The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-08-03
Night In a Dungeon


1t was an old and yellow manu-
script that Jack and Arthur found
in the bottom of the little hair COW
cred trunk up in the attic. Perhaps
the reason it had escaped notice
was that the trunk was lined with
paper of nearly the same color.
However that may be, none of us
had ever seen it before, and when
on that rainy afternoon we were
all gathered in the sitting room
Aunt Harriet openedi it.
'It is in your great-grandfather's
handwriting" she said, and Of
course we all crowded around to see
it. "Your great-grandfather was a
Frenchman, and Of course this is
written in French" This brought
forth q number of disappointed ex-
clamations, but when Aunt Har-
riet added, "And if you wish 1 will
translate it as l 60 along" the
faces Of the group frightened, and
all settled themselves comfortably
to hear what Great-grandfather
D'Almar had to tell:
It was piece Of Ill luck that I
at last fell into the dukes hands.
lie had long sought to do me some
harm in payment for the trick I
played him in running off with the
woman he loved, but for fifteen
years had avoided him and escaped
his vengeance. At last, however, I
was shared by two Of the dukes re-
tainers, and, being blindfolded, vss
conveyed whittier I know not, for
when the bandage was removed I
was being led through large stone
hall and my conductors were MAX
ing ready to thrust me into q mar
row dungeon which one Of them un-
locked. i was Of no avail to reason
with the men. They were under the
dukes orders and dare not discbey
him. Z ,e5 Il y i ~ s : 6
So they closed the door upon me
and pushed the bolts in place with
crash, and I was alone. The dun
geon was entirely I:..ds of stone,
with > but one small and strongly
barred window near the roof. The
only piece of furniture in the room
was small stone bench, upon which
I seated myself to think over the
sudden circumstance which had
placed me in this strange and un-
pleasant position.
Not bit of anything was to be
seen. In fact, the cell was bare of
everything except the, bench on
which ! sat, and that was. merely d
projection from the stone walt I
had always been accustomed 10. have
good things to eat when I wanted
them, and the thought OF, being
without food for any length OF time
WAS not very pleasant. In fact, I
had oever been without my sregu-
lar thee meals day. IL
There seemed no possible way
of escape, and all I could hope. for.
was clemency from the duke.
Thought he would hardly dare kill
me in his own house. He might per-
haps try to starve me to death. But
Pt these thcncht5 I clinched my
hands aEA SElt my teeth firmly To-
gether. I would not give up with
but struggle. !,
The moonlight commenced to
shine in through the bars of the
window, first in sickly little streaks
and then as the moon rose higher in
o blaze of white light. There was
come companionship in thiBa and it,
cheered me little, and as tile feel
ing CO hunger had almost passed
away I determined to make myself
as comfortable as possible with the
limited resources within reach. Re+I
moving my coat, I rolled it up to
form pillow, and then, after Of.
dering up my customary prayer, I
lay down upon the stone bench and
nm a'few minutes, like tired school.
boy, ] was lost in a deep and dream
less sleep.
How long I slept I cannot say,
but after q time I awoke with q
sensation as if I'were choking. Theg
sensation did not cease when I left
my improYised bed. It seemed
rather to increase. Why this should
be I could not discover until as I
again sat on the bench i perceived
peculiar vapors issuing, as it scanned,
from thu stone sides Of my prison.
On closer examination I found in
the walls at each end dc my cell q
number .of small holes, which were
without .aoubt connected with pipes
on the ontaide of the wall. 81. :.
A sudden horrible suspicion as.
sailed me. Was the duke trying to
exterminate me with the fumes 81
some deadly gas |. I tried to reach