The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1899-11-30

against the sky, and you will see the
bars stick out in places"
Desmond slapped his leg joyfully
"By gum" he whispered, 81 think l
have it, What sort of a place is it in
sidey
"A jolly old, smooth paved. empty
room at this time of year." said Hill
mar. II well remember playing there
when | was tiny child. The walls
run up to the two windows Stefan
speaks of. The rafters are bare. There
is no ceiling, only heavy slabs Of stone
upon strong beams"
whats to prevent our fellows
climbing up and working through
them demanded Desmond
you forget. excellency. They are
bound. The walls are smooth. The
windows are heavily barred"
"IIumph. Then what it wants is
friend on the roof who will file the
bars, get in. cut their bonds and show
them how to climb up rope and on
TO the roof"
"And then?" said Hilmar breath
fessly.
"Then! Why. back to the yacht again
and out to sea as hard as we can CO.
'But how can any one get on to the
roof? There is Il river to swim. The
walls are smooth and without sngl,
crevice of hand hold The drawbridge
is up at night No one can enter eX-
cept under supervision
81 lave my plan.' said Desmond
hopefully. ITS a desperate one. l al
low. but the case is desperate too.
weight of some kind and a good file.
| dare say my six shooter won't come
amss either. Now, you see this long
arm of the poplar. 1t stretches half
way across the stream. Suppose
crawl out as far as | can and tie the
weight to the end of my rope. When
| get as far as | can without the bough
breaking, | begin to swing the cord
like pendulum till it flies out right
over the window bars. Then | let it
drop foot or two, and it catches and
lodges in corner of the grating.
Eldli pun IL ttS llSul uS Nsili, anu tilCl Z
you have the bridge l want"
"But-but YOU can't swing across a
thin rope like that
"No, but | can if it's a thick one, and
that it'll have to be If the others are
to come back across it. When l get
on to the roof, | can file the bars, drop
down into the prison, unite the Others
81 L, II,
the forest as hard as we can split
Stefan says he's going to have the
yacht ready for us. How | don't
know, but that's his affair. Before
morning we shall he 40 miles out into
the Baltic, and it's 20 to 1 on our elud-
ing any old ark they've got to send
after us. It's as simple as getting
shaved"
Hilmar and Stefan both shook their
heads. The proposal seemed so utter
ly crack Drained
Surprising the captain gets on to the
roof" said the latter, ''how does he
know he can file the bars? The SEN
his own life purposely. Why not wait
till they are brought out to travel
down to Osbrog?"
Because we shall be three to &c
then" answered Desmond. GLOW can
we attack half a company of armed
soldiers? No; my plan is the only
feasible one
Il can't let you" said Hilmar desper-
ately 1T isn't honorable. Why should
you risk yourself for us? No; | won't
permit it,
Desmond smiled quietly. 81 am go
ing, Miss uilmar Don't let us discuss
anything but the ways and means
After all, if | was taken we should be
no worse off tnan we are now"
"Much worse off," replied Hilmar
because you. too, would be in the
hands of those wretches. Is it nothing
| to me, do you thin.S," she added, with
sudden passion, that you should risk
your life?'
Desmond's eyes lit up with glow OF
tenderness. IL hoped it might be
something he said simply. But dc
you think there is no happiness tc
me in adventuring something for yor
and yours?'
Hilmar looked up at him for a mo
ment without speaking. Her eyes
were like stars in the soft twilight OF
the shadow.
ut must be as you wish,' she sait
gravely. But If you are taken-art
taken"-and IA sob escaped her as she
strove for words-'what has life lef
for neT'
[TO RE CONTINUED