Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1909-11-04

bright green spot of light, as big as
a shilling, and which reminded him
Of a gigantic glow-worm, shone in the
Germans hands. 1t shone for sec
ond or two, then, went out. There
was click. and it appeared again,
flashing In quick light and occultation.
3"S-s-s-s!'' came from Basil. SIT is
answered." i,
Grant stared upwards through the
frowning gloom, and hanging above
his head he saw similar light of
green, answering the flashes of the
apparatus in the hands of the engi-
neer.
Dietrich breathed a great sigh of re-
lief. "Ach! ach" he said. "It is well.
We are in good time-the beginning
of our enterprise Is good"
Basil, with the silent quickness Of
monkey, had already crossed to the
other side of the deck, and was wait
ing expectantly.
Dietrich nodded to Grant, and
nudged him on the arm. HE is won
derful, Is he not?" he whispered, this
sailor friend of yours See, he is all
ready for everything"
Grant returned the nudge, thinking
so himself, with that humility in the
presence Of a cleverness which is not
his own that all generous minded,
fine, and executive natures have
The three men listened intently
There was a soft, slithering sound,
and tiny tap-tap, as the rungs of the
ladder hit against the projecting stone.
A moment or two of suspense. and
then Basil grasped the two leather
bags of shot which weighted the end
Of the descending ladder.
In a second or two more the sway
ing, sinuous thing, which had come,
down to them from the heights above,
was made fast to the deck with two
Wreaths of rope, which stretched it
out little from the wall of the preci-
pice, but allowed also for a slight
looseness of play.
"Good!" Dietrich whispered. II re-
main here, awaiting the issue! God
speed you. gentlemen!"
Nov. then, Grant" Basil said, "you
have got your revolver all right. Are
you ready? Then come on! l think
] had better go first, because am
more used to. this sort of thing than
you are. When we get to the top our
confederate will be waiting to help
me over the battlements, and then, if
you find any difficulty, the two Of us
can pull you in
Right-O!" Grant replied, though
though even. in his whisper he recog-
nized .thaty.a curious hoarseness had
come. ST
Basil pulled piece of resin from
his pocket and rubbed it vigorously
upon his hands. You do the same,
Grant he whispered. ''It will help
you to sstick!" And then. without
further ado, he sprang upon the lad
der and began to mount.
Grant rubbed the dry, sticky sub
stance upon his hands and stood wait
ing while the ladder creaked above,
and he saw the big, black shape going
up away from him into the air. Then,
with the courage born of desperation,
and in answer to low hiss from Ba-
/ sill, who was already some fourteen
feet up the ladder, he also grasped
the ropes and stood upon the first taut
rung. tt5s3 g.s
For a moment he hesitated, and
! then, with an effort such as he never
Remembered to have made in his life
before, he dragged his unwilling limbs
into action and began the frightful
climb
For the first few feet his heart
l.seemed to sicken and dissolve within
him, and then quite suddenly conf
dence returned to him. ..
/ 1t was begun. It was not so dread
Iful after all. Nothaag, he reflected, Is
| so dreadful as. one imagines 1t to be
when once 1t has begun.
On and up he went. following his
agile, cat-like leader until the ladder
/ grew nearer and nearer to the wall
and rasped his fingers, which coult
no longer grasp the side of the ropes
hut must grip the rungs alone.
N His toes also began to have less
and less foothoid, and he was lit rail-,
hanging on. by the skin Of his teeth
fiat against the smooth stone wall O
the forti fications. 4.
There was q low sound OF voices
Item feet above him. asslight exclama
tion. a grating noise, and the. darl
4 figure of Basil Marriott disap
Grant was left alone, hanging sixt!
] feet above the surface gof the Rhine
4 He looked upwards and saw the sky
Ia little lighter than the surroundin,
idn~lr fhrn,,v Oh q craa an, fJ,., estfres 4,
4 the machico1ade,
Then Basil's ysaice came to him, 10y
and distinct
] Come on, old chap. You have don,
splendid ly Three or four more rungs
and catch hold Of my hands!!.r
Grant mounted until he felt q warm
fsstrong hand clasp his own left wrist
IN I'd few seconds more II was al
\ over. and he was pulled upon the plat
form of the outer wall.
tsisst
4 y very near thing. Iilad no'idea tn