Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-01-23
CHAPTER XIV.

D'ri's narrative was the talk of the
 garrison. Those who heard the tell
 ing, as did not, were fond of quoting
 its odd phrases, and of describing how
 D'ri would thrust and parry with his jack-knife in the story of the bouts.
 The mystery of that plunge into darkness and invisible water was
 trial to my nerves the like of which
 had never suffered. After they had
 pulled his lordship out of the grave,
 and I knew there would be no more fighting, l began to feel the strain he
 had put upon me He was not so strong as D'ri, but had never stood
 before a quicker man. His blade was
 as full of life and cunning as a cats
 paw. and he tired me. When I went
 under the water felt sure it was all
 over, for was sick and faint. had
 been thinking of D'ri in that quick de-
 scent. wondered if he was the man
 who had got away and gone down the
 slide. l was not the less amazed, how
 ever, to feel his strong hand upon me
 as l carie up. I knew nothing for a
 time. D'ri has told me often how he
 bore me up in rapid water until he
 came into an eddy where he could
 touch bottom. There. presently. I got
 back my senses and stood leaning on
 his broad shoulder awhile. A wind
 was blowing. and We could hear a boat
 jumping in the nipples near by. We could see nothing. it was so dark, but
 D'ri left me. feeling his way slowly.
 and soon found the boat He whistled
 to me. and l made my way to him. There were oars in the bottom of the
 boat. D'ri helped me in, where lay
 back with mighty sense of relief. Then he hauled in rope and anchor. and showed of The boat. overrunning the flow in a moment. shot away rapid ly. I could feel it take headway as We clove the murmuring waters. D'ri set
 the oars and helped it on. lay awhile
 thinking of all the blood and horror in that black night-like a dream of evil that leads through dim regions of silence into the shadow of death
 I thought ot the hinted peril of the slide that was to be the punishment of 1 poor courage.
 D'ri had a plausible theory of the , slide. He said that if We had clung | 10 the sides of it to break our speed we'd have gone down like a plummet and shattered our bones on a rocky shore. Coming fast. our bodies leaped far into the air and fell to deep water
 How long I lay there thinking. ss ! rested. l have no satisfactory notion Louise and LOuisOn came into my
 thoughts. and plan of rescue A rush [ of cavalry and rsehinE swords. dash { for ihe beats. with a flying horse under
 each fair lady. were in that moving vision. But where should We find
 them- for knew not the name of thai
 country out of which we had come by ways of darkness and peril The old query came to me: If had to choose between them. which should I take : There was as much of ,ha old doubt
 in me az ever For a yerity. I loved
 them 10th and would die for either I opened my eyes at last. and. rising Tsy hands upon the sunwaIes. could Cimly sec the great shoulders of D'ri swaying hack and forth as he roved 2 The coming dawn had shot an arrow into fhe great black sphere of night 1 cracking i' iron, circumference to core, and foosis uf light shortly came pozlr- ing in sweeping do~n bridges of dark