Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1905-08-24
his devilish work in the interior cave.

EYES,"
Eyes; he has gone; am alone with
| a dead man, and a man who sleeps pro.
| foundly. Who are you?"
"a friend! whispered the voice.
am feeling about for some way of
moving this stone door. Do you know
Of any,"
No, or the door might never have
entrapped me. All, that is a mistake,
for, as | thought Sosia was dead, he
would have shared me in the same
ence of this door,"
Courage" whispered the voice. /
heard him tell the youn gladly that the
door could be opened from this side
Heaven grant it,"
Courage! Here is an iron ring"
"An iron ring? Wrench it with all
your strength, good friend"
81 cannot wrench it."
pull upon it with all your weight!
Oh, that you had in your arms the
strength that feel in mine at this in
stant!" groaned Clarence, his power
full limbs quivering with desire to act.
"Ha! the door is moving!"
Eyes, 1t moves
"Ah, it stops! 1t has moved but an
inch!" gasped Clarence; for after the
slight movement the door remained
motionless.
Courage! will push back the ring
and draw on it again"
Tho doo- boo ,,,ouo7
er inch. All, now it is firm again!"
Patience! | understand this ma
chinery now" whispered the voice.
"The door is to be moved back by
heavy jerks upon the ring"
Good! 1t moves again! More more!
Ha! ha! more; Good. More, little
more!" gasped Clarence, his eyes di-
lating with JOY as he saw the door
vanishing into one side Of the passage
by separate inches. Halt! I can pass
through now"
"Come on, then. will hasten back
to the cave beyond. Close the door af-
ter you," whispered the voice, and it's
owner withdrew.
Clarence fastened to secure and
place in his bosom the packet which
he had concealed in the creyice of the
dungeon, and then hurried into the
passage on his hands and knees.
Quickly finding how to close the
door, he closed it, and then he hast
ened on until he was able to stand
erect in the interior cave.
The cave was dimly lighted up by
the rays of daylight which penetrated
the assures and by the light of Ian
tern in the hands of the person to
whom Clarence owed his liberation
and his life.
The person with the lantern was
woman; and as Clarence recognized
her features, he exclaimed:
"Bashfort's wife!"
eyes," replied Martha, for the wom-
an was indeed Martha. II have so
far deceived the sorcerer. How and
why I cannot tell you now. We must
save the young lady"
'"True. God bless you, Martha Bash
fort! Where is Helen?"
"In cell to which l can lead you.
Do you know that passage?" asked
Martha, pointing at the stone slab.
IT have never been in it,
"Then we must reach the building
by the way have twice come hither-
through the passage that leads to the
cave in the face of the cliff-and then
ascend by the knotted rope. Can you
climb a knotted roper"
"a wire-to save Helen Beauclair!"
''Let us hasten, then, that we may
be in the building ere he discovers
that you have escaped from the dun
geon," said Martha.
And then both hurried into that pas
sage in which Clarence had conquered
and captured Neil Bashfort.
How Martha came so opportunity to
the aid of the lovers can be briefly ex-
planned.
Sosia tossed quite large piece of
plastering into Helen's first prison,
just before he threw in the sleep pas
titles. The noise Of the plastering did
not awake Martha, for she was not
asleep, though her eyes were closed
at the time. She had already detected
noise at the ragged hole III the CELL
ing, and was slyly watching through
her nearly shut lids.
When the sorcerer tossed in his pas
TILES she recognized his face.
Because. perhaps, Of the antidotal
power of the drugged wine which she
drank on the preceding night, the gas
OF the pastilles did not Immediately
affect her. Still, she suspected treach-
cry in the burning pastilles, and, aware
now that the sorcerer was not dead,
she noiselessly arose, and, opening the
door, glided out into the darkness Of
the corridor.
Soon after this she caught sight Of
Sosia as he moved about the building
with a light in his hand; for Clarence
was then on his way to Kilronan, and
Sosia had no suspicion that Martha
was not under the influence Of the pas.
titles.
Perceiving the sorcerer, Martha
crouched behind partly opened door.
and peered at him through a creyice
between the hinges. He approached
very near to erand, to her terror.
halted on the very threshold OF the
door.