beneath them. Next came whisperings
and muttered oaths, then a voice, Don
Sose's, said:
Be careful, the beds are empty"
Another instant candles were lit, for
their light reached us through small
Peepholes ia the panel, and by putting
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
IN the wall, in the place that had been
occupied by the picture of the abbot,
stood our host, Don Pedro, holding a
candle above his head, and glaring with
his f1sh-like eyes into every corner of
the room.
where are they%' he said. .Where
are the wizards? Find them quick and
kill .thaxn."
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 copjured
them away. He is demonio and not a
man. thought it from the first"
"Impossiblel" 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 sullenly, they're not here. Per-
haps they discovered the trick of the
picture and escaped down the passage
to the chapel"
st capnot 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 l find him
outr and he uttered a fearful oath.
"Shan we bring the dogs?" asked
Jose, and trembled at his words.
s'They might smell their footing"
"Fooli what is the use Of dogs in a
place where all of you have been
tramping?" answered the father. ITO
morrow at dawn we will try them out
side, for these men must be found and
killed or we are ruined. Tell those
rascals to give up the search and go to
bed; II is useless. Then do you come
qpiet tor room, and we will visit the
<u114n daughter. II we are to
get their sec. ct out of them 1t must be
done tonight, for, like fool, told
that Eng(ishman the story when the
wine was ip me, thinking that he would
"Yes, yes, It must be done tonight,
Tor tomorrow we may have to fly.
But what II the brutes won't speak,
I'VE win and means to make them
speak," .psN cred the old man with
hideodf Schpckle; sbut whether they
speak or NOT they must be silent after
! ward" and he drew bis hand across
bis throat and added: "Come."
An hour pessed while we stood in the
hole trembling with excitement, hope,
and fear, and then once more we heard
cracks, followed presently by the sound
Of . voice whispering on the further
side of the panel
"Are yop there, lord9" the whisper
said. ut Is /, Luisa."
YES" answered:
Now she touched the spring and
opened the door.
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 things-lie hid here, perhaps
for days, or take your chance Of escape
ut once"
ssHow can we escape?" / asked.
"There is but one way, lord, through
the chapel. The door into it is locked,
but can show You place from which
the priests used to watch those below,
and thence, If you are brave, you can
drop to the ground beneath, for the
height is not great. Once there you
can escape into the garden through the
window over the altar, which is broken,
rs have seen from without, though to
do so perhaps you win 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, SO, If the Heart is your friend you
may yet go unframed"
Now i spoke to the senior, saying:
"Although the woman does not know
it, think 1t likely that we shall find
company in this chapel, seeing that the
lQQl0n dno LIB QduS utcI arc III pTlSOutO
there, wher- Don Pedro and Jose have
rome to visit them. The risk Is great;
!, shall re tal<e it?"
answered the senior, after a
moment's thought, 'for it is better to
take q risk than to perish by inches il
This hole of starvation, or perhaps to b.
discovered and murdered In cold blood
Also we have travelled far and under
gone much to find the Indian, and II W.
lose our chance of doing SO we may ge
no other"
-. Now one by one we climbed through
the false panel, and by the light of thu
moon Luisa led us across the chambe
to the spot between the beds wher
hangs the picture of the abbot. Thi
picture, which is on painted slab o
wood. proved to be nothing more thai
a cunningly devised door constructs
TO swing upon pivot.
Testing her knee on the threshold
Tulsa scrambled into the passage be
vond, and when the rest OF us stood p,
her side she closed the panel, and bio
ding US to cling to one another, and D
silent, she took me by the hano an,
ouided us through various passages u