Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-08-16

house.
Have a care!" the captain growled.
"Play me no tricks, or" But he did
not finish the sentence; for Clon
turned back from the bridge, and, en-
tering the wood on the left hand, be-
gan to ascend the bank of the stream.
/ We had not gone a hundred yards
before the ground grew rough and
the underground thick; and yet
through all ran a kind Of path which
enabled is to advance, dark as it
was growing. Very soon the bank on
which we moved began to rise above
the water, and grew steep and rugged.
We turned a shoulder, where the
stream swept round a curve, and saw
we were In the mouth of a small ra-
vine, dark and steep-walled. The water
brawled along the bottom, over boul-
ders and through chasms. In front,
the slope on which we stood shaped it.
self into a low cliff; but halfway be-
tween its summit and the water, a
ledge, or narrow terrace, running along
the face, was dimly visible.
"Ten to one, a cave!" the captain
muttered. at is a likely place."
"And an ugly one!" l sneered.
(Which one to ten might safely hold
for hours!"
IF the ten had no pistols-yes!" he
answered %viciously. But you see we
have. Is he going that way?"
He was. Lieutenant" Larolle said,
turning and speaking in a low voice,
though the chatting of the stream be-
low us covered ordinary sounds, Shall
We light the lanthorns, or press on
while there is still a glimmering of
day."
"On, I should say, M. lie Capitaine,"
the lieutenant answered. "Prick him
in the back if he falters. l will war
rant he has a tender place or two!"
the brute added, with a chuckle.
The captain gave the word and we
moved forward; it being very evident
now that the cliff was our des-
tination. 1t was possible for the eye
to follow the track all the way to it
through rough stones and brushwood;
and though Clon climbed feebly and
with many groans, two minutes saw
us step on to it. 1t did not turn out
to be the perilous place it looked at
a distance. The ledge, grassy and ter.
race-like, sloped slightly downward and
outwards, and in parts was slippery;
but it was as wide as a highway and
the fall to the water did not exceed
30 feet. Even in such a dim light as
displayed it to us and by in
creasing the depth and unseen dangers
of the gorge, gave a kind of impressive
ness to our movements, a nervous
woman need not have feared to breast
it. l wondered how often mademoiselle
had passed along it with her milk
pitcher.
81 think we have him now!" Captain
Larolle muttered, twisting his mus
taches and looking round to make his
last dispositions. Paul and Lebrun,
see that your man makes no noise.
Sergeant come forward with your car
bine, but do not fire without orders.
Now, silence, all, and close up, Lieu
tenant. Fdrward!"
We advanced about a hundred PAGES,
keeping the cliff on our left, then
turned a shoulder and saw a few
PAGES in front of us a black blotch
standing out from the grey duskiness
of the cliffside. The prisoner stopped
and raising his bound hand pointed to
it.
"There?" the captain whispered,
pressing forward. SIS that the place."
Clon nodded. The captains voice
shook with excitement. You two re-
main here with him!" he muttered, in
a low tone. Sergeant, come forward
with me. Now are you ready? For
ward!"
He and the sergeant passed quickly,
one on either side of Clon and his
guards. The path was narrow here
and the captain passed outside. The
eyes of all but II were on the black
blotch, the hollow in the cliff side and
no one saw exactly what happened.
But somehow, as the captain passed
abreast of him. the prisoner thrust
back his guards and springing side
ways, flung his unbound arm round
Larolle's body, and in an instant swept
him, shouting, to the verge of the
precipice.
1t was done in a moment. By the
time the lieutenant's startled wits and
eyes were back, the two were already
tottering on the edge, looking in the
gloom like one dark form. The SER
geant, who was the first to find his
head, levelled his carbine; but as the
wrestlers twirled and twisted. the cap
tain shrieking out oaths and threats,
the mute silent as death, 1t was i'm
possible to see which was which; and
the sergeant lowered his gun again,
while the men held back n%ervously.
The ledge sloped steeply there; the
edge was vague; already the two SEEM
ed to be wrestling in mid-air-and the
mute was a man beyond hope or fear.
That moment of hesitation was
fatal. Clon's long arms were round the
others arms, crushing them into his
ribs; Clon's skull-like face grlnned
hate into the others eyes; his long
limbs curled round him like the folds
of a snake. Suddenly Larolle's
strength gave way. "D-n you all
Why don't you-Merch! mercy!" came
In a last scream from his lips: and
then, as the lieutenant, taken aback
before. sprang forward to his aid. the
two toppled over the edge and In a sec
ond hurtled out Of sight.
Mon Dieu!" the lieutenant cried,