The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-13
synopsis of Preceding Chapters.

by JOHH m. tAnLiHU
Synopsis of Preceding Chapters.
young English woman. with her young son.
took lodgings IN little village IN brittany IN
prison a few miles away sent there for a murder
OF which HIS wife believes him not guilty. An
S,ade bv odin. figured in the quarrel with the
murdered man. and this ring the mother one day
OF his father and made him promise when he
became man TO ind the real murderer ana and
clear his fathers name. The same night the
runic ring was stolen by masked roboer' and
shortly after the convict. Erie Maryille nav.
IN hts wife's room. and in the fight ac-
eidsntaIly shot and killed her. on being
carried OF by friends. This is the prologue
TO the main story which begins with the return
OF Marvilie 70 the house Of his father, the Ear
OF ormsby. who had not known where ms son son
title married and had a son. To his first wlIe
son he gave heed for some unexplained r r
second son returned from mis- travels after COM
pleting his education and brought with him a
house watched him convey secretly TO the family
vault Tho earl wished his son to marry a
luctanfly consented II this cousins half
brother Godfrey who saw the easket hidden IN IN
earfs son. supposed 10 be dead. came 10 VISIT
Godfrey, who was an old friend. bearing; noh W.
which his mother had been known in Brittany.
nssher he nor Godfrey knew 5 S 81 the .of hew
ever. to follow faint clew concerning ms
father He had translated the inscription on the
runic ring a copy Of Il having been among Us
mothers papers Il pointed 10 treasure ei IN a
that this ancient tomb was near ormsby In
company with Beatrice. he visited mound In
and open it. He and Godfrey came that night
ana after industrious digging he reached stone
they had careiessly come without lantern or
matches
fchapter VI Continued from Yesterday
IT shall not return without some at
tempt at exploration" cried Idris. We'll
have to grope about in the du-k and try
what we can discover in that way.
Godfrey was almost ready to drop at TINS
weird suggestion.
s.Stay a momentr' continued Idris. stoop-
Ing over his vest, and feeling, in the pock-
cts surely L have some matches here.
Yes ne added. with a cry of delight,
drawing forth a metallic box. Here they
arei How many? Three, as livei Three
our slender resources. We must feel our
way along the passage III walk Few
steps ahead of you, so that II any hurt
should befall me. take warning yourself
and help me II you can. Well not strike
these vestas till we are fairly within the
central chamber. We may learn something
from their glimmer.
Idris. having resumed his coat and vest,
was on the point of leading the way, when
he suddenly became impressed with the
idea that there might be some hidden
danger within the hillock, and for Beat
rice's sake it was not right that Godfrey
should be drawn into it.
But the surgeon, though indeed re-
luctant to go forward, was nevertheless
unwilling to be considered coward. and
demurred to the suggestion that he should
remain at the entrance till IdriS had first
paid visit to the interior.
seriously speaking" said Idris.' II do
not see what danger there can be, but still
there Is the possibility of Ii, and ought TO
meet it alone Beatrice would never for
give me If harm should befall YOU Stay
here till / have made a brief exploration.
While speaking he caught sight or the
walking-stick which Godfrey's grandfather
had been accustomed to perform his feats
Of divination- 1t was curiously shaped.
round a wand. the head of the reptile being
set with two green. glittering stones In
imitation Of eyes.
said 1T will serve to guide my steps. l
wish these eyes were lamps!'
Then, waving the surgeon back, he step
ped within the dark hole, which seemed,
In Godfreys Imagination. to cape like the
mouth of great dragon about to swallow
Its vfCtRW
Idris's sensations on entering the passage
were far from agreeable Though the moon
light without was brilliantly white. not a
ray OF II found entrance to the passage;
the air within was black and terrible, and
as solid-looking as IL formed Of ebony.
His progress was slow and tedious. from
the necessity imposed upon him of hating
at each step to feel his way. Before lift
ing his foot he carefully explored the
ground In front Of him with the stick, and
he touched In turn the sides of the passage
as well as the roof. The corridor, judged
BY this test was about seven feet in height
and four in width. Roof, walls and flooring
were composed apparently OF solid ma
After taking about twenty PAGES Idris.
extending the rod on each side of him.
found that 1t touched nothing. The pas
He judged that he had entered the NOR
tuary chamber. and was now standing in
the presence of the dead,
What awesome sight did the black dark
ness hide?
For all he knew to the contrary, not one.
but many Vikings might be entombed here,
their bodies preserved from decay by EN-
banning. Like the lost and frozen dead
MEL, seen sometimes by navigators In
northern seas. they might be In sitting
as IL daring him 20 advance.
The temptation to obtain a glimpse of
the place by striking of the matches
was very great. but he refrained from the
action. resolving that Godfrey should share
the sight.
Before calling upon him to follow, sud-
den desire came upon Idris to grope his
way once around the interior.
Exploring the darkness with his stick he
soon hit upon the chamber wall at the point
where 1t shot of at right angles to the
side of the passage Passing his hand over
Its surface, an action accompanied on his
part by feeling of disgust. the masonry
seemed to be a rusty rod extending in a
horizontal line along the wall at the height
of about six feet from the ground. Puz-
xled at first to account for its use he came
. 20 the conclusion that IL had once served tc
uphold the tapestry with which the interiors
of these old Morse tombs were sometimes
decorated. The tapestry itself was gone
crumbled to dust. perhaps, with the lapse
OF time. but the metallic rod remaining
would serve TO conduct him round the
scf1amber.
He shot a glance through the passage
Just traversed by him: the darkness swal.
possible for the eye to form any judgment
as 10 its length. The entrance seemed
close by. square patch of white light in
which WAS framed dark STOPPING figure
that or Godfrey, vainly endavoring TO keeI
an eve on his venturesome friend
IGrfs turned from the passage, and hold
Ing the rod with his left hand, and grasp.
ing the stick In his right. he advanced slow.
1y and cautiously along the side of the
chamber wall, over ground that had per.
haps. been untrodden for ten centuries
After taking six PAGES he was brought
to halt by the wall inclining again al
right angles. He had evidently reached
one corner OF the stone chamber
Turning his face in this new direction
and still submitting TO the guidance 81
the supposed tapestry rod, he continued hi,
progress. exploring the way before hin
with the stick.
He paused again as his left hand cam.
In contact with a small triangular shred o.
cloth hanging TO the rod Ii was apparentr
. fragment OF tapestry. There might h,
other and larger portions farther on which
I'm view OF their antiquity, would be of con