The herald., 1898-10-02

~ hard to get rid Of - sinbad's ~
man Of the sea.
Look here. knavs," said I. placing my
hand upon my sword hilt. ~ will speak
plainly to thee. I have seen enough Of
thee, and II thou dost not presently
leave me. will make thee repent Of
It,"
He looked at me for . moment In
surprise. gave me q Mephistophelian
leer, and went of whistling, and with
Q staggering stride, into the darkness.
I now sent Clan Jacopo to my cas-.
tie with directions to expect me with.
in an hour or two, and then set out to
md my way to the rear Of the dukes
grounds. 1t was rather murly. but the
moon was at that moment rising, and
I had just enough light to get my bear.
ings with. passed on beyond the pal
ace. to the left. until came to a small
street, which afterwards found was
called the Via de- Ginori, running at
right angles with the one which was
on. Here bore to the right. along the
side of the brilliantly illuminated edi-
flee. until I cameto a high stone wall
with spikes at the top. Following this
for a furlong or more, I arrived at a
great open field or meadow, which lay
Dculuu tuC W0iiCu 80A0SlA VI tuS Ale
bizzi. followed the masonry along
the whole width of the field. and found
but one door or gate in the entire ex.
tent Of 1t. It was a heavy. solid, oaken
portal, and Il came to the conclusion
presently that 1t was the place I
sought.
Fifty feet from the doorway. ana
just outside Of the wall. there was q
round cistern, about fifteen feet In
diameter, and with q stone coping, two
feet or SO in height. 1t was probably
a public we'll, where the Inhabitants Of
the quarter obtained their water. 1t
lacked, by my watch, ten minutes Of
midnight. and I commenced to while
away the time. until Ippolita should
come. by casting pebbles down and liz.
tening for them to strike the water.
which was all Of twenty feet below the
rim. Suddenly 1 heard footsteps close
behind me, and even before could
turn my head, I got a terrible thrust
or poke in the very middle Of my back.
which sent me headlong over the stone
coping into the cistern.
Fortunately, struck the water at
about the middle. which was much bet
ter than having my brains dashed out
went down about ten feet. and quickly
rising again to the surface. found my
self close to the wall, into crevice OF
which I succeeded in getting my fin-
gers so that could have breathing
spell and look about me.
"Domeneddio, Sirrah. pardy. and by
my halidom!" thought I, these being
all the medieval explosives which
came to me at the moment.
1 could see three or four heads.
thrust out over the coping. and peer
ing down towards me. I had great
presence Of mind. and kept quiet, as
sure you, for I knew that the assas-
sins, IL they thought me still aliva.
would cast down upon me number OF
good -sized cobble stones. which had
noticed by having stumbled over them
as came to the we'll.
"Beshrew me. but I think 1t Is the
end Of him." in low tone said one OF
these well-disposed persons"
Let him rest in peace" said an
other.
What beastly ignorance!" thought /.
Having now. without doubt, come to
the conclusion that they had dis
patched me, they withdrew from ths
top of the well. However. doubted
that they could have gone very far'
and kept as still as mouse Tor up
wards Of ten minutes.
TO BE CONTINUED.