Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1905-02-02
: The Sorcerer
Of St. Giles
By PROF WILLIAM H. PECK,
By PROF. WILLIAM H. PECK.

XII = " udll-fulHeu stone rOOIeQ nut
OF which in better preservation there
were several others within the walls
OF this enclosure-Martha darted into
the howell, dashed aside several bum
dies OF straw and hay, stopped and lift
ed small oblong box. Then, whirl.
ing around, she was about to give it to
Lord Genlis, when he snatched it from
her hands, and seeing that it was
locked, calculated:
"The key! the key! Fiend burn you
the key"
But as the terrified woman began to
tumble in the bosom of her dress for
the key, the consciousness that she
must have lost it while on the platform
of the cliff, seized her, and she sank
down upon her knees crying:
Alas! I fear the key slipped
"Devils!" roared the impatient no
bic, Il will make key to it,"
And as he spoke he raised the box
with both hands, and aimed blow at
her head with all his maddened
strength.
fatal to the miserable woman, had not
Neal Bashfort caught up heavy
wooden maui in the very nick of time
and swung it upward, SO that the maui
received the full force of the blow.
The box, thus doubly struck, was
shattered into many fragments, and
shower of glttering tools used by car
mo- ,tA,,f ~,
kneeling woman, in every direction.
Lord Genlis, apparently far more
mad than sane, snatched up small
handsaw, screw driver and file, ex-
claiming:
'These will suffice. Follow mel"
and he darted from the hut!"
"Come!" said Bashlort to his wife,
sternly, che may need you, and his
storm mood is fierce upon him.
Need me for what?"
Come! If you do not, names
and horns, it will be the worse for
you'll"
So saying, and adding one of his
most furious oaths. Bashfort bounded
after his lord, and excited both by ter
ror and curiosity, Martha swiftly fol-
lowed
Near the center of the enclosure was
a ruined edifce which had in it's day
doubtless been of some pretension;
and though much decayed and dilapi-
dated, the dwelling still contained sew
eral habitable apartments. 1t was
long and rambling in shape, and orig
inally three stories high. Part of the
upper story was still habitable, and
most of it's interior was well defended
from rain by the roof tile, single and
slate stone.
AS Lord Genlis entered the main
door of this dwelling he was closely,
followed by Bashfort and Martha. The
four men in sailors garb went trooping
in hastily after.
Passing almost at run through a
hall and then along a corridor which
crossed the hall at right angles, Lord
Genlis turned into an apartment of
considerable size, the ceiling of which
was quite lofty.
The windows of this room were orig
inally six in number, but five of them
We're walled up, and the sixth admit
ted light through a strong iron grating.
Here Bashfort and Martha had toll
ed for several hours during the pre-
ceding night, and. for some days be-
fore, walling up the windows, mortar
ing in the grating, and in other ways
making the place a secure prison for,
some person or persons unknown to
Martha; and if known to her husband,
he held the knowledge within his lips
too closely for her detection.
The apartment was by no means
bare of furniture. A rich carpet GOV.
cred the floor, costly bed, luxurious
ly garnished in every respect, stood at
one end of the room. and there were
tables, chairs, ottomans and other ar
ticles whose make and materials spoke
of luxury and wealth.
Near the center of the room, and
resting upon kind of litter or trestle,
was large wide box.
On table near this box, which was
nearly if not quite six feet long, blazed
three waxen candles: for the day be-
ing murky and misty without, their
light was needed to illuminate the
loom.
Near the table sat man, whose
head was very lareg for his stature,
and whose face was as cadayerous as
that OF a corpse, and as sinisterly
fawning in its expression as that of a
.beggarly hangman.
This man was clad in flingy black
from head to heel A wet black cloak
lay in heap at his feet, and for
warmth he had drawn about his shoul-
8ders one of Martha's coarse shawls.
which he had found in another apart
ment.
The name by which this man was
called was Or. zeno Sosia, and in a
certain quarter in London he was
known as chemist, an astrologer, a
diyiner, and doctor. The various
!, :. I,