The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1902-10-16

grumb1ing inwardly at the unpleas- /
ant delay in my plans, and thinking |
hard, trying to help myself out of /
my present difficulty
I was surprised, when approaching |
the entrance in my aimless rambIe- |
to see letters carved in the rock away |
to the right of the arch Stepping
to this spot, I read the words easily, |
SO deeply and evenly were they cut
into the marble:
HENRY THORLANE,
1 Will Avenge-'
The same words and in the same
form as 1 had found them in the cell
in the Tore dell E1efante-
Henry Thorlane then, was no
doubt the former occupant of the
cave. But now a puzzling question
arose: When could he have carved
these letters in the grotto? Previous
to his arrest he would, for all I knew,
taking Mutterelli's story into the mat
ter, have no cause for vengeance. And
Mutterelli had said that he in the
monastery, from which there could
be no escape. Yet there was his
name and his notto-his war-cry-
| carved in letters that would last for
| centuries, in the marble rock before
me- One of two things was certain.
| Mutterelli did not know all the story
| before ThOr1ane's arrest, or he did
| not know what had happened after
ward 1t was possible that Thorlane
! HaQ escaped, MADE MS nome IN the
| grOttO, and had been captured again.
| Grand as [ thought this, my heart
stood still a second-what if MuttereI-
| Ii was right and Thor1ane had been
| put in the monastery and had gained
| the confidence of the superior and
| had Joined the order unknown to the
| prefettO or anybody outside the Jesuit
| circle inside the monastery wallsi And
| if so, then, perhaps, Muttereli was
| Muttereli and no one else, and the
monk who had rescued me was Henry
| ThorIane.
Still pondering upon this. 1 began
to look still farther for evidence of
Henry Thorlane's occupancy. 1 found
no more letters, but l did find a trap
door My fingers came in contact
with an iron ring. 1 knew it must
| have been placed there for a purpose.
lighted candle, for the ring was in
a dark portion of the grOtto, and
closely examined the place. 1 found
that the ring was fastened to a wood
en- cover, which was held in place by
two large pieces of rock which were
laid upon it. These l rolled away
and the trap-door came up easily. The
Opeing thus made led into a small
cellar-like hole, and lying on the floor
: was a wooden. box or cheap kind OF
trunk managed to get this out, an6
opened it, 1t contained clothing O.
various kinds, masks, boards, wigs, il
fact, everything that was needed for
,, complete disguise And 1 exam
| ined this most fortunate find | chuck
led aloud.
1 would be free.
And Nita Bar1otti should at las
know who she was, and be placed il
possession of her own.
: Circumstances seemed to favor me
Mutterelli came to the grotto late il
the afternoon of the day on which
i found the trunk of clothing and re
manned to supper.
/ After supper we smoked in silence
Muttre1n finished his cigarette an
Z seemed to be preparing to leave.
u You are going away, Muttere11i?''
n said.
s Yes, signor. I shall not be bacl
5 tonight
y L did not want him back, and whe
L at last he had taken his departure
again opened the trap door and too
e out the trunk. 1 pulled out the entir
It contents and spread them over tn
o floor of the grotto, that 1 might NOR
a successfully choose the most compIet
t disguise.
e Having made my selection. 1 prc
ceeded to put first a pair of heav
S, shoes 1 dotted my prison suit an
n EMBODIED myself in the most skillfull
l. devised waist or vest that could hav
o been made. 1t was a stuffed affai
r and, fitting close to my figure, mad
r me look at least forty pounds heavie
1t than 1 really was. 1 pulled a pair
s long, much-worn black trousers ont
le my legs, and over the stuffed vest
1t put long black coat 1 found blac
T. beard, with long, black, curling mu
It tache, that easily fitted my face, an
IS could be securely fastened on by moi
" tening with my breath some gumme
er strips on the under side.
My eyebrows were brown, but
n found plenty of cosmetics and dyeir
1T materials. and soon made my ey
L. brows match the beard in color.
he Having thoroughly convinced myse
I that I was under a complete disguis
lie set out from the grotto, first makiT
er up some unimportant things into
Ir- pack, and slim ging it over my should
at a stick
ed 1 passed a few people. none of who
ell paid any attention to the weary o
1t, Jew p1odding along on his way to Ca
ne Eari.
ed 1t was about eleven O'Clock when
ut