The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1907-01-05
[ll2 RVS NINIX


p\ secret marriage with lady anon
80" 'he latter had Set his heart,
transported 10 Kara. This was
"heh the mine was comparariyely a
ne" one, but the brutal treatment or
ihese TWO men strengthened their mn.
'nal sympathy. A friendship. uudv-
ing IN ITS devotion. rapidly grew into
pot 1hey had shared each others
cohhuences. Gideon had heard how
'aluermere was torn away from his
oilde' IN the midst of their honeymoon
how his rival had afterwards suh
)ected her in her defenseless condition
10 Insult. and even to brutal assault
at which recital the giant ragged and
beiiowed until his chains ratified and
the guard had been summoned.
III GIDEON was punished, Valdez
mere would wantonly reduce himself
10 the same fate. Together they plot.
ted in the dark of the night-in the
MIDST OF the shadowy groups of dying
cohVicts. who fitted about like spirits
their sad faces haunting the memory
OF \aldermere and infiaming the
hatred of his companion.
Naldermere, though slight in mold
had a capacity for endurance almost
equal TO that of the giant, who seem
ed 10 delight in the discontinue of
the guards, who roared and blasphem
ed and terrorized until his chains
We're doubled, and he was reduced to
the very limit of punishment, still,
he laughed in the faces of his persecu-
tors, and swore great oath that he
would yet tear his keepers limb from
limb
Among the half-starved scurvy dev.
lis who moved like hideous leshless
automatons was a man who had
known Coroni, the founder of our
brotherhood. This man. in some man
ner told the story to Gideon. and in
turn 1t was told TO Naldermere."
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
freeo'
Without a doubt said the giant,
and We shall save you
And they did save him, Rodin, and
it is he, whom you know as Pen
gully. and who invented the snbmar.
inc. 1t is his hand that will blow
kronstadt Harbor into oblivion"
"Ah. how strange this sounds" l
said. how like horrible dream, and
yet it is but justice-the justice of
Godn'
vol a.
in, it is but justice-tardy, but sure.
and believe as you do that the hand
Of God is with u.s."
And the plot was carried ont"
said, the plot to escape-pray go on,
my dear sir
Yes, it was carried out to the let
ter. but in its consummation there
was mystery, | have never heard of
in similar case; in fact, l have
heard of no analogous case. 1t was
an extremely cold day. and the pris-
oners, Valdermere, Gideon and Pen
gully, had found an opportunity to
converse, unobserved by the guards.
who had drunk their vodka to excess,
for the blood seemed frozen in the
veins; but at length one of the guards,
in passing the giant, who stood shiv-
ering in his chains, struck him wan
tonly. and without provocation. across
the face, for he hated Gideon. and the
jibes of the latter had rendered him
officers in charge.
mo sooner had the cruel lash fallen
upon his face, than Gideon, notwith-
standing his manacles, had seized the
brute by the middle and despite the
protest of Valdermere, he dashed his
brains out against the very whipping
post where he. himself, had SO often
suffered at the hands of his victim.
His anger was terrible to behold, and
seizing chain. which was fastened to
the iron band at his ankles, he literally
wrenched it from its fastenings, and
waving it about his head, his eyes
blazing with fury, he held completely at
bay the five guards who had been
summoned by the noise and cries of
the Knove whom he had slain.
"One of these. seeing how futile 1t
would be to attempt to disarm the
giant, raised the weapon to fire upon
the offender. wherupon Valdermere.
who had stood appalled, at the fury of
his companion, sprang forward, and
fixing his strange magnetic eyes upon
the man, cried:
drop that weapon, dog, or may
you fall dead in your tracks
"Penguilly, who stood near by, ex-
pected to see Valdermere shot dead,
and, indeed, the angry guard turned
his weapon as if to shoot down the
convict who dared to interfere with
him, but instead of firing, his hand
trembled, 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
,,,p'c eyeS have Won not ROdin?"