Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1905-08-03
HE SOrCerer
Of St. Giles
Pc Pho W.T. LIAM III PECK
BY PROF. WILLIAM HI. PECK.

"As soon as you cease to inha]e this
perfume of the lamp--against which
| have taken perfect antidote-you
will be able to struggle and scream.
To guard against that, | make you to-
tally insensible with this" said the
diabolical villain.
And as he uttered the last words he
held the saturated sponge close to
Helens nostrils.
She gasped for breath for mo-
ment, and then was lifeless, in appear
ance.
The sorcerer then took stout
blanket from her couch, spread it out
upon the rocky floor, lifted the insen-
sible girl and placed her upon the
blanket. The latter he folded about
ner, making it fast with bandages
which he tore from sheet, and under
Helen's head he tied pillow-in
brief, he swathed her up in most mum
my-like style.
This done, he got down upon his
hands and knees, and crawling back
ward, slowly and carefully, even ten
derby drew her in behind the leaning
slab, having her head toward him.
There was in this scene something
so terrific, something so terribly like
prey-some gigantic and carniverous
reptile, as it bears away into it's lair
its helpless yictim-that great drops
of sweat of horror fell from the brow
Of the owner of those unseen eyes
concealed in the outer-cave passage.
There was, indeed, no other way
than this by which Sosa could get
Helens unconscious body from the
cave without decorating her tender
fiesh-for until he arrived with her at
that excavation near the we'll shaft,
the passage was narrow, winding and
all rock.
The strong blanket protected her
body, and the pillow her head, from
the rough edges and corners of the
passage.
After entering the excavation. he
was able to lift her in his arms, and
thus he carried her into cellar, and
from that cellar up flight of stairs
which communicated with the yard be-
tween the building and the interior
wall of the three which encircled the
ruins
Having the key of the main door of
the building, Sosia boldly but noise
lessly entered the building by that en-
trance, and assembled with his unre.
sisting burden to the second floor.
Finally he carried the unconscious
girl into a small room, whose wall on
one side appeared to be a solid mason
ry of stone.
This wall was part of what Had
once been stone tower; and viewed
from the outside this tower appeared
to be a mere mass Of ruins which had
crumbled down.
The present building had been built
against these ruins. the outer wall Of
the tower now being one of the walls
of the room where Sosia paused, and
gently placed his living but insensible
burden upon the floor.
Before he left the interior cave he
had fastened piece of lighted can
die to coarse cap which he wore,
and this light was still burning.
Having placed Helen upon the floor,
he drew d slender key from his bosom,
and inserted it's wards in what appear
ed to be only small crevice where
the mortar or cement had fallen away
from between two Of the square stones
of which the tower wall was built.
The shank of the key which he used
was long and slender not more than
quarter of an inch in diameter, and
disappeared into the crevice until only
the ring remained visible.
Sosia wrenched upon the leverage OF
this ring, and Immediately after drew
out block Of the wall
Inserting his whole hand into the
opening thus made, he pressed upon g
hidden spring, and instantly portion
| of the wall, two feet wide and -four
feet high, moved tenderly and onise
/! lessly back few inches. A firm pres
sure Of his hand now caused this space
to swing from him upon oiled hinges
like a door, and revealed small eel
beyond. This cell communicated with
| larger cell.
Sosia soon entered the larger cell
and placed Helen upon a small col
that stood in it.
But for the light of the candle in
Sosia's cap the place would have been
as dark as the ancient dungeon below
Sosia intended to keep his captive
here only few hours-that is, until
Clarence. Darrell should be secured in
the ancient dungeon. and the other
two, Lord Cents and Martha, cared fol
by his future acts.
The other cell had been his own
hiding place ever since the first pros.
tration Of the Osreds.
Sufficient air, but very little light of
day, reached both cells through the
crevices Of the ruins, which formed
i now the only ceilings Oh roofs Of these
secret Places
The sorcerer had originally discoy.
cred the existence and manner Of en-.
trance to these cells by means Of an
ancient chart of tho ruins. which he
had found three years before at Kill
roman.
He had never shown this chart to
Il (NJE7rpfYno nov ~