The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1905-09-15


Slipping from my couch. mean.
dered uneasily around the grotto,
grumbling inwardly at the unpleas-
ant delay in my plans, and thinking
hard, trying to help myself out. of
my present difficulty.
l. was surprised. when approaching
the entrance in my aimlesss ramble.
to see letters carved In the rock away
to the right of the arch. Stepping
to this spot. read the words easily.
SO deeply and evenly were they cut
into the marble:
"HENRY THORLANE,
Will AvenYe"
| The same words and in the same
form as had found them in the cell
in the Tore dell Elefante.
Henry Thorane then, was no
doubt the former occupant of the
cave. But now a puzzling question
| arose: When could he have carved
| these letters in the grotto? Previous
to his arrest he would. for all knew,
taking Mutterelli's story into the mat
| ter, have no cause for vengeance And
| Mutterelli had said that he was in the
monastery. from which there could
be no escape. Yet there was his
name and his motto-his war-cry-
carved in letters that would last for
| centuries, in the marble rock before
me. One of two things was certain.
Mutterelli did not know all the story
before Thorlane's arrest. or he did
not know what had happened after
ward 1t was possible that Thorlane
had escaped, made his home in the
grotto, and had been captured again.
Grand as l thought this, my heart
stood still second-what il Mutterel-
Ii was right and Thorlane had been
put in the monastery and had gained
the confidence of the superior and
had joined the order unknown to the
prefetto or anybody outside the Jesuit
circle inside the monastery walls! And
it so, then. perhaps, Mutterelli was
Mutterelli and no one else, and the
monk who had rescued me was Henry
Thorlane.
Still bordering upon this. began
to look still farther for evidence of
Henry Thorlane's occupancy. | found
no more letters. but | did find a trap
door. My fingers came in contact
with an iron ring. | knew it must
have been placed there for a purpose.
| pulled it. 1t did not move, and
lighted candle. for the ring was in
dark portion of the grotto, and
closely examined the place. found
that the ring was fastened to wood
Ell cover, which was held in place by
two large pieces of rock which were
laid upon it. These | rolled awav,
and the trap-door came up easily. The
opeing thus made led into a small,
cellar-like hole, and lying on the floor
was a wooden box or cheap kind of
trunk. managed to get this out and
opened it. 1t contained clothing of
various kinds. masks. boards, wigs, in
fact, everything that was needed for
complete disguise. And as | exam.
med this most fortunate find | chuck
led aloud.
would be free!
And Nita Barlotti should at last
know who she was. and be placed in
possession of her own.
circumstances seemed to favor me.
Mutterelli came to the grotto late in
the afternoon of the day on which I
found the trunk of clothing. and re-.
manned to supper.
After supper we smoked in silence.
Muttrelli finished his cigarette and
seemed to be preparing to leave.
You are going away, Mutterell:?" I
said
Yes, signor. l shall not be back
tonight
I did not want him back. and when
at last he had taken his departure |
again opened the trap door and took
out the trunk. l pulled out the entire
contents and spread them over the
| floor of the grotto, that might more
| successfully choose the most complete
disguise.
Having made my selection. I pro-
ceeded to put on first pair of heavy
shoes. | DOTTED my prison suit and
embodied, myself in the most skillfully
|
been made. 1t was stuffed affair,
and, fitting close to my figure. made
me look at least forty pounds heavier
than I really was. l pulled a pair of
long. nluch-worn black trousers onto
my legs. and over the stuffed vest |
put a long black coat. found a black
beard, with long. black, curling mus
tache, that easily fitted my face, and
could be securely fastened on by mois-
tening with my breath some gummed
strips on the under side.
My eyebrows were brown. but |
found plenty Of cosmetics and dyeine
materials, and soon made my eye.
brOws match the beard in color. >,
Having thoroughly convinced myself
that was under complete disguise
| set out from the grotto. first making
up some unimportant things into a
pack, and Singing it over my shoulder
on a stick.
passed few people. none of whom
| paid any attention tn the wearv old