The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1905-09-08

Bending over me was . monk.
'You are wounded, son." he said, in
q voice that was soft and almost
womanly.
"Yes, father" I replied, my own
voice coming only in whisper. Il
have been shot"
The monks face was very pale
unnaturally white, l thought. He
looked at me through his goggles a
moment before answering.
"You are wounded in the back,
son." he said. ''Is it the work of an
assassin"
II Will tell you the truth, father"
| said, weakly. II am prisoner of
the state. The brother of the prefetto
was murdered. I was accused of the
murder, and though I knew nothing
about it. was convicted. I was at
work on the public road to-day and
escaped. A fellow prisoner fired at
me with the guards rife and wounded
me. They will be after me soon."
"Alas, son! This is a bad busi-
ness"
The monk, as he said this, glanced
| nervously around, as if apprehensive
| of detection in thus succoring a pris
| oner of state who had escaped.
He put his hands under me and
lifted me gently from the ground.
seemed to be but child in his arms.
| Holding me across the back Of his
mule, he easily mounted, and, speak
ing to the animal, we were soon mov-
ing up the mountain side.
We did not travel far in this way
| perhaps a quarter Of mile. Then
we had come to a thick portion of
the forest, and we were in a rugged
| mountain region. The monk had
been peering from side to side, as If
in search of something, and suddenly
halted his mule before tall, white
barked tree that stood near the edge
of the road.
II thought I knew the place." he
murmured to himself. THAT is cer-
tainly the tree"
Sliding from the saddle to the
ground, the monk took me In his
arms and carried me into the forest.
He spoke to his mule and the animal
followed him.
He carried me carefully over rocks
and fallen trees and through seeming
ly impossible places. He seemed to
know fully every foot of the uneven
ground, and to be looking for some
particular spot.
"Ah!" he exclaimed at last. "It
is here. The soldiers of the prefetto
will have to work to find you here"
And you will not betray me,
father?" I asked.
NAY, know full we'll the ease
with which the prefetto imprisons
falsely. You are safe here. And you
will be fed"
Il thank you, father" I said, in
gratitude.
We had entered grotto. The air
inside was cool and sweet. l could
hear the murmur and ripple of a
spring and mountain stream near by.
l felt a sense of rest and security,
and my trust in the monk was firm.
Soon delicium set in.
was now at the circus and gazing
with wonder and admiration at Nita
Bar!otti, the trapeze queen, and at
Maubikeck, the lion tanner, In their
respective acts.
Then the visit to Ralph Gravis-
courts rooms and the discovery Of
the photograph was as vivid in my
mind as on the day it actually oc-
CURED. And so on. lived over and
over again the stirring scenes of my
last days in New York, and the de-
parture of Maubikeck and myself on
the steamer.
And then the accident; Maubikeck
rushing into my room and carrying
me on deck; and there standing on
top of wave, still in the glare of the
light from heaven, stood Maubikeck,
and above him, in red letters, seem.
ingly Of fire floating in the air, l saw
the words, IF you are saved and
am not, save Nita from Maligni!"
I was vaguely conscious of lapse
of time as lived over these scenes.
seemed to feel that some one was
near me. But knew nothing real.
There was nothing of actual life about
me.
Again / fancied I heard the ripping
cf stream.
Again l thought that marble walls
surrounded me. At first it seemed
that ! was in tomb, but gradually
consciousness came to me and l
awoke. The bed of fllrs was my
couch; the grotto walls were above
me. An odor OF something came to
my nostrils family. turned my
lead.
| A fire was burning in the little
stove. BY 1t, cigarette in his mouth,
holding something over the Goals, sat
Mutterellj. He rose and looked at
nee.
"All right, signor," he said, in the
calm voice Of man who knew what
he was doing and had been. doing it
long time. "It will be ready in a
minute. A bit of toast and sip Of
II ,,,sS~ ~.,i11 A. or