Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1905-07-27
CHAPTER Xxx.

The Approach OF the Sorcerer.
Helen Beauclair, soon after the de-
parture of Clarence Darrell retired to
the couch he had provided for her,
hoping that the oblivion of sleep
might soon come upon her, and so
make brief the otherwise dreary and
dismal hours of their separation.
But an hour passed after his going
ere she sank into sleep, as she knew
by the falling of the uppermost pins
of the two candles.
The candles burned steadily and
well together, and when the hour Of
midnight arrived in the cavern, the
second pin OF each fell almost at the
same instant from the slowly eating
flame.
Midnight. Clarence had been gone
two hours, and Helen Beauclair was
In deep repose. Then, almost as SLOW
| ly at first as the melting of the wax
of the candles, and fully as noiseless-
appeared the hidden face Of the sor-
cerer from behind the hidden slab.
| Then he crawled forward toward the
tongue of rock behind which Helen
slept, and which hid her from his eyes,
going slowly, noiselessly, on his hands
and knees, till his long, strong fingers
rested on the top of the tongue of
rock. Then, raising himself little,
he peered over the rock at the an
gelic sleeper.
"She sleeps! She sleeps profound
1y!" he muttered, gazing about and
standing erect.
Then with noiseless tread he moved
toward the center Of the cavern,
where, upon the rock which served the
lovers for table. burned lamp.
Unseen by him, unsupported by him,
out from the inly darkness of that
passage which led to the outer cliff
| cave, two eyes were peering curious
| ly at him-two human eyes-two eyes
\ which the sorcerer would have been
appalled, to see.
Unconscious Of the near presence
l
the sorcerer extinguished the lamp.
i Inscrewed its top, poured its Oil out
Into dark place in the cave, and re-
/ filled the lamp with some fluid-lile oil
4 which he poured into it from small
i metallic flask. This flask he took from
\ his bosom and to his bosom he return
4 I'D the flask after he had used it.
He then screwed on she top of the
lamp again. adjusted it's wick. and re-
i placed the lamp where it was before,
! but without lighting it. 81
Clarence had taken the other lamp
/ with him, and left it burning on. the
spiral stone stairway to light his steps
when he should return. Sosia was
aware of this. and he examined the
hamper and took from it all the can
Idles that remained In it, and hid them
in a dark creyice Of the cave walls.
While he was thus employed the I'M
4 seen, unsupported eyes in the dark
/ ness Of the outer cave passage follow
ed every movement he made Just as
Sosia had hidden the candles he heard
Helen say:
Clarence! Help, dear Clarence!.
As quick as light the startled sor-
cerer sank toathe floor Of rock.
But Helen had merely spoken In her
/ sleep; and this fact the sorcerer rec
l ognfzed after a. moments listening.
She's dreaming OF him and her
4 danger!" he muttered. She Is silent.
Yesbut It's time to guard against
her waking too soon
witt, he Gid
81, across the tavern to the toni JUS 0f
rock and peered over It at the sleeper.
Satisfied that ne could safely proceed
nth his deyilish cunning, he took one
6f the candles from the hardened wax
which held Ii erect. and cut on Its
lower end until q small piece with one
pin was Loft. Then he heated the
hardened wax On the rock and placed