CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1901-09-19

| a few moments the prisoner was
blind by the sudden transition, but
by degrees he overcame the difficult
ty and was able to look up.
The first object upon which his
eyes fell was the humpbacked priest,
1 Savotano There were four others
behind him, but Ruric noticed them
not yet. He saw before him the
man whom he believed to be the in
strument of his suffering, and with
one bound he reached him and felled
/ him to the floor.
"Holdp' cried one of the others,
one who held the lantern. "We
have come to conduct thee out from
here"
"Hai Say ye so?"
"Most surely We have"
"Then stand aside and let me GO"
"Just as you say. The doors are
open, and you may go. You may fol-
low US, or you may 60 in advance"
''Then lead on" returned Ruric,
"and l will follow"
"As you say"
Thus speaking, the man assisted
the priest to his feet and led him
out from the cell In few mo-
ments more the others went out al
so, and Ruric prepared to follow.
| He heard the priest cursing, but he
noticed that one of the others led
him off The youth stepped forth
into the passage, but he did not
place the fullest confidence in what
4 he had heard. He reached the foot
of the stairs, and the others were
nearly up. he started to follow
them and had nearly gained the top
when quick, lightninglike shadow
fitted before him. He would have
started back. but twas too late.
There came a blow upon his head,
and, with q dull. crashing sensation,
he sank down. He realized that he
was turnen over and that a rope was
being Iashed about his arms.
But the prisoner had not been
fully stunned He returned to con-
sciousness as they lifted him to his
feet. and his first impulse was to try
to force his bonds asunder, but
this he could not do He gazed up
now. and ne found only two men
with him, and they wore masks up
on their faces. They were stout,
powerful men, and their very bear
ing was murderous, and his heart
sank within him.
Come" said one of them. you'll
60 with us. We won't force you IL
you'll walk"
But wheres" asked the youth.
"What mean you 2"
you'll see when You get there.
But there's no time to waste, SO
come"
What could the prisoner do? His
hands were firmly bound behind
him, ard his great strength availed
not bit He knew that he could
not resist, so he simply bowed his
head in token of submission and
prepared to follow his conductors
But they left him not to follow at
will They took him by either arm
and thus led him away He remem-
bered the room into which he had
been first conducted on the evening
of his capture, but he was not de-
tanned there. From here a long cor
ridor led off TO where a wing of the
building had been partly torn away,
and they soon came to a large circu-
lar apartment, in the center of
which was deep basin where in
years gone by people had been wont
to bathe The walls looked grim
and ragged by the feeble rays of the
lantern, and the chill wind came
moaning through the cracks and
ereviees in the decaying masonry.
'There," spoke one of the guides
as he set his lantern upon the top of
a broken column. I'VE will stop
here"
The words were spoken in a sort
of hushed, unmerciful tone, and
Ruric felt them strike fearfully up
on him. He gazed upon the man
who had spoken, and be saw that he
was preparing to throw off his pc
hsse, which he had thus far worn.
As soon as this was off he moved to
where his companion stood and
commenced whispering.
Continued next week.