Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1907-10-23
CHAPTER XXI.
! Escape from the Tower.

] Escape from the Tower.
1 chung to my precarious support,
lying PROSTATE on the broad stone gut
ter. The roar of the swirling river
beat at my senses confusedly; the
giddy height made my head swim.
Something of the horror I had felt in
rounding the overhanging shoulder of
the mountain with Willoughby that
fatal day came to me now.
But presently that giddiness passed.
The extraordinary promise of Madame
de WARMER rang in my ears. How it
was possible for her to explain away
Sir Mortimer's damnlng words if the
letters were genuine, could not see.
But this had been day Of miracles.
Slowly made my way toward the
first of the fianking towers. The wind
struck me with redoubled force as I
turned the corner. 1 heard the ensign
above f1uttering loudly in the gale.
looked up. 1 could see it now. 1t
f1oated bravely in the spanking breeze.
The, moon, shining squarely. on it,
made it even possible for me to distin-
guish its design. It was the national
flag of England, the royal arms in its
center. Then remembered the quota
ton from the Blue Book I had read
early in the morning just before Cap
tain Forbes had signaled to Helena:
THE flag to be used by His Males
tvs Diplomatic Servants, whether on
shore or embarked on boats, is the
Union, with the Royal Arms in the
center thereof, surrounded by a green
garland"
I had reached my goal now. For
some minutes I was compelled to lie
inactive, however; for the flag, belly
Ing IN the gale, made it impossible for
me to grasp the cords.
AS lay there impatient, waiting NV
chance, l glanced below. I could see
plainly the ladder of stones, as Ma
dame de WARMER had called it. the
ragged edges of the granite sparkling
brightly in the moonlight. 1 leaned
over as far as dared; they extended
as far as I could see.
AS my eye travelled the line to the
terrace below. the door of the great
hall opened. A flood of light irradiated
portion of the terrace. I saw dis.
unctly two figures conversing a mo-
ment at the doorway. One of these
figures entered the chateau again. but
the other, and had recognized DR.
Starya by his great bulk before the
door was shut, stole across the terrace
and entered brougham that stood
waiting.
AS the carriage disappeared under
the covered archway of the passage
leading to the village street I made
renewed efforts to reach the cords. T
could readily guess DIR. Starya's mis-.
sion. He had gone to meet Prince
Ferdinand at the station. Heaven
knows how eager 1 was to be one of
the reception committed.
When at last l had caught one of
the cords, severed it thoughtIesslv
with my penknife. l had not counted
on the strength necessary to hold so
large a flag. The cord slipped from
my hand. 1 expected the flag to fall
and reached out frantically for the
other rope. But IN some way the rope
l had severed, and to which the flag
was not fastened, became entangled in
the pulley and the flag, falling halfway
down the pole. remained at half-mast.
| now reached up as far as could.
standing on the stone gutter. 1 was
about to sever the other cord, that to
which the flag was fastened; when it
occurred to me to attempt to olsen
gage the ropes from their fastening
at the window below. 1 was complete
ly successful. l estimated that had
now length of at least so feet.
When I had plated the cords dou-
bled. and knotted them at Intervals to
prevent them from slipping through
my hand. made lnnnhole to slip