Warren sheaf., 1901-08-29

ILL, O44CAi ACUuAACu 4NOs ~
''Have you dropped him?"
*fNo!' cried Michael, with curse
which we do not choose to tran
scribe. '*He's perfect devil"
"But where's the lantern?" ,;
|He put it out"
'But you ought to have knocked
him down, you clown"
$50 had YOU"
*Me? Why, he kicked me over"
"Well, he lodged by me and kick
ed over the lantern"
"But where is he now?"
"He's gone. Hark! Ha, 7 guess
They've caught him. Don't you
hear?"
eyes; they've caught somebody"
"And of course it's him. He went
that way. Let's go and fnd"-
He did not finish the sentence, for
at that moment a voice came up in
thunder tones, and it said:
"Ruric! Ruric!"
|'Good GodY gasped villain No. l..
fWhat is that? ?"
"Ruric! Ruric!"
'fBy the living gods, that is not
from any of our men!" uttered the
second ruffian. "Ha, they are COM
ing this wayY'
'Ruric! Ruric!''
E"There is but one place." return
ed Oriel. 'fHere in the little draw
ing room. Come, let's find it. Oh,
curses on that gunmaker's head! If
he be not the very devil, then he's a
bound partner Of his. Have you
found the entrance, Michael?"
s'No. It's near you somewhere.
Can't you- Ha! In, inp'
At that moment the glare of a
flaming torch flashed through the
gloom of the place, and the two vii
lains stood revealed. A dozen stout
men, all well armed, appeared in the
only passage by which they could
escape, for to have fled into the
drawing room of which they had
spoken would avail them nothing.
"Ho, villains :" shouted Vladimir,
the monk, raising his flaming torch
high above his head with his left
hand, while in his right he waved a
heavy sword. ''Where is Ruric Ne
vel"
"Here, here!" cried our hero,
starting forward into the larger
room.
"What! Safe -alive-well ?" Ut
tered Vladimir.
'Aye, my noblest Of friends. But,
oh, cast off this accursed bond from
my arms. 1t eats into the flesh"
The rope was quickly taken off,
and then the youth embraced his de-
liverer. No questions were asked
there. Only a few sincere thanks
we're uttered, and then attention
was turned to the two villains, who
yet stood trembling near them.
They had not attempted an escape,
for the way was blocked up. They
were quickly secured, and then the
party turned away from the place,
and as they went Ruric gave the
amonk an account of the manner in
(which he had been entrapped and of
the events which had .transpired
since.
'FMerciful heavensW calculated
vladimir as Ruric closed his ac-
count Of the manner in which he
had overcome the two men who had
Thought to murder him. *'lt was a
marrow escape"
'tBut I might not have escaped
without your coming,'' the youth
said, Etfor they would surely have
found me. With my hands lashed
behind me as they we're could not
have escaped" .. r.
'FTrue, true," returned Vladimir
thoughtfully. ''It was a narrow
chance. But it is over now"
*'And how gained you the knowl7
edge of my whereabouts ?" asked
lRuric. 49,. Vi
''I'll explain it to you when we
have time. But did I understand
you to say that the humpbacked
priest was there?" @- ~
"He came to my dungeon with
the rest, and twas he that ] knocked
down. Have you not found him?"
i '.No; we have seen nothing Of
him. We found two men in the hall,
and that was all Z