Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1905-08-03
CHAPTER xx-(continued.l

"He will turn in surprise when he
hears the clang of the closing door,
and the clash of the imprisoning bolts.
| But he will not escape. He may live
| in that dungeon week ere he dies
| of starvation; for fresh air will reach
| him from crevice between the top
| Of the stone door and the roof of the
| passage it blocks. In the meantime
! you will be in my power. The life of
! Clarence Darrell will depend upon
you. If, while terrible death is slow
ly gnawing at his vitals in that dun
geon-amid the decaying bones of men
long changed to skeletons-you do not
consent to be my legal wife, he shall
become the last skeleton there!"
Heaven aid thee. unfortunate Clar-
ence!" moaned Helen. a
Listen continued the memorable
sorcerer. "And if he dies in that dun
geon you-you, proud girl-you shall
wish that you had consented to be my
legal wifa-for mine you shall be by
force if not by law!"
Having uttered this ferocious men
ace, the sorcerer wrote something upon
leaf he tore from his tablet book,
lighted a candle by the flame of the
lamp and entered that passage which
led to the ancient dungeon.
The fragrant oil in the lamp gave
forth. delicious and intoxicating per-
fume as it burned, and this spicy per-
fume nearly filled the cave.
But the perfume did not reach the
nostrils of the owner of the eyes peer
ing in from the pitchy darkness of that
passage which led to the outer cave.
Helen was still powerless, and in
the same helpless attitude in which
she had sunk down, unable to raise
even her head, but perfectly conscious;
indeed her hearing was so sharpened
by the effects of the subtle and fra
grant gas that the voice of the sorcer-
err. while he addressed her, though he
spoke not very loud, had sounded in
her ears as if he were shouting all that
he said.
Scarcely minute had elapsed after
he. withdrew into the dungeon passage
ere Helen heard grating, rasping
sound from that direction-a harsh
and grinding noise.
She knew then that the sorcerer was
blocking that passage with the stone
door of which he had spoken.
/: The grinding sound of the stone
door, as the sorcerer forced it across
the dungeon passage, must have reach
ed the ears of the owner of the un-
roc 90
and doubtless gave that person cour-
age to throw a loud whisper into the
cave in these words:
Courage, lady! You have friend
near! Clarence Darrell shall escape
from the dungeon. Courage and pa
tience!'
The whispered words, far as the
speaker was from the helpless girl.
reached Helen's ears with surprising
distinctness.
A thrill of JOY danced through her
veins. She strove to lift her head, but
she could not. So long as she inhaled
the perfumed gas from the flame Of
the Tampa gas heavier than air, till
it became diluted by eXpansion.-she
remained powerless in muscle under
its influence.
II have friend near! Thank God!
who has ever been my friend and
shield!' she said. Eyes, will have
courage and patience!'
The unseen person in the outer cave
passage heard Helen's words. So did
the scrcerer, just returning into the
cave from the dungeon passage.
But he had not heard the whispered
words of the unseen. and said, sheer
ingly, as he approached his intended
victim:
spray that Clarence Darrell may
have the same, poor fool!