The Cook County herald., 1905-05-13
CHAPTER Vllv.-(Continued).

"Oh, Lord Genlis, you would be
rich!" shrieked back Sosia. II can
make you as rich as any man in Eng
land. Save my life, and l will make
you master of all my wealth in Lon
don. will share it with you, my lord,
l will give you a hundred thousand
guineas, my lord
Rascal, I would not trust your faith
again for ten times the sum. Your
life would be an incessant perit to me.
Your very breath would poison mine,
were We thousand miles apart" re-
piled Lord Genlis.
Sosia filled the shaft with incoher-
ent prayers for mercy: but Lord Gen.
lis and Bashfort answered him with
SCOTS.
Capt. Osred withdrew from the edge
of the pit and sat down upon an old
and heavy wheel, which had once been
part of the we'll windlass. His heart
was not so hard as those of his COM
panions, and yet merciless enough to
prevent him from speaking a single
word of pity for the wretched sorcer
er.
Wilford Osred loved Helen Beau-
clair and was as desirous to be her
husband as he was to be master of her
inheritance; and he was unscrupulous
as regards the means used by others
for the success of his desires.
"The rascal is long time in losing
hold - of 1oroth coi1 NOr,1;c
rising from his recumbent posture;
''yet he no longer cries OUT
81 think he is dead, my lord" re-
piled Bashfort, lowering the torch
still more.
"He must have closed his eyes, for
my light shines them no more. Wait,
will see. Perhaps he has lost his hold
and slipped under the water"
"Well, what make you out now?"
asked Lord Genlis, after a moment of
silence.
"I see him! His hands are gripped
upon the stones above his head" said
Bashfort. "Only his hands, part of his
arms and his head are above the wa
ter. He seems to be resting one side
of his face upon a jutting stone. Why,
he must be dead, and the ferceness Of
his death-grip alone holds him to the
stones"
make sure that he is dead. Let the
fame of your torch scorch his face
and hands," commanded Lord Genlis.
"Well?"
II have, my lord. swung the fame
into and against his hands. They do
not relax their hold. He is dead,' re-
piled Bashfort. now rising to his feet.
"Ah, dreadful DEATH" thought
Clarence Darrell. "And yet can but
rejoice that Zeno Sosia is not alive to
prevent my rescue of Helen from
these men. In losing him as their ally
they have lost a man more feared by
me than fear these three combined"
"You are sure the rescal of wiz
ard is dead?" asked Lord Genlis of
Bashfort.
"Of course. I know he is dead!
Would not a live man have shrunk
from the pain of fire? He died cling
ing to the stones, my lord. Why, l
have often seen a body that had been
dead for days clinging with the death
clutch to spar, or timber, or rope,
that had failed to save it's life Dead?
OF course he is dead, and his body
may not drop from it's hold till it rots
away, or till the rats devour it. And
by my soul I am glad we are rid of
him so securely" said Bashfort.
"Then we will do what we can to
bury him." remarked Lord Genlis,
grimly, and looking about him.
"To bury him, my lord! How in the
name of all that is impossible are we
to get his body out Of that?" exclaimed
Bashfort, pointing at the pit
eve will not get the body out" re-
piled Lord Genlis. 1--WE will bury it
where it is. Come, I shall fear that
the vile thing will crawl up, even
dead, unless We heap something upon
it. Stand aside, Wilford," he added to
Capt. Osred, who obeyed instantly.
"This is to begin WITH" continued
Lord Genlis.
And dragging to the edge of the
opening the heavy iron-rimmed wheel,
upon which he had been sitting, he
gave it a furious thrust with his foot.
The great wheel, nearly half the cir
cumberence of the well shaft, toppled
over into the pit, and was heard to
splash as it struck the water far be-
low; and the mouth of the shaft seem
ed to emit smothered roar as the
noise of the concussion below doomed
up.
What smell is this?" said Lord Gen.
lis. shifting at the air. "Brimstone or
sulphur"
Burnt hair" replied Bashfort, grin
ming. Il tell you, the flame of my
torch singed his hair and beard. He
was already dead"
Nevertheless, We must make sure.
Lower your torch again. Let US see
# that wheel broke his death-grip."
Again Bashfort threw himself upon
lis breast and lowered the torch by
means Of the twine.
"Well?" asked Lord Genlis.