The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1902-02-07

1
| The first object upon which hi
eyes fell was the humpbacked priest
! SavotanO. There were four other
] behind him. but Ruric noticed then
not yet. He saw before him tn,
man whom he believed to be the in
strument of his suffering, and with
one bound ne reached him and felleC
him to the floor.
"Hold" cried one of the Others
! one who held the lantern. ave
! have come to conduct thee out from
here"
"Ilai Say ye SO ~
"Most surely We have"
"Then stand aside and let me 90. /"
just as YOU say. The doors are
open, and you may go. You may fol-
low us, or you may go in advance"
"rhen lead on" returned Ruric,
"and | will follow"
"As you say"
Thus speaking, the man assisted
the priest to his feet and led him
out from the cell. In a 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
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, lightniaglike shadow
! fitted before him. He would have
started back, but twas too late.
There came blow upon his head,
and, with a 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-
seriousness 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'll
60 with us. We won't force you IL
you'll walk"
''But 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
to follow his conductors. '
But they left him not to follow at s
will. They took him by either arm 9
md thus led him away. He remem-
oered the room into which lie had !
,een first conducted on the evening n
# his capture, but he was not de- t
aimed there. From here long cor
idor led off to where wing of the a
had been partly torn away, h
nd they soon came to large circu- p
ar apartment, in the center of +
7hich was deep basin where in e.
ears gone by people had been wont y
o battle. The walls looked grim fl
nd ragged by the feeble rays of the h
antern, and the chill wind came al
loaning through the cracks and o.
revices in the decaying masonry. k
''There," spoke one of the guides &C
5 he set his lantern upon the top of
broken column. ave will stop la
ere." &c
The words were spoken in sort
{ hushed, unmerciful tone, and if
uric felt them strike fearfully up tn
n him. He gazed upon the man OF
no had spoken, and he saw that he tn
as preparing to throw off his pc
sse, which he had thus far worn.
s soon as this was off he moved to
here his companion stood and 4
whispering. at
Could Ruric mistake longer? IT, w.
hat reason but one could there Re-
i've been for bringing him to such on
place? To the left, where the ba- ha
4 had once emptied itself, there
rs dark, deep, cavelike place, at :
e mouth of which heap of rub 4
sh had collected. What a place in
lich to hide a dead body! SO
ought Ruric. But he was startled u
ON the dark reverie by darker
atty.
One of the men had taken a club, Of.
long, heavy bludgeon which the
nth had not before seen. and was