The Cook County herald., 1905-09-23
CHAPTER xxIII.-(Continued).


down upon the floor of the passage
and was in as deep a sleep as he was
when Sosia partially aroused him.
The sorcerer was on his hands and
knees, blowing at burning pastille,
and forcing its fumes and most of it's
smoke under the door with his breath.
This pastille was of a more potent
composition than those which both he
and Clarence had used before, and the
young man had no antidcte, as the sor-
cerer had, to protect himself from it's
effects.
Clarence recognized instantly by
the odor that this pastille was un-
known to him, and retreated to the
stone door, hoping that there he might
escape what he feared
The so-cerer, perfectly confident in
the power of his invention, continued
to keep up a stream of the pastille
gases into the dungeon with his breath
until all the interior dungeon began to
grow rank with the smell.
The odor began to float toward Clar-
ence, seeking an outlet at the space
above the stone door. toward which a
suction of air from the sea drew it's
aeecy masses.
Clarence was at last compelled to
1nhale the gas, and soon sank into ut
ter i1sensibility under it's influence;
but not until he had hidden, in a
crevice, between two stones, that pack
ct which contained the letters of Capt.
Osred, and the confession of the sor-
cerer
"If I perish, those writings may
some day come to light" was the last
thought Of the young man as he sank
into insensibility
Sosia, who had continued to blow
until he consumed two TO his pas
TILES, ceased to do so when the Sec
Ond was consumed, and listened.
Hearing only the loud and labored
breathing of Clarence in the dungeon,
he peered in at the door,
"Ah, all is safei" he muttered.
And in few moments he unbarred,
unlocked and opened the door. AS he
opened the door a current of air
sweeping down from above tn ough
the trap door, which he had left open,
soon dissipated the fumes Of the pas
titles.
Grasping Lord Gcnlis by the shoul-
ders, Sosia dragged him into the dun
geon and left him near it's center.
The sorcerer then hurried to Clarence
and deprived him of all his weapons
and searched his person for papers,
hoping to discover something from
which might be learned in whose pos
session were those papers of which
Clarence had spoken SO confidently
to Helen.
Such papers as the scrcerer found
he placed in his bcscom for future ex-
animation, and then hurried from the
dungeon, taking care, however, to
carefully secure the door,
The further intended vengeance of
the sorcercr we'll deserved the name
of Internal; for hurrying back to Hell
ems first prison, he lifted the body of
Capt. Osred upon his shoulders and
bore it to the dungeon door,
He placed his burden Upon the floor
of the dungeon corridor, and took a
survey of the interior through the hole
in the iron door.
All within was as he had left it.
The pallid face upon the corridor
floor was scarcely more death-like
than the faces of the two men in the
dungeon.
"GOOd!" said Sosia.
And openin gthe door he dragged
the body into the dungeon, left it near
Lord Genlis, Ind then hurried from
the room.
Sosia had scarcely closed and lock-
ed the door when Clarence sprang to
his feet, the Influence of the pastille
gas having just passed from his lungs
and brain.
His lamp, still burning brightly
where he had left it, enabled him to
comprehend sll that had passed.
"Here's my eye, my son." sneered
the sorcerer, with his eye at the hole
in the iron door. "Shoot at it-do!"
"Coward! you have robbed me of
every weapon, save one!" replied Clar-
ence, sternly.
Except one. And what is that
9 one?'
"My trust in the Justice of heaven -
replied Clarence, ,solemrly.
,"Bosh!" laughed Sos1a. *.sWhen Lord
Genlis awakes you will have a mad.
man to converse with on that sub
ject. You will see that have even
allowed you to have another compan.
ion. If he could speak now, perhaps
he might give you great deal of in.
formation of that Justice you speak
about. But adieu for the present.
must GO and see how all is with my
intended wife-Helen Beauclair, my
son. Then must arouse Martha Bash.
fort. She must again prepare the
room she is now in for the occupancy
of our beloved Helen. You know, the
charming room with the hole in the
ceiling. 1t is the best room in the
house, after all. Adieu. my son!"
And with 4 mocking laugh, Sosia
withdrew