The Cook County herald., 1905-07-22
he SorC'ere,rI' J, |, r. t.
Of St. Giles
By PROF. WILLIAM HI. PECK.

was also very slow, that shall have
to kill this fellow. God pardon the
deed, but he must never quit this place
alive! must decoy him little far
ther, to where one of the side passages
crosses this. shall have room to act
there, if he does not chance to turn
off into the same passage. In that
case, our struggle must take place in
one of the small caves. If he does not
| continue to follow me, and retreats,
| must attack him in this PASSAGE"
Clarence sighed and continued to re-
treat, crawling backward, with his
| head toward Bashfort.
BashfOrt was of too reckless a ma
| ture to halt in any enterprise he had
resolved upon. He did not imagine
| that the passage penetrated very far
into the cliff, and he felt very sure of
being able to capture his desired prize.
He heard Clarence sigh, and attrib-
! uting the sound to Helen, continued
! to progress inward upon his hands and
| knees.
"A villainously black hole!" he NUT
But I can go as far as she can, and we
must soon fetch up somewhere. Helen,
my own love-" he added aloud; "dar-
| ling, I am your own dear Clarence,
and it's very foolish in you to keep re-
treating"
care you my Clarence?" asked a
faint whisper, at some distance in ad-
vance of the ruffian.
"Eh? OF course am, my dear
| Helen!" said Bashfort, making his
harsh voice as soft as he could. Wait
! there!"
But the one in advance continued to
| retreat.
Course this passage 'growled Bash
fort, "where shall we fetch up. Helen,
my sweet, my precious!"
"COme to my cave, my palace, dear
Clarence! 1t is not far off," said a
whisper from the black darkness.
ooh, you have cave-a palace
eh? l come, my queen Of love!" re-
piled the deceived man, moving on.
"Oh," he added to himself, l shall take
my pay for all this trouble from her
lips-I will! Why not? AS handsome
a lass as ever l saw! Delirious, too,
and thinking I am her favored lover!
Oh, shall take a thousand kisses
from those rich, red lips. 'Shames! I
can see them now! Rich, red and
pouting! And she thinks I am her
Clarence!"
hou of no fire
of the side passages, entered it and
turned about, while Bashfort was
about fifteen feet distant, but coming
on as fast as he could, and just here
| obliged to crawl, the passage where
he was being not more than two feet
high, though yard in width.
Would he crawl on past the side pas
sage, or discover it and turn into it.,
thinking it the only way in which to
advance?
This doubt disturbed Clarence much,
though he knew it was only by chance
that he himself had discovered this
side passage the preceding day.
He filliped a small piece of rock
from his thumb, so that the fragment
| fell gathering beyond the entrance OF
the side passage where he lurked.
II hear her." muttered Bashfort, de-
I ceived by the sound, and crawling on,
guided by that noise.
"Clarence! Is it you, dear Clar-
| ence?" now called out in tremnlous
| tones, Helen Beauclair herself-for
| the strength of the poor girl had car
| -ried her but few feet farther than
where the little pebble thrown by
| Clarence had fallen.
Eyes, my sweet one! 1t is your own
dear Clarence!" replied Bashfort, more
hoarsely than he intended, for his
eagerness near choked him. ''Wait
there, my darling!"
"Oh!" screamed Helen, recognizing
the voice. ''It is horrible Bashfort!
He has killed my Clarence!"
| "Fear nothing my love!" called out
Bashfort, at this instant just passing
the entrances, right and left, of the
passage which crossed at right angles
that along which he was crawling.
"Courage, Helen!" pealed the voice
| OF clarence DdTIell, DIS CledF DIS luC
blare of a battle Dugle sounding a
charge. "Courage, Helen!'
And as he spoke he sprang upon the
back of the crawling ruffian and seized
the villains neck and throat with both
| hands.
Clarence could have slain Basnfort
instantly with his dagger, but he had a
| scheme in view the success of which
! demanded that no dagger wound
! should be found upon the corpse of
! Neil BashfOrt.
| Terror and dismay held Bashfort
rigid and contracted in every muscle
for moment, and that moment was
fatal to him, for it enabled Clarence
to gain such a commanding hold upon
| the ruffian's neck that Bashfort was
half strangled before he began to re-
sist.
| Then began terrible struggle amid
| that black darkness.
| Helen, not far away and unable to
| coo I,,+ ,ooriuo tho 6roo 1ful coro ~ 1,1o