CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1902-10-23
copyrgt 1875 by the International Literary

'JacOnD, / rNcliinlti, StlElllS ulIi
by the arm and hurryins him along in
the direction of my palace. we must
go ut once to the lady's assistance. |
will have reason of these cowardiy
roeucS or my name is MT Timotco.'
But wilst thou not first summon n
strong body of the watch to thine
aid:" asked Giun Jacopo anxiousiy.
"Nuy. thou palsied and fearsome
graybcard." | replied. Il need them
not. and will cen play the game alone
and by myself. Thou shalt assist me.
however. in the matter Of getting into
the house. What is thy present advice
upon this subjcct:"
Come with me-" he answered,
"strIiG iGhrway. and thou shalt enter the
castle easily and unseen by its present
occupants"
| followed him to the house from
which we had witnessed the escape Of
Brother Ambrose. 1t was in very good
condition considering the assault which
| lid been rndr upon it the night before.
The door had been beaten in and the
windows broken: otherwise 1t was In
| much Inc same state as when l had
| seen IL last. We entered the tunnel in
\ the usual manner and had no difficulty
4 IN finding our way Ia the cellar of the
Pagzi palace. Here we paused to con
suit upon eur next step. for We could
hear above our heads the voices Of the
| robbers. some of them shouting and
| curSing. others singing. 50 that 1t sound
ed like pandcmonium broken logse.
| now asked my old retainer to- de-
scribe the situation OF the upper room
OF the tower where they had imprls-
Oncd the lady whom they had brought
with them. and l learned that III"
cha mber was fn;r flights UP from the
main hoor Of the castle and that the
! only cntranc" TO the tower stairway
was through the banquet hall. the very
place where the Who'll. cutthront gang
was assembled | felt that my first
| duty was to reach the sid" Of the love
/ ly and unfortunate countess. and as
could not very we'll cut my way
through n whole score Of brnyOs some
other way must De found to come to
her. asked Clan Jacopo IL there was
such another way.
| "Alas. no. fair son. l bethink me of
none indeed
| 'Pcstirnza. could We not ascend to
the roof OF the palace and thence en-
ter the tower through It's windows?"
NAY. that couldst thou not. for the
easements he uncommon high from the
leads. and. besides they he thar narrow
that thou couldst not squeeze the half
OF thy body through them"
Thou dntard without IDEAS eS-
claimed | In my excitement. 'canst
thou. then. think of nothin=F"
'.That can | not. fair prince. From
| my youth upward ] have been some
what slow in thinking. and my
| thoughts crowd not one upon the other
| through III" brain ns do thine own. ]
will take thee presently by u devious
| u-nv tn tho ton Of another tower. which
| is yclcpt the round keep Of the castle.
from the which. it being several yards
| removed and Of II greater height. thou
mayst look down upon the square tow
er and the apartment where they have
imnurcd the lady
| At that moment | heard steps immc-
| dlately above our heads. and the door
which led down into tho cellar was
opened. | dragged my old sorvitor just
| in the nick Of time behind row of
| great wine casks. myself taking n pO-
sitiOn where I could witness whatever
| was about to happen.
/ Two men now came down the stair
| way. The first Of these was q common,
debaurhcd looking rogue. He bore a
! lighted lamp and seemed to act in n.
mcnial capacity to the man who fol.
| lowed him. The second individual was
more splendidIy dressed and had more
4 loo
| My eyes followed this last parsonage
with a staring and dcvouring intensity.
1t appeared to me that | dreamed or
! that my cycsight was defective, for
saw before me the arch rascal and
/ hypOcritical Brother Ambrose.
My first thought was TO rush forth
and throttle him. but ! at once saw
the folly of it. The two were talking
together as they descended. and when
they reached the floor of the cellar
they passed along in the direction of
the trapdoor of the secret passage.
The two villains now disappeared
within the stairway of the subtcrra
mean gallery. Tho whole thing was
now as plain as pikestaff Brother
Ambrose was the fitting leader Of a
company of as arrant thieves and
rogucs as existed in the duchy of Firen-
zallno. They had come TO Castruccio's
banquet solely for plunder and had
succeeded in sccrcting and carrying
away beneath their cloaks the greater
part of the dukes housekeeping outfit.
The RENEGADE friar had then overheard
the appointment made with me by the
countess. through Fiorclla. and had
put the crowning shcaf to his achieve
ments of the night by pushing me into
( the well, abducting my incompatible
mistress aud making my own house the
place Of her duress and the headquar.