Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1906-05-30

paused as II IN doubt, and looked
towards the dark outline of the build
ing, which was Just: visible, one faint
light twinkling sadly in the west wing.
AS the captain and I pressed up be-
hind him he raised his hands and
seemed to wiring them towards the
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 kind of path which
enabled us 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 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 low cliff; but halfway be-
! tween it's summit and the water, q
| ledge, or narrow terrace, running along
the face, was dimly visible.
"Ten to one, a cave!" the captain
muttered. ut is a likely place."
"And an ugly one!" l sneered.
(Which one to ten might safely hold
for hours!"
eff 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 1anthorns, or press on
while there is still glimmering of
! day."
ION, should say, M. lie Capitaine, ~
the lieutenant answered. prick him
| in the back if he falters. I will war
rant he has a tender place or two!"
the brute added, with chuckle.
The captain gave the word and We
moved forward; it being very evident
: now that the cliff-path 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 a,
a distance. The ledge, grassy and ter.
race-lille, 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 dim light as
now displayed it to us and by in
creasing the depth and unseen dangers
of the gorge, gave kind of impressive
ness to our movements, a nervous
woman need not have feared to breast
1t. wondered how often mademOiselle
had passed along it with her milk
pitcher
II think we have him now" Captain
i 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. Forward"
/ We advanced about hundred PAGES
keeping the cliff on our left, then
turned a shoulder and saw few
| PAGES in front of us black blotcl
; 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. "Is that the placer
! 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 one were on the black
blotch, the hollow in the cliff-side ant
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 thu
; 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, it was i'm
possible to see which was which; and
the sergeant lowered his gun again
while the men held back nervously
The ledge sloped steeply there; the
edge was vague; already the two seem
ed to be wrestling in mid-air-and the
mute was man beyond hope or fear.
That moment of hesitation wa
fatal. Clon's long arms were round the
others arms, crushing them into his
ribs; Clon's sku]l-like face grinned
hate into the others eyes; his long
limbs curled round him like the fold;
| of snake. Suddenly Larolle's