The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-05-01
CHAPTER N-Continued.

midst of a very turbulent council.
Five or ten minutes sufficed to extin-
guish the last remnant of resistance on
the part of Rainham's followers. If
they had thrown down their arms at
once their lives might have been
spared. But they were taken by sur
prise, obeyed the natural instinct to de-
fend themselves, and fought with the
desperation of men who expected no
quarter. Their want of armor put
them on an equality, man for man,
with their assailants, who had greatly
the advantage in numbers, and pressed
in with reckless fury and bloodthirsty
cries. Two or three were struck down
at the entrance; three or four made a
vain stand on the stairs leading up to
the hall; the rest ran for their lives,
and were chased and hacked down on
the stairs and in the passages as they
fed.
Ralph Hardelot stood at the door of
the dungeon with the torch in one
hand, and listened in breathless won
der and suspense to the frightful tu-
multi overhead. Clara stood by him,
her lips parted. trying to read in his
eyes confirmation of the wild hope with
which her own were sparkling. Hard
ened as Ralph was to the chances of
war, his cheek was blanched by pass
ing qualm of terror as he realized the
possible significance of the cries that
rang down the dungeon stairs.
Their suspense did not last for min
utes, but it seemed hours. Presently.
through the din, a step was heard de-
scending the dungeon stairs at sedate
pace. Simon d'Ypres appeared. He
had not placed himself in the forefront
of the battle. 1t was not his province.
He had followed in at his leisure. He
looked picture of composure, and
while Ralph and Clara gazed in speech
less attention, and the knight raised
his head from the floor, where he lay
bound, to stare and listen, he proceeded
to assure his friends that they had no
cause for alarm and to explain what
had happened.
But before he had gone far in his ex-
PLANTATION, the clamor overhead, which
had somewhat died down, suddenly
swelled up again. The insurgents,
pausing in the slaughter, had become
aware that Rainham was missing, and
the word that he was in the dungeon
once uttered had passed from man to
man in second. A rush was made
for the dungeon, and with confused
I'LL g tGIIn,,oatb GSCIax, Il
him in pieces!" pell NELL down the
stairs they came.
Ralph, Clara and Simon had barely
time to draw back hastily when ter
rife figure in a tattered tabard, swing
ing blood stained axe above flaming
eyes and dishevelled hair, leaped into
the dungeon. He stared round for an
instant, shouting, "Where is he?" and
almost as he spoke, discerning Rain
ham on the ground, brandished his axe
and sprang forward.
Ralph was just in time to arrest his
arm.
Gle is here, my friend But there
has been enough of bloodshed.
The man paused for an instant and
looked back at the wild crowd behind
him.
Leave him to Justice. He is my
prisoner" pleaded Ralph, endeavoring
TO push him back pace.
Enough of bloodshed!" echoed
Simon, facing the crowd. ''He is
bound and prisoner. We have him
safe"
"Slay him. "Make him safer!"
came from the crowd.
The first conner shook Ralph's hand
angrily from his arm, and menaced him
with the axe. 81 know not who you
are" he cried, "but the devil shall
not stand between me and him.
Clara pulled back with cry. The
knight set his teeth and prepared for
the worst.
Gle has wronged me-" shouted the
man, turning with fierce gesture to
the crowd, rendered stationary for the
moment by the unexpected interference.
"All here know it. Has he not
wronged me?'
"You shall have Justice" said
Ralph, standing between him and the
knight.
'Justice!" he cried, with wild
laugh. 81 am justice Will you stand
between him and justice? By what
right? Make way, say!" And he
again made a meEacing gesture with
his axe. "Stand aside"
But an authoritative voice from be-
hind cried, "Holdn" and Tiler pushed
his way through the crowd, followed
by Barnaby Smith and the men from
the priory. Things had already gone
far enough for them. They were mixed
up in more than they knew how to