The Washington herald., 1906-11-01
CHAPTER XVII.
Escape.

q
IN the service OF England he vas not an
exceptionally courageous man. as Eng
ishmen 80. and physically rather delicate
and nervous than robust. bgI he had N
his composition that essentially British
characteristic which ever prevents its
possessors from long giving away to de-
I spair. and which has earned foT Ed
soldiers the suDereminent distinction OF
oeing recognized by all other nations as
I tenacious as bulldog adverssries VINO
though possibly beaten GghJ on while lie
lasts chsractertsti, from which proc
ably originated that equally essentially
English maxim While there Is HIe
there is nope"
/ CTesslngham having abandoned hope of
outside assistance. for the space o. an
hour perhaps completely despa!red. and
( even considered the adviss biiity OF TAX
ing his life al once rather than wait 20
have IL dragged from him by the slower
process q starvation.
Thereafter he remembered that he was
2n EngiishHan. and with q sharp Tevui-
sion Of feeling bitterly Chided himself for
ais unmanly inactivity, The English
+ maxim occurred 90 him. end he sprang 70
the floor. Carefully counting his matches.
he found he possessed eleven Well he
determined. and bis jaws snapped TO.
gether at the thought. to make those
/ matches last him until he should have
reached the other exit of the cursed mazes
that imprisoned him. Tten-weU he
would leave the rest 70 fste. and 50
strongly had the phoenix hope sprung to
life from the ashes OF despair that MS
first care was 10 regain the jewels which
lie had abstracJed from the Count Az
tala's strong-room. TIE gold he decid q
10 abandon as being too weighty and
cumbersome. but he put dve-aBd-tWenty
sovereigns in his vest pockets an the
same Lighting number one match he
/ discovered the proper exit and hurried
through. Reaching the staircase. he turn
ed h-si 70 the left and made his way
through the darkness 10 the tunnel door.
rot with the hope Of finding Il open. but
60 as 70 leave NJ means Of escape untried.
IL was securely barred Relracing his
steps. he kept on IN the straight path until
he reached the s.opng staircase. which
ne commenced 70 ascend IN The gloom
After hfty steps came a platform and
four branching tunnels Number TWO
match was applied 10 an examination Of
the floor. and by its aid be discovered the
proper path Twenty more steps, then
another platform aid q divided read
Number three match was q failure. num-
beT four. I'VE, and six were expended
and be sIill remained undecided. TOR here
marks on the fooF were few and faint
th@' ground being an inch deep GO ruunlng
wster, He dared light no mere. Tor he
h2G SIN q quarter nile 20 90. 50 De
plunged into the left-hand tunnel. and for
hundred yards encountered no diFdculty
Then came another mage Number seven
match enabled aim o. recognize The Place
from his previous visit
With little laugh Of triumph be press
ed on
Number eight match gave him q further
lease of hope.
Number nine he struck with the greatest
esution. but 10 sputtered and wenl out
The STEPS were almost dry here and he
sat down TO think. not daring at first o.
light another. lie had been holding the
ves.as in his hand. but suddenly fearing
ttat they migtt get damp. ana therefore
useless. be DUt them in his pocket. be-
slowing at the same unc a hearty male
diction On Messgs. Bryant s Mary, OF
whoever the makers might be. IF the
oeggars only knew the responsibility that
IS On them" he mJsGl aloud, "they mlg--
give little more care 70 the manufacture
O. the article he drew At last
another from his pocket and found.
&c his CONSERVATION, IL was head
less Damn the man that made
it, he cried savageIy. Then recognizing
the futiiity Of giving way TO temper, he
uttered 2 grim laugh and ate his words
I'm afraid 1 was bit rough Likely
enough it's my own fault anyway; the
poor bsggar that made il couldn't know
where his bad workmanship would land
me-
He then decided TO take the middle path
without investigation and trust 70 luck.
He did badly, for be had scarcely gon..
ten PAGES when he tripped, and instead
/ OF falling upon an ascending incline as
he had anticipated, he tcppled over
small stone coping and rolled headloaE
down steep and slippery passage until
he thought he sh5uld never stop He Gil
at last, however, ana without mishap,
although brought up rather sharply
against mound Of mud.
Standing Up. he found that he could
feel no wall or ceiling within reach Of Ms
arms, and was constrained 10 strike his
/ last match. Seeking dry patch OF
trousers, a desideraIUm that required an
attentive quest, he drew the vesta across
the tweed with a reckless laugh. Might
as well laugh as cry, he reflected
The match uickered and sputtered ftfuI-
ly, but 70 MS JOY caught and he saw he
stood within a vast circular cavern which
seemed 20 feet wide, its roof 50 high as
10 be invisible behind the dark he lost
himself IN gazing. and the match burneI
/ MS fingers and went out before he knew.
I think I'll have rest" he said aloud
and was surprised to hear how his voice
reverberated through the chamber, hlling
Il with q million Kissing sounds that grew
IN volume instantly as though caught I'd
by mOCking spTiteS who Changed and
a.ssed and crashed his words about and
back at him with ghouHsh glee. II was
d hoTrtd happening, and he thought the
noise would never stop Ii seemed 10
aoate and then commence again. each
time louder and louder. Suddenly some
thing clattered with hollow bang in
the darkness opposite, and there followed
pandemonium itself. So deafening grew
the noise that he put up his hands to his
ears Ia very pain and shut his eyes, ell
his nerves on edge; waiting until he
thought the nuisance gone. he opened his
eyes again to see with wild amaze III,
figure OF huge man, full ten feet high,
standing in the center OF the cavern hold
ing an enormous lantern in his hand.
CreSSingham'S heart Ieaped VIOLENTLY
then stood almost still, so great was the
shock, and he observed with positive fear
( that the giant was approaching hini.
But with every step the monstrous crea-
ture and everything about him diminished
in size, until ten PAGES of he recognized
Desire. The girl had seen him simuI-
taneously. With the speed Of thought
she motioned him TO silence and beckoned
him TO go TO her he lost no time. bur
half mad with joy sprang forward, to find
that every step he took he sank ankle
deep in thick. black slime.
Desire took his arm. and they hurried
OF together in the direction She had
come. It took them, however. though