Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-11-23

and through this they could catch glimpse of the gleam of lantern and e | bearded face which looked out at them. De vivonne. standing in his stir rups, craned his head up toward the grating, % that the two men most in- terested could hear little of the con versation which followed. They saw only that the horseman held . gold ring up in the air and that the face above, which had begun by shaking and drowning, was now nodding and smiling. An instant later the head disappeared, the door swung open up- on, screaming hinges, and the carriage drove on into the courtyard beyond. leaving the escort, with the exception of De vivonne, outside. As the horses pulled up, knot of rough fellows clus- tered round, and the two prisoners were dragged roughly out. In the light of the torches which fared around them they could see that they were hemmed in by, high turreted walls upon every side. A bulky man with . bearded face, the same whom they had seen at the grating. was standing in the center of the group of armed men issuing his orders.
 ITO the upper dungeon, Simon!" he cried. "And see that they have two bundles of straw and loaf of bread until we learn our masters will.'
 "I know not who your master may be-" said De Catinat, "but would ask you by what warrant he dares to stop two messengers of the king while travelling in his service?"
 By St. Denis, if my master play the king trick, it will be but tie and tie," the stout man answered, with grin. "But no more talk! Away with them. Simon, and you answer to me for their safe keeping"
 It was in vain that De Catinat raved and threatened, invoking the most ter rible menaces upon all who were con cerned in detaining him. Two stout knaves thrusting him from behind and one dragging in front forced him through narrow gate and along n stone Jagged passage. They made their way down three successive corri- dors and through three doors, each of which was locked and barred behind them. Then they ascended winding stone stair. and finally they were thrust into 6 small square dungeon, and two trusses of straw were thrown in after them. An instant later heavy key turned in the lock, and they were left to their own meditations.
 Very. grim and dark those medita- tions were in the case of De Catinat. A stroke of good luck had made him at court, and now this other of i'll for tune had destroyed him. There were his people in Paris, too-his sweet Adele, his old uncle, who had been as good as father to him. What pro tector would they have in their troubles now that he had lost the power that might have shielded themf
 But his energetic comrade had yielded to no feeling of despondency. The in- stant that the clang of the prison door had assured him that he was safe from interruption he had felt all round the walls and flooring to see what manner of place this might be. His search had ended in the discovery of . small fireplace at one corner and of two great clumsy billets of wood. which seemed to have been left there to serve as pillows for the prisoners. Having satisfied himself that the chim- ney was so small that 1t was utterly impossible to pass even his head up 1t. he drew the two blocks of wood over to the window and was able by plac- ing one above the other and standing on tiptoe on the highest to reach the bars which guarded 1t. Drawing him. self up and fixing one toe in an h. equality of the wall, he managed to look out on to the courtyard which they had just quilted. The carriage and De vivonne were passing out through the gate as he looked, and he heard moment later the slam of the heavy door and the chatter of hoofs from the troop of horsemen outside. The seneschal and his retainers had disappeared: the torches. too, were gone, and, save for the measured tread of a pair of sentinels in the yard twen- ty feet beneath him, all was silent throughout the great castle.
 The window was large enough to pass his body through if 1t were not for those bars He shook them and hung hls weight upon them. but they were as thick as his thumb and firmly welded; then. getting some strong hold for his other foot, he supported him. self by one hand, while he picked with his knife at the setting of the Iron. It was cement, as smooth as glass and as hard as marble. His knife turned when he tried to loosen 1t. But there was still the stone. It was sandstone. not % very hard. If he could cut grooves in 1t he might be able to draw out bars. cement and all. He sprang down to the floor again and was think ing how he should best set to work when a sroan drew his attention to his companion.
 "Something on your mindT said Amos Green. sitting down upon his billets of wood. What was it. thenT
 The guardsman here made a move meat of impatience. What was itf How can you ask me when you know ss we'll as I do the wretched faiiure of my miss,onf It was the kings x,,.h ffat inc archblshop should marry