Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1901-07-05

Of our loose blouses. I found mine. q
cumbersome appendage to carry, but
could have borne it gladly and lightly
had it been ten times it's weight. ~ Ri.
Yon next handed US each knife, ae.
companying the gift with these words,
'Be welly caleful and don't be adaid
to use it." Then whispering for US to
follow him he took up the brazier and
led the way from the chamber. Out
side the door. I stumbled over some
thing and might have fallen had not
jim caught me. Yon turned round and
lowered the light, and saw a man ".
ing in a pool of blood. and recognized
him as the wretch who had mutely
tainted me with the irons. The pres
ence Of this body accounted for the
noise which we had heard previous to
Yon's entrance.
"'lm poor dumb blute," muttered
Yon. mo can makee ely. I'm gloan
welly small. Solly, but i'm makee top
side now. No more tlouble.'
On we stole quietly along a narrow
paved passage which extended for
about dozen PAGES and which ended
abruptly in fight of steps. These
Yon mounted, hesitating just a mo-
ment to listen. We followed close In
his footsteps, Jim next, | bringing up
the rear. In this manner we very rap
Idly reached higher level. and then
we paused once more. Yon drew close.
"Makee welly caleful STEP" he whis-
pered "You 'oldee me, cap'n. Your
f1iend 'oldee you. Makee knife leady.
No can tell.
We did as we were hidden and in our
bare feet stole along through the dark,
, for. at this point Yon had dropped the
brazier. Fortunately he knew his way,
and after creeping on for some little
time we came to further flight of
steps which, to my Joy. saw We're
bathed with light. Indeed as soon as
we had reached the top of them we
were enabled through great funnel,
as it were, to see the sky. -.
I'VE are in the pagodaY' whispered
Jim. All Yon nodded.
But how to get out? So far we had
been fortunate in eluding the vigilance
OF any one who had been left to guard
that strange subterranean prison or
habitati0n, but we were not yet out
side, and even supposing that we were
we were still on Kung's island and
more or less in the power of him and
his creatures
looked up and around, but could see
no way out Of the difficulty. The walls
rose sheer to the dilapidated top, and
even the first window was 20 feet
above US. There was No door that :
could see, but small passage led off to
our right, and when Jim pointed to-
ward this Yon nodded.
'The only way" he said. ut makee
Though ,Kung's loom. Come Look,
see! Pelhaps Kung no there!
We crept on as Silently as. before in
the same order and presently perceived
a light shining through crevice. Yon
slackened, and we instinctively follow
ed his example. I'wondered what was
coming next.
AS we approached there was sud-
den clatter as of bolts withdrawn, and
presently the door swung open. Then
a mans voice was heard hurried1y
speaking. and shortly after its owner
appeared in the doorway, but he was
like a shadow In the indistinct light,
and l failed utterly to identify him.
The voice within next said something,
to which the person in the doorway
answered politely, as servant would
to his master; tAn. closing the door
softly after him, he came toward US.
We squeezed back against the wall
and held our breath, and the man &C.
tually passed within a foot of me. AS
his figure disappeared at the end Of the
passage All. Yon glfded swiftly after
him, and we waited in the horrible ex-
pectation of hearing another death
groan. But, much to my relief, our
worthy friend himself returned. and
whispering to Jim and me as he pass
ed, ''Makee leady suppose my makee
call, >" be slipped from us, and went to-
1.-THE door. = Pushing it open gen.
hy, he disappeared within. 4: ~ r.. T..
What was happening now. it would
be impossible to say, and Jim and I
shrank still closer in against the. wall
and listened fntently. 1t was~a terrible
orceai that waiting there in the dark,
expecting we knew not what. and to
me the seconds, fraught with horror as
they We're, crept Onward with heavy
feet. But, presently the stiffness was
startled By q cry, q sroan. a sort Of sti
fed shrek. and | felt every nerve of.
me tingle with apprehension. For a
little space we stood irresolute, and
tl.1n; Jim, calling e income along.