The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1896-02-19

that Englishman the story when the
wine was in me, thinking that he would
never live to repeat it." -
"Yes, yes, it must be done tonight,
for tomorrow we may have to fly.
But what,if the brutes won't speak,
father?"
1--WE will find means to make them
speak" answered the old man with
lfideous chucllle; but whether they
speak or not, 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
cracks, followed presently by the sound
Of voice whispering on the further
side of the panel.
Arc you there, lord?" the whisper
said "lt is /, Luisa"
YES" l answered
Now she touched the spring and
opened the door.
Listen" she sand; "thcy 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
at once"
"How 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,
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, So if the Heart is your friend you
may yet go unharmed"
Now ] spoke to the senior, saying:
although the woman does not know
1t, / think it likely that we shall find
company in this chapel, seeing that the
Indian and his daughter arc imprisoned
there, where Don Pedro and Jose have
gone to visit them. The risk is great;
shall we take it?''
YES" answered the senor. after q
moments thought, ''for it is better to
take risk than. to perish by inches in
this hole Of starvation, or perhaps to be
discovered and murdered in cold blood.
Also VIC have travelled far and undcr-
gone much TO find the Indian, and If we
lose our chance of doing so we may get
no other"
Now one by one we climbed through
the false panel, and by the light Of the
moon Luisa led us across the chamber
to the spot between the beds where
hangs the picture of the abbot. This
picture, which is on painted slab Of
wood, proved to be nothing more than
n cunningly devised door constructed
to swing upon pivot.
Resting her knee on the threshold.
Luisa scrambled into the passage be-
yond, and when the rest of us stood by
her side she closed the panel. and bid
ding US to cling to one another. and be
silent, she took me by the hand and
guided us through various passages till
ut length she whispered:
''Be cautions, now, for we como to
the place whence you drop into the
chapel, and there is stairway to your
right"
We passed the stairway and turned
the corner, Luisa still leading.
Next instant she staggered back into
my arms, murmuring: Mother of
heavenl the ghotsl the ghosts!" In
deed, had not held her she would have
fled. Still clasping her hand, pushed
forward to find myself standing in
small recess that was placed about ten
feet above the floor of the chapel, and,
like other places in this house, so ar
ranged that the abbot or monk in
authority, without being Scen himself,
could see and hear all that passed be-
meath him.
OF one thing am sure, that during
all the generations that are gone by no
monk watching here ever saw stranger
sight than that which met my eyes.
Tho chancel of the chapel was lit up by
shafts Of brilliant moonlight that
poured through the broken window,
and by a lamp which stood upon the
stone altar Within the circle OF strong
light thrown by this lamp were four
people, namely: Don Pedro, his son
Don Jose, an old Indian, and girl.
On either side of the altar then, as
now, rose two carven pillars of sapote
wood, the tops of which were fash
ioned into the figure of angels, and to
these columns the old Indian and the
women were tied, one to each column,
their hands being joined together at
the back of the pillars in such man
ner as to render them absolutely help
less My eyes first rested upon the
woman, who was nearest to me, and
seeing her, even as she was then, dis.
hevelled and worn with pain and hun
ger, with her proud face distorted by
agony of mind and impotent rage, no
longer wondered that both Molas and
Don Pedro had raved about her beauty.
She was an Indian, but such an In
dian as ] had never known before, for
in color she was almost white, and her
dark and waving hair hung in masses
to her knee. Her face was oval and
small-featured, and in it shone pair
Of wonderful dark blue eyes, while the
clinging white robe she wore revealed
the loveliness of her tall and delicate
shape.
Bad as was the girls plight, that of
the old man, her father, who was none
other than the Zibalbay we had come
to seek, seemed even worse. He was,
as Molas had described him, thin and
very tall, with white hair and beard,
hawk-like eyes, and aquiline features,
nor had Don Pedro spoken more than
the truth when he said he looked like
O king.
What shall we try him with nowp"
said Don Jose, addressing Don Pedro;
''hot steel or cold? Make up your mind,
for | am getting tired. Well, If you
won't, just hand me that machcte, will
you? Now FRIEND" he went on, ad-
dressing the Indian, 'for the last time
1 ask you to tell us where is that tenn