Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1907-10-24
CHAPTER XXX.

CHAPTER XXX.
"Its the very same" said Brace, tax.
ing the stone in his hand.
do you take care of it," said I, "for
I find enough to do to take care Of my
SELF
oval. I reckon it won't be long afore
we're on the best side O. this hole" he
replied, putting the stone in his pocket.
He was certainly i'll at ease and less
confident than usual, for he took his
torch and examined the fastenings Oh
the ropes, and then from an adjacent
cavity he brought out another coil OF
cord, in which cross pieces of stout
hickory were knotted at intervals of
foot. He unfastened it and laid it
loose upon the rock, with the Topped
end free.
"The ropes he's been years exposed
to the damp and they're bound to go
one day. Hcf they should happen to
20 this day, this here knotted rope
may come in particular handy. You
know how to use 1t, my gel. Here's
for start"
With the torch in his hand he be.
gan the return along the rope.
He had got to the middle when he
stopped.
whats that" he asked, sharply,
holding the upper rope with one hand,
while he raised the torch with the 9th.
err, and peered out into the darkness.
1t was fearful to see him standing
there with the upheld torch over the
awful chasm, the one luminous object
in the backness.
did you hear anything, pardner"
mo"
Seemed to me heard a rife cooked.
Blamed old fool!' he muttured in self
reproach, as he continued his course.
Without accident or other incident
he reached the ledge, and with grunt
of content seated himself on boulder.
letting the torch drop by his side.
There was a pool of water there; with
hiss the light went out.
The next instant there was n flash
in the darkness beyond, followed by
the sharp crack of rifle shot.
We could see nothing, but from the
ledge opposite came groan, and Brace
called family:
I'm hit, pardner; look out for yeur-
self"
The shot had been fired after the
light was put out, leaving him in OBJ
security. The faculty that had enabled
the assassin to descend that terrible
ledge in the dark had enabled him to
mark down poor Brace when he was
no longer visible to our eyes.
This reflection struck me, as, torch
in hand, sprang upon the rope bridge
to cross to my fallen partner.
Back, pardner, back" groaned
Brace; "he's got the Hesper. and he'll
have your life; back"
raised my torch, and looking to.
ward the ledge, I saw a man kneeling
over Brace.
He raised his arm to silence Brace,
and the light fell on the bright blade
of the knife he held in his hand. l
=. shouted. Turning, he saw me midway
across the chasm, and sprang to his
feet. Then 1 recognized him. 1t was
Won Hoeck.
1t was he, but could believe my
senses? His eyes were not the same.
At that distance his sightess eyes
should have been hardly distinguish.
able from his cadaverous face, but now
they shone out black and lustrous. Yet
in that instant, as he looked toward me
they seemed to fade away in the light
of my torch. And this was no decep-
ton of my sight.
With savage cry of rage he held
up his arms to shield his eyes from the
light, and grasping his knife, he made
his way quickly toward the rock to
which the rope on which stood was
attached.
In moment the whole mystery was
revealed. He was Nyctalops, and his
eyes, blind In the light, were gifted
with the extraordinary power Of seeing
in the dark-a power by which was
explained all that had hitherto been
inscrutable in the robbery Of the Great
Hesper and the attendant events at
Monken Abbey.
With perception til he intended
to cut the rope which sustained me,
fastened to reach the ledge on which
he stood. But my progress was neces-
sarily slow, for the lower cord,
stretched with the weight upon it,
formed deep bend, and my damp
boots slipped upon its wet surface.
Which would be cut first? If it were
the upper one, must trust to catching
the lower as fell. With this view,
kept myself as perpendicular as cir
cumstances permitted, at the same
time grasping the upper one with all
my force, in case he cut the lower one.
was within yard of the rock when
felt the rope under my foot jerk as
Van Hoeck cut through the first
strands; the next instant it went al
together, and I was left swinging by
my hands to the upper rope over the
chasm.
"Die, cursed dog, diet" shouted Van
Hoeck, with the frantic excitement of
a man achieving at last the object of
his life, as he attacked the upper rope
with his knife. ode. and know that
all you cherish In the world shall be