Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1905-03-23
CHAPTER VI. (continued.)

the steel encountered metallic ODSta-
Gle.
Lord Genlis then mounted upon a
chair and swept the blade along the
crack between the Intel and the top
OF the door. There, and about the
center of the breadth Of the door, the
knifeblade met an obstacle like that
below.
"Bashfort," said Lord Genlis, "did
you see any signs Of a bolt, above or
below, in this door when you worked
here?"
None, my lord"
"Yet we are bolted in. Your blows
shattered the lock, as you see, but the
door remains firmly closed We are
all the prisoners Of the sorcerer"
"Ho! as for that, my lord" said
Bashfort, I'VE can soon free ourselves,
for here are chisels and hammers
with which we may soon cut out these
concealed bolts!"
And as he spoke he began to collect
the tools which had been used to open
the case.
With these he and the Osreds soon
cut into the stout oak-which was not
studded with great iron knobs on the
inside SO profnsely as on the outside
and were able to take OFT all the hid
den bolts.
And as they did so the sorcerer, I'M
seen by them, was peering down
through the hole in the ceiling.
The heavy door now swung open
easily upon it's massive hinges. and
Lord Genlis saw that Sosia must have
closed and locked the door on the out
side, and either thrown or carried
away the key; and by means of long,
slender key inserted in holes on the
outside-of whose existence perhaps
only Sosia knew-the hidden bolts had
been shot into sockets in the Intel and
threshold Of the door, whose existence
there had escaped the notice of Mar
tina and Bashfort.
! This discovery was quite relief to
all four, for 1t relieved them from two
fears--one, that Sosia had escaped by
means Of some secret passage, beyond
their discovery; the other, that he was
SO expert wizard that he could pass
through solid walls or render himself
invisible.
Having satisfied himself that the
sorcerer had used the door to escape,
and had bolted 1t to gain time, Lord
.Genlis called out to Martha, who was
now seated near the bed:
To you leave the care of the lady
Come. MILFORD and Bashfort, we must
find this rascal, of wizard. He cam
not yet have escaped from the island,
though he may have quilted Dun Aen-
gus. First, we will search for him in
this old dwelling, and then among the
ruins"
So saying he left the room, closely
followed by Capt. Osred and Bashfort.
It was now almost dark in the open
air, and quite dark within the great
rumbling and ruinous dwelling.
The three lighted torches and began
to look about for traces of the sorcerer,
going from room to room, their quick
and heavy footsteps echoing loudly
throughout the empty and hollow
sounding edifice.
The dust and damp mold of years
were seen In many places on the
cracked walls, and often upon the TN
even floors-uneven because the build.
ing had settled down unevenly upon its
foundations In many places, and this
unevenness caused the three searchers
to stumble and stagger as they moved
hurriesly about.
What place in which to consum-
mate our designs!!" said Capt. Osred
to his father, as he recovered from a
stumble.
IN I'm itself, no better place for Sc
'crecy and security could have been
selected replied Lord Genlis. tssfhe
island itself is rarely visited, and those
who dwell upon it never venture to
visit the ruins of Dun Aengus, for they
believe the place is haunted. Yet.
since we know that Sosia who pre-
tended that he had never been here,
and that he had only heard Of the
place since we now know that he
knew even the secret fastenings Of its
doors, am sorry that I SO readily
seized the hints he threw out. What
his secret purpose was I cannot mag
inc. But certainly alarmed him into
a desire to escape suddenly when r
told him the sailors were dead. But
where Is Bashfort?" he asked, sud
denly missing his faithful henchman.
He left us as we began to ascend
these stairs. He whispered to me that
he would search In the corridor below.
But perhaps those sailors were secret
agents Of Sosia.''
''perhaps 80. left all the matter
10 him. He hired the men IN Galway,
and I suspected they we're former ac..
'Quaintances Of his; therefore, I babe
Bashfort drug them in their drink and
toss them over the elf Ia what cry
was that r exclaimed Lord Genlis.
haiting suddenly and facing about
upon h Is Seen as q loud cry or shout
pealed through the building plainly
from below.
M The Osreds were now on the third
slioor 6 the house, and the cry came
from the second floor and apparently
from some distant apartment
= 80