The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-11-09
PART vi.


castle, facing the open place in the
stone wall; and a few minutes later
I heard, above the rush OF the torrent,
the grating of wheels. and presently
saw numbering, cld-fashioned coach,
with cmblazoned Panels. drawn by
pair of heavy, bay horses, and driven by
a very fat coachnan, come down out
of the forest and draw up opposite us
on the further side of the river.
Out of the carriage now stepped
briskly tall, strongly built old gen.
tleman, with high top boots and a
iicrcely waxed mustache; looking
otherwise for all the world like Prince
Bismarck. lie turned and helped out
a lady, Frau Jenkins. Then Jack Jen-
kins got out; and the three waved their
hands to us, as it was useless to try
and make themselves heard above the
roaring of the rapids.
SLOW will they get across" said to
Brunhilda.
She pressed my hand, which she still
held in hers. as though asking me to
wait; and then she pointed toward the
river. looked in the direction she in
dicated, and at first saw nothing out
of the ordinary; black, voluminous,
whirling mass of water, dashing and
seething against the rocks Of the island;
that was all; but in few seconds re-
marlxable change appeared in 1t. Itfell
AWAY, diminished and sank as watched
il. Just as though il were being swal-
lowed up by an earthquake, or, rather,
as il its source had suddenly been dried
up. It's surface went down actually
six feet, before my very eyes, and in
doing so it exposed and left high and
dry stone bridge or viaduct some ten
feet in width, reaching from the gate
way of the wall directly across the now
comparatively peaceful stream to the
point where the party of three were
standing. / did not wonder at it, nor
did 1 permit myself to be in any way
surprised. This was the bridge which
Ysolde had spoken of. i remembered
the simple mechanism of the car, and /
had no doubt that this apparent phe-
nomenon would be explained as easily
and as satisfactorily. /, however, made
ap my mind that it should be the first
thing about which i would ask the old
graf.
Upon this still dripping causeway
which but a minute before had been
hidden by four or five feet OF madly
rushing torrent, the party now adj
vanced to meet MS.
The Count Won Schreckenstrohm was
first to arrive. Without waiting for an
Introduction, he seized me by the hand
with grip Of iron, and almost wrung
any arm off at the shoulder. i had al
ways fattered myself that was rather
strong, but compared with me he had
tile strength of q steam engine. had
only time to give Jack and his wife a
few hurried words of greeting, before
they were taken possession of by the
six young women and dragged away to
some remote part of the castle. was
now left alone with the imposing sire
of my fancee. Without delay, he led me
up the porch and into the chamber.
which have described as being devoted
TO trophies of the hunt. There we sat
down together 10y the open window,
where we could look out upon the gate
way, the forest opposite and the bridge;
or rather, the place where the bridge
had been: for when now looked for il
it had disappeared. The flood of the
Echreckenstrohm had risen even while
we were entering the castle, and it had
vanished as completely as though il bad
never existed. Fiercely twirling his
twelve inches of white mustache, the
father of Brunhilda now addressed me
as follows:
:, N ,resns=frientdii. first of all, wifi
set your mind at rest upon matter
about which you are dying TO ask me:
namely. the sinking or drying up o,
the Schreckenstrohm, a phenomenon
which you have just witnessed. j al
ways make il q point to explain thi:
occurrence at the beginning as hate &c
be interrupted. and know that sooner
or later you will ask aboutit."
"Herr Graft" Eaid 7. "You are {
mind reader, but pray proceed"
He scowled at me with his bush,
white brows, for breaking ia upon him
and then continued:
1.-THE affair is very simple one. i
is only a question of diverting the rive
from its course, and then again confin
ing IL to its proper channel. Man.
years ago. hit upon this plan for doini
nway with n visible bridge; thus NAL;
ing the castle approachable. or isolai
ing II and making il unassailable at III.
pleasure. About ywo miles above here
in the forest, upon my own domain.
discovered large natu.l depression
or basin, the rim Of which was but FEY
feet from the banks OF the Schreckeu
xtrohm. Into these banks. had bull
large gate. % that y-could at viii III
vert the river into this basin. The poNye
for opening the gate is hydraulic and
furnished by the Schreckenstrolr
itself, ard this power is set in motto
by an electric current from my will;
Auser dem Waldo. and also from thi
-astlc. Almost the whole volume of th
river fowg through the canal into th
basin. In about two minutes the ele'