The Irish standard., 1896-03-07

YO4acN . iauSA II, Kill IuSIl AS WOu0CiS z"
what had become of his depression of
the previous day. The explanation
came suddenly when he ran his solilo--
guy back to the point where he had con-
Guided that his connection with the
Latimers was the reason for the assault
upon him. 1t seemed in a way to bring
him nearer to Hester, and for q time
there was a cheerful enthusiasm in the
Thought that other and compelling
hands had pushed him over the dividing
line between his pusillanimous resolu-,
tion to run away and an active partici
patton in the quarrel which involved
her family. There was little comfort
in the contemplation of the part he
might be required to take in the feud; |
the battle was still to be fought with
his weakness, and he had the fresh and
humiliating example of a few hours be-
fore to remind him that he had not yet
made beginning. The recollection
of this discouraged him again, and all
the arguments that had presented
themselves in defense of his plan Of re-
treat came back with redoubled empha-
him; if she did, she would despise him
when she found him out; it would be
inexcusably wrong for him to win her
love under false pretenses: she had told
him only last night what she would ex~
pectin the man of her choice. He pushed
the tormenting thoughts aside, and
brought himself down with jerk to
<1n Nj 70
going to dispute with the weakened
devil any more" he muttered; 1.-THE first
thing to do is to get out of here, and
then I'll leave it with her; if she honors
me enough to make me her defender,
! I'll make shift to fight her battles if
I have to hire some one to hold me
while do it,
Under the inspira ton of this conclu-
sion he went to work patiently and res
clutely, trying the first plan that sug-
gested itself. Using his knife for
chisel, he attempted to cut inches for
hand and foot holds in the wall, perse-
vering until both blades of the small
tool were worn down to useless
stnmps. When the failure of the knife
put an end to the expedient, he exam
sined the narrower part of the crevice to
see If he could not climb to the roof by
bracing himself from wall to wall: AS
it was reasonably evident that the cav
ern had originally been nothing more
than an irregular crack in the sand
stone, open at the top through it's en-
tire length, and afterward gradually
covered in by slow accommodations of
earth and debris interviewer with twigs
and grass roots, he argued that it would
be comparatively easy to dig through
this thin covering if he could obtain
foothold near enough to the roof to en-
able him. to, attack it. TO make the
most Of his strength, he dragged the log
to the place selected for the expert
ment, with the intention of using it for
ladder from which to begin the as
cent; and, having braced it against one
Of the walls, he took off his coat and
shoes and made an attempt to work his
way up the desired underground
The first trial was q failure He lost
his hold before he had assembled to
twice his 'height,and slid back to the
was enough of a promise of success in
the undertaking to make him wear
away the remainder of the day in re-
peated endeayors, and to encourage him
to try again and again, even after the
long abstinence from food had begun
to have it's effect on his tired muscles
and overstrained nerves. The final at
met OF 11c1- led l.;
to within few feet of the roof; but the
darkness baffled him; he again lost his
hold, and it was only by the utmost ex-
ertion of his failing strength that he
saved himself from falling heavily to
the bottom of the cavern. AS it was, he
knocked the log down in his descent,
and, realizing that nothing could be
done without the help of daylight. he
lay down in the sand and tried to go to
sleep.
Lying there in the darkness and lis
tening to the microscopic noises sift-
ing through the entrance to the cave,
he fancied he heard sound as of some
light object falling upon the sand. He
first thought of wild beasts, but, re-
attack him would be likely to enter the
trap-like creyice, the incident was soon
forgotten in train OF suggestions hav-
ing the indistinct noises of the day for
a starting point. Now that he recalled
them. he remembered hearing sounds
like the echoes of dull blows at irregu-
lar intervals all through the day. and
he speculated over their probable origin
until WEAKNESS overcame him and he
fell into a dozc from which the growl-
ing of the rising storm awakened him.
Since there seemed to be sort of com
partnership in the roll of the thunder.
and the sweep of the wind, he sat up to
listen. and in one Of the luls he thought
he heard a voice at the mouth of the cav
ern.. Wondering if his captors were
coming to liberate him. he got upon
his feet and felt his way to the farther
end of the cell, standing under the aper-
t,1re and staring up into the gloom
While he stood there listening and
looking, 2 small star Of yellow light
made its appearance at the extreme end
of the rocky corridor, aud he saw the
shadows Of two faces framed between
the walls of the narrow slit III which the
chamber terminated. His firstimpulse 4
was: to make his presence known; but
before he had taken step he ,ecoilel
in horror at the sight of a gun barrel
thrust through the crevice above the |
IW8yefinr star of light. 2es