The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-11-06
So G8S86dG6iE 1@0e @w ua1g AWurs@Rs.

tale that he then told was not pretty
nearing
Guthrie remembered something Of
what the man had said and shuddered
with a horror of loathing fear. And
must Dolly The apple in his throat
got glued tight somehow and refused
to move either up or down.
Miss Colepepper let herself down ,
through the manhole and stood beside
him.
CHOW. Alan, she said cheerfully,
eff you are quite ready. we may as
well begin preparing to go without fur
ther delay"
ssWhatl' cried Guthrie, unable to
believe that he had heard her rightly.
81 said that we might start getting
ready to move ketchward, repeated
Dolly sBut, of course, if you haven't
finished admiring old Nick's sane
tum
EDO you actually mean to say you We
found way out?' he interrupted.
'.Of course havel'' the girl answer
ed gayly. s.Didn say I wouldn stay
much longer?, Didn't l tell you l was
getting abominably hungry? Now look
here! A rope made of those ancient
bedclothes, a weight at the end to
throw over that projecting ladder;
bit of climb, and there you arel No,
Alan, don'tl Mr.. Guthrie, remember
our contract! There, you've rumpled
up all my hair.''
s'You re the cleverest girl in all crea-
-: l,o an
Enthusiastically.
cam l really!' asked Dolly with a
demure courtesy. "Well, We'll take
that for settled And now, in the Ian
guage of the doctor, Dry up and get
to work.
Age had rendered Nicholas the First's
bedclothes uncommonly brittle, and the
manufacture of rope was a work of
time The sheets were found to serve
the purpose best for they We're of linen,
doubtless the loot of some luxurious
hidalgo They tore easily into narrow
strips, and these the two prisoners
plated and then plated again into a
| nine strand cord But when this was
done the rope was still too short So
| they had to make out the rest with
blankets, and these were by no means
SO satisfactory.
At last sufficient length was COM
| pleted, and the ropemakers tested it
fathom by fathom by taking a hitch
round post of the heavy mahogany
bedstead and pulling at the length tc
be tried with all their combined
strength. 1t stretched, but it did moi
break Guthrie thought that it would
bear the strain of his weight. So, bend
ing the old brass bound pistol butt al
one end, he passed the coil up through
the hatch and went after it.
However. they We're by no means ou
of the wood yet for to shy the missile
with its dangling burden Of rope owe
the projecting rungs of the ladder wa
no easy task Again and again it misse'
3 and came catering down about tn
' young mans ears. And what with tn
I heat and the dust he was somewhat on
> of breath Ind just about tired Of tn
: exercise before the broken pistol but
deigned to effect Judgment on one @
: the projecting ladder rungs
d Then good deal of maneuverin
i, was necessary before it could be pei
# suaded to slip down on the other side
g But by cautiously shaking" the bigE
d which he had in his hand he coaxed
t. down little by little, till with vigol
GUS jump he reached it with his finger
,,, and brought both ends of the rope tt
ID gether.
He waited minute to recover b
ic breath and then reported progress
in Dolly, who had remained below.
" 'Ill come and see you climb, " sa!
ID she, and Guthrie helped her throue
e, the hatch
"Will it bear?" she asked looki1
ne upward at the clumsy cord on which
TX much depended.
ct 81 haven't tried yet. was the repl
,h .'But here goes!' And, gripping II
w rope as far up as he could reach. Guth1
D. cautiously drew his weight on to
e. Dolly watched breathlessly and tn
he gave little gasp of dismay
For when the young mans toes we
he nearly off the ground, and there we
he only few more pounds of his weig
les unsupported, the ladder moved. Its i
ng ner end was being tilted up.
ne Guthrie let go of the rope and lean
ed back against the rocky side CT the w
he with a groan
hit sit was good idea, Dolly" said
its quietly, after little, "but my beas,
nd
!; { !. \ y II !.
we IL ~ -