The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-08-15

lamp and, descending with me into a
subterranean vault beneath the castle
like mansion, took hold of a ring in the
floor and, lifting out large block of
the stone pavement, disclosed a stair
way leading down into the darkness.
Down these steps 1 followed him. ana
when we had come to the bottom of
them we went along a level passage
way, which seemed to have been cut
out of the solid rock, for distance of
200 feet or more until we came to an
other stairway leading upward. Mount
ing this. we arrived upon a narrow
platform, and here Clan Jacopo paused
and seemed to undo bar and to press
upon a certain part of the wall. Sud
denly large square stone moved out
and away from us, as if it were hung
on pivots, and we saw the light of day,
and, coming through an aperture fully
two feet square, we found ourselves in
a small, unfinished, strongly built
house, with bare stone walls and mar
row grated windows.
My ancient follower pushed the stone
back into its place, and, closing with a
sharp click as of stout spring, it left
no mark upon the wall to show where
it had opened.
Behold, Prince Timoteo," said he
''the house of which spoke 1t faces,
as thou dost see, the public square, and
from the loggia thou mayest behold
the burning of Brother Ambrose with
security. This building and the secret
passage we have traversed were de-
vised by thy family more than three
centuries since, and the knowledge of
them has descended from father to son
until it has reached thee. This hiding
place and means of escape has saved
many a worthy ancestor of thine from
hanging or burning, that he might in
course of time come to an end more
BETTING such gallant gentlemen, by
being run through with a rapier or
having his throat cut"
We passed through a hallway and
came to the street door of the house
1t was a solid affair and hung within
an arched stone frame. resembling very
much the door of Dante's house in
Florence. We opened it with a large
key which Jacopo had provided and,
standing in the doorway, looked out
upon the great square. 1t lacked but
few minutes Of o'clock, the hour
set for the ceremony, and already the
plaza was filed with a surging. noisy
crowd Of people.
From the main entrance of the palace
of the seigniory a platform ten feet
wide and raised about five feet from
the pavement extended out to the mid
die of the square, at which point stood
the post and fagots.
| AS | gazed at the scene it seemed
strangely familiar to me. had seen
the exact picture of it before in an old
woodcut Of the burning of Savonarola
| in 1893.
To the left of the palace upon horse
back, attended by score of guards
and surrounded by the officers and la
dies of his court, the whole of them
CARRIED with most gorgeous magnifi-
cence, sat Duke Castruccio. He was a
short, fat man, fulfilling in almost ev-
cry particular the idea which l had
|
at the moment when he became gov
ernor of his island. The duke was
pointed out to me by Clan Jacopo, and,
considering the fact that he was at
present occupying the throne to which
was rightfully entitled. it may be
imagined that I examined him with
great interest.
And now the great doors of the seign-
Tory few open, and the solemn process
sion came on the platform. First came
dozen or more monks in the Domin-
lean costume, chanting a mournful
dirge; then the gonfalonier, bearing
the standard of justice, who was in
turn followed by six of his officers.
Behind them walked the victim, clad
in the robes of his order and supported
by two of his brother friars, who, bend
ing close to him, were evidently pour
ing exhortations and consultations into
his ears.
When the procession, in its march
along the platform, had come to point
almost abreast of where we stood.
caught glimpse of the face of Brother
Ambrose beneath the cowl which over
Swallowed it, and l noticed that he
seemed far from penitent and that his
fiery black eyes glanced anxiously here
and there among the crowd, as if in
search of some one. Then all at once
he wrenched himself loose from the
two priests and sprang from the plat
form in among the crowd, who seemed
to raake way for him and to swallow
him mp, for he disappeared immediate
ly from my view.
Thereupon followed a great commo
ton, and there arose in the air tn
shouts of 1000 disappointed spectators
They surged to and fro and trample,
upon each other, and afterward hear,
that dozen persons, women and chi
dren for the most part, had lost thei
lives in the crush, and the officer
pushed hither and thither seeking tn
monk without avail, and the crowd il
their eagerneSS graVitated toward tn