Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1901-08-30
~ r. ~ By SYLvANUS COBB. Jr:


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 a quick, lightninglike shadow
fitted before him. He would have
started back, but twas too late.
There came blow: upon his head,
and, with dull, crashing sensation,
he sank down. He realized that he
was turned over and that rope was
being dashed 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 he 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'u
60 with us. We won't force you IT,
you'll walk
FFBut where?" asked the youth.
"What mean you?"
"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, and 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 wing Of the
building had been partly torn away,
and they soon came to large circu-
lar apartment, in the center of
which was a deep basin where in
years gone by people had been wont
to battle. The walls looked grim
and ragged by the feeble rays of the
lantern, and the chill wind came
moaning through the cracks and
crevices in the decaying masonry.
FFThere," spoke one of the guides
as he set his lantern upon the top of
a broken column. owe will stop
here"
The words we're spoken in sort
of hushed, unmerciful tone, and
Ruric felt them strike fearfully up
on him. He gazed upon the man
who had spoken, and he saw that he
was preparing to throw off his Pc
lisse, which he had thus far worn.
As soon as this was off he moved to
where his companion stood and
commenced whispering.
Could Ruric mistake longer?
What reason but one could there
have been for bringing him to such
a place? To the left, where the ba-
sin had once emptied itself, >there
was dark, deep, cavelike place, at
the mouth of which heap of rub
bish had collected. What place in
which to hide dead body! So
*hought Ruric. But he was startled
from the dark reverie by darker
reality.
One of the men had taken a club,
long, heavy bludgeon which the
youth had not before seen, and was
just balancing it in one hand while
he spat upon the other. :.-...
*You will not murder me here in
cold blood!' uttered Ruric,. starting
back.
The stout ruf6an clutched the
club in both hands, but made no
verbal answer.
"Speak! For Gods sake answer
me!' the prisoner exclaimed, start
ing back another pace. t.Do you
mean to murder me?"
**Why," answered the man with
che club in a cool, offhanded man
ner, *'since you are so anxious to
know, I'll tell you. You will die
within minutew -. ..., r.
.'And will you take thellife of one
who never harmed you? Hold! If
money be your object ~.
'|Stop". interrupted the. villain.
you can't"argue us out oft in that
/ way. You've got to de-. and the
sooner you go the. sooner you'll get
over it. You won't suffer. bit il
you don't 60 to kicking up q fuss.
There, now. Hyou hadn't bothered
me 'twould have been all over BY
this time" e: I: s :. :, - :
F. Oh, what would Ruric have given
+ at that moment for the use Of one Of
T his arms But that was beyond
t r'naging afor: Yet he had Ibis fest
49,. III c ~ & ,s:4slisH