The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-14

SynOpSfs OF preceding
A young English woman. with her young son.
order 10 be her husband. who was IN
prison few miles away. sent there COR murder
ancient runic ring. which tradition said had been
made by 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 70 find the real murderer ana
clear his fathers The same night the
shortly after the convict. Eric MaryilIe. hav.
ing escaped from prison. was recaptuIeo
eidentaIly shot rand and Killed her on being
earTao DaSk to prison ne nH was Is tss prologue
Of sr main story which begins Win tn tbe Ear
or oTmsby, who had not known where ms son son
had been At his fathers death he assumed ne
son he gave heed for some unexplained r Ts-
son. but later heard that he was dead Inc
pIetins his educafion and brought with him
mysterious casket, which wakefui guest IN tne
house watched him convey secretly TO the faInhy
young and wealthy cousin. Beatrice. and he re-
luctantly consented II was this cousins half
brother Godfrey who saw the casket h1ddeh III
earPs son. SUPPOSE 10 be dead came visit
Godfrey. who was an old friend bearing now
| which his mother Lad been known in Brittany.
Neither he Godfrey knew of the former
relationship 20 the earl Idris had come now
ever. TO follow up faint clew concerning his
father He had translated the inscription on ne ne
runic ring. copy OF II having been among ms
mothers papers. IL pointed 20 a treasure IN a
| tohD. ana certain indications led MIN 10
that this ancient tomb was near ormsby In
company with Bea trice, he visited mound in
sne Vicinity and resolved 70 come n I'M, sns nib
and after industrious digging he reached stone
| they had careessly come without lantern.
They entered however and on striking match aI,s
an explosion followed which came near Destroy
Ing them both
Ichapter VII. Continued from Yesterday
1.-The fires Of the Asas are real enough,
| after all" muttered Godfrey, still feeling
| like one in a dream. Hasn't the sound of
the explosion brought any one here?
1T seems not" said Idris, looking
offers stubborn resistance" he continued
:. He being dead yet fghteth.' But he IS
doomed TO be defeated, for will not go
until have examined the interior OF the
hillock."
You are not thinking of venturing into
that death-trap again?' said Godfrey,
aghast.
There is no danger now: at least not
from gases. The explosion dissolved them,
aud the outer air has had time to pene-
trate within. Besides, forewarned is fore
armed. We know our peril: if one of US
should be overpowered. the other must
drag him out"
How can you make an investigation
without light2'
I'VE shall have light enough. Fortunate
~, you snapped the lid OF the box tightly
before striking your match--an action that
effectualiy screened the remaining two from
the flame of the hre-damp."
There you're wrong. We will take some
or this brush wood inside and light bon
FIRE: and the sooner We make a beginning
the better. It's O'Clock now. In another
hocr or so day will be dawning."
lnwardly grcan1ng at the peryersfty OF
his friend. Godfrey lent a hand in collecting
the materials necessary for the fire: and,
not without some trepidation. carried them
through the dark passage into the mortuary
chamber. the atmosphere Of which, as his
nostriis assured him. had become consid-
erably clarified since his previous visit.
Fearing that the two matches when
kindied might expire before he could fire
the twigs, which were damp with the after
Moons rain, ldTis drew forth a small book,
a posket edition of Hamlet. and proceeded
into spiralS. These he handed TO Godfrey,
snjoining him TO keep flame alive by
kindling one from another till the twigs
should have fairly caught.
Now TO strike the fatefu match" he
said Pray heaven the Asas do not give
US another pyrotechnic display
he cautiously struck the match. God
frey instantly kndled one of his paper
spirals from the flame.
mo fireworks this time, you See" re-
narkec. Idris. as all remained quiet. This
Is what may be called making light of
Shakespeare. he added. as. taking the
kindled papers one after another from God
fIey's hand. he applied them to the leaves
and twigs endeavoring to force them into
a blaze.
The pale, blush glare that sprang up
made the chamber family visible Idris
intent on his task OF recognition saw moth
/
Godfrey could not refrain from casting a
timid glance around even at the risk of ex-
tinguishing the lighted paper in his hand.
There was, however, nothing very dread
full in the scene before him. He found
himself standing in chamber about twenty
feet square. the sides of which were com
posed OF rough-hewn blocks of masonry
giistening with moisture and dotted with
patches Of fungous growth. The roof was
formed by layer of tree-trunks. necessar-
lily OF great size and strength in order
10 support the vast weight above. The floor
seemed TO be of earth. its surface gliTnmer-
ing here and there with tiny black pools,
formed by the constant dropping of mos-
ture from the roof.
But the treasures deposited of old by
Hilda the Alruna for her son. Magnus of
Deira-where were they? Well for Idris
THAI he had not set his heart on finding
| them. for the chamber was bare. save for
sarcophagus-like structure against which
| Godfrey had collided when looking for
| ldris's body. BY the Pickering light he
could that this receptacle was of OBJ
| long shape the sides consisting OF four up
right stone slabs let into the earth. with a
fifth one resting upon them like Ia.
Idris had now succeeded in his task and
the twiss and branches blazing up cast over
the chamber rudy glow sufficiently
bright for the taking of observations.
This is better than a lantern. | war
rant the place hasn't looked so cheerful
| for centuries" remarked Idris, as he stood
b. the blaze and took survey of the cham
Der.
"Cheerful at present. perhaps. but in ten
minutes we snail be smoked out
Il think not. This fire will burn bright
and clear presently, and will give out little
smoke.
Taking up a lighted brand from the fire.
1dris moved forward and began his investi-
cation with the tomb by making a scrutiny
OF It's lid.
mo inscription here. runic or other
wise. Humphi shall we supply one He
facet OImus. Now to remove the slab!
Let us sec If there are bones beneath"
Too eager to wait for GOdfrey's assist
ance he seized the nd with hand and
exerting all his strength, swung it off
laterally.
A cry of surprise. rather than of alarm
broke from him. as he caught sight of a
full-szed human skeleton lying within
burning fragment from the torch he carried
dropped within the teeth of the skeleton
where. sill continuing To glow il liz up
the skull with weird effect, the red flicker
giving an apparent motion TO the grinning
Jaws and eyeless sockets.
Are these the remains or your Viking?''
asked Godfrey.
Can there be doubt about it? This is
old Orm, or what Is left of him. replied
Idris. holding the torch low over the
skeleton Here reposes one who. 1 doubt
not. made brave figure in his day And
now? None poor TO do him reverence >
The people OF Ormsby do not know even
his name. and yet he the founder of
their town. its nomenclator in fact The
old Greeks would have raised a statue and
an altar TO him In their market-place and
have worshipped him their hero epony-