The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1906-10-27
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HDGAP APIl
CHRISTOPHER
| ngR2sET SGP. By TT
A4LZZ0 FAlEtZtG @L2Sy1
Chapter VIII.-Continued

SAaplci HAI4-SOItlHuSu.
This great chamber was formed by
the hand OF nature and carved by the
hand of natures God. 1t was utilized
by the brotherhood as the scene OF
the greatest conspiracy ever organized
against a crowned head or ruler. 1t
was indeed a weird and fitting place
for such a council, and for a plot
whose secrecy was its strength. How
well chosen this spot. inaccessible to
man or beast. The brotherhood could
meet here, and the trail OF Deneau
must ever end at the door Of the Old
stone house.
Should he ever invade the rooms
of the mysterious house itself, he
could find naught. save the library or
the laboratory upon which to base a
further step. and these could be moved
away and so concealed as to render
the most ingenious search futile. No
living man could move that great
stone back and forth, save those whose
secret it guarded. All. Valdermere
had truly sworn that every master
has a MASTER and Deneau had found
his.
Naldermere stood in the center Of
the chamber which rose dome-like
above his head, and as he held aloft
the flaming torch. his cleaning eyes
blazed with the light of II ayenger
who could surely avenge.
| examined the room m Jre minute
ly There were heavy tables and
chairs, chests. ropes, windlasses, picks,
spades, and tools of all descriptions
piled in order in an angle of the
rugged wall. At another angle stood
small table Immediately opposite a
dark passage, whose intel ior | could
not penetrate, but from whence
could hear the sound of voices. What
could it mean? What could account
for the presence of these huge oaken
chests, thees ropes. ladders, and SO
much paraphernalia?
had yet to see the extent of this
Order
l had moved from the slab at Val
dermeres command and it vas slowly
lifted upward until it filled the aper-
ture above. | was as much a prisoner
as though l had been cemented In a
stone coffin.
Valdermere fastened the torch near
the table at which stood IN front OF
the passage l have described. Then,
lighting another. he placs I'd 1t oppo-
site the first, as though to concentrate
the light upon the table. Then seiz-
ing a bar of iron. he entered the pas
sage and heard the gong as it sound
ed loud and distinct, and its vibrant
tones rose to the vaulted eoof.
Then heard a voice l had not heard
before. deep, profound, and thrilling,
speaking my name in slow accents.
walked tremblingly ard knelt at
the table upon which the torches cast
their weird light. 1t was a solemn
scene, and as knelt felt some invis-
my mind. l received nc command,
and yet, when my name WIS spoken l
sought the little table and knelt as
though to pray. l knew it was the
will of the Invisible, whose voice had
called my name, but whose face | had
not seen, nor did | ever see it.
l cannot repeat what followed, and
I tremble even now, when I recall the
terrible nature of that vow-that vow,
which to violate or repeat to other
ears would mean a punishment to
which death would seem as naught,
and though the years hare gone by,
and the events of that scene can never
be enacted again, l still feel shud