Rocky Ford enterprise., 1907-01-04
lll2[ INV NLulX


"Vaidermere. though slight In mold.
had capacity for endurance almost
equal TO that Of the giant. who seem
ed to delight In the discontinue OF
the guards, who roared and blasphem-
ed and terrorized until his chains
were doubled. and he was reduced TO
the very limit OF punishment. still.
he laughed In the faces Of his persccu.
tors. and sworc n great oath that he
would yet tear his keepers limb from
limb
Pray. go on" said. 81 entreat
you to finish this horrible story OF
Gideon and valdermerc."
Among the half.starvcd scurvy dcv.
lis who moved like hidcous ficshlcss
automatons was u man who had
known coroni. the founder of our
brotherhood. This man. In some man.
ncr. told the story 10 Gideon. and In
turn II was told to vaidcrmcrc."
"'Ha.' said the giant To the little
man who had told this story. we shall
join him when We are free
when YOU are Free said the man.
what do you mean! Are you To be
frcc?'
without n doubt said the giant.
and we shall save YOU
And they did save him. Rodin. and
II In he. whom you know as Pen.
gully. and who invented the submar.
Inc. II Is his hand that will blow
krons'adt HaFbor into obiivion.'
And the plot was carried out"
said. ''thc pio, to cseapc-pray so on.
my dear sir
Yes. Il was carried out tn the let.
ter. but In It's consumma;ion there
was a mystery. I have never heard Of
in similar ease: In fact. ! have
heard OF no analogous ease. II was
an extremely cold day. and the pris.
oncrs. vaidcrmcrc. Gideon and Pen
gully. had found an opportunity To
converse. unobscrv.d by the guards.
who had drunk their vodka to cxccss.
for the blood seemed frozen In tho
veins: but at length one OF tho guards.
In passing tho giant. who stood shiv.
crins In his chains. struck him wan.
inniy. and ~iihou, pfosocaiion. across
tho face. for he hated Gideon. and the
jibcs OF the latter had rendered him
an object Of abuse To the keepers and
officers In charge.
No sooner had the cruel lash fallen
upon his face. than Gideon. no,with.
standing his manacics. had seized the
brute by the middle. and despite the
protest Of vaidctmcrc. he dashed his
brains out against the very whipping
post where he. himself. had 40 often
suffered at the hands Of his victim.
Ills anger was terrible to behold. and
Hcisins a chain. which was fastened TO
the iron band at his ankles. he literally
wrcnchcd IL from its fas,cninss. and
waving Il about his head. his eyes
blazing with fury. he held completely ut
bay the Eve guards who had been
summoned by the noise and cries of
the knovc whom he had slain.
"Onc of these. seeing how futile II
would he to aitcmp, TO disarm the
giant. raised the weapon To firr upon
the offender. whcrupon vaidcrmcre.
who had stood appalled, at the fury of
his companion. spranr forward. aud
fixing his strange magnetic eyes upon
the man. cried:
Drop that weapon. dog. or may
you fall dead in your tracks
'Pcnruilly. who stood near by. ex.
pccted TO sec vaidcrmcrc shot dead.
and. indeed. the angry guard turned
his weapon as II to shoot down the
convict who dared 10 Interfere with
him. but instead of firing. his hand
trcmblcd. his eyes seemed dazed. his
face became blank and expressionless.
his trembling hand let the pistol fall.
and he sank unconscious upon the
stones at his feet. You have perhaps
felt the subtle force of this strange
mans eyes. have you not. Rodin7-
II was never free from their inf1u.
ence.'' replied. while in his pres.
encc. though at times they induced an
extremely nervous condition.
"Ah. that IA true he replied. "but
he never knew that he possessed this
force until the guard dropped his pis.
toi. II came like an Inspiration. The
weapon was Immediately seized by
vaidermcre, who shot two of the dc
naming four dead In their tracks,
and. by his newly discovered power,
he completely, overcame the two sur.
viving brutes. and. divcsting them of
their clothing. he clad himself in one
suit-the other was given to Penguilly
but Gideon was compelled 10 leave
in the garb of a convict, as the
clothes of the dead guard were too
small for his powerful frame. and ,ak.
ing the weapons from their dead and
unconscious victims. =. they hurried
forth. killing half dozen Of the
watch before they reached the out
skirts of the prison and started upon
that trackless desert of snow and ice
to fight their way across the border
or to die. but never TO return as pris-
oners to that living tomb of Kara. In
an hour a dozen mounted troops were
hurried OF on their trail. with ins,ruc