The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-08-16
CHAPTER xxvn.
THE PURSUIT.

si THE PURSUIT. ss N lEPPTNGHAM sprang to his feet with a fierce oath on his lips. IIU His usually lustNrless eyes were - gleaming with benfk thing more than despair There wal the wild light of unmistakable relie1 in them. It was as if a horrfd doubt had been scaled from the soul of Lady Depping. hams husband. "We must followr shouted his lord ship, preparing to lower himself into the jagged opening .'We may be in timer
 ''stop, Deppinghamy' cried Chase, leapipg to his side. Don't rush blind ly into a trap like that. They've got an hour Of more start of us. Moth ing will be accomplished by rushing into an ambush. They'd kill us like rats. Rasula is a sagacious scoundrel. He'll not take the entire responsibility There will be council of all the head men It will be of n6 advantage to them to kill the heirs unless they are sure that we won't live to tell thU tale. They will go Slow now that. they have the chief obstacles to victory in their hands,"
 E guarantee that Lady Agnes shall re lnquish all claim to the estate," an nounced the harassed husband
 'They won't do that, old man. Prom ises won't tempt them." protested Chase. we've got to do what we can to rescue them. <4'm with you, gentle men, in the first, for hu- manity's sake; second, because am your friend; last, because don't want my clients to lose all chance of winning out in this controversy by acting like confounded asses. It isn't what Sir John expects of me"
 In the meantime the anxious coterie in the chateau were waiting eagerly for the return of the searchers. Dru- silla made one remark, half uncon- sciously, no doubt, that rasped in the ears of the princess for days. It was the cold. bitter, resigned epitome of the young wife's thoughts:
 Robert has loved her for months" |" That was all.
 Mr and Mrs. Saunders, thankful that something had happened to divert att tention from their own conspicuous plight, were discoursing freely in the center of a group composed of the four Englishmen from the bank.
 Its a plain out and out elopement," said Mrs. Saunders. flaming herself vigorously.
 .sBut, my dear" expostulated her husband, blushing vividly over the first public use of the appellation, "where the devil could they elope to7"
 q don't know, Tommy. but elopers never take that into consideration. Do they, MT. Bowles?''
 At last the four men appeared in the mouth of the cavern. The watchers below fell into chilled silence when they discovered that the missing ones were not with them. Stupefied with apprehension, they watched the men descend the ladder and cross the bridge
 ''They are dead" fell from Drusilla Browne's lips. She swayed for an in- stant and then sank to the ground un- conscious.
 In the conference which followed the return of the searchers it was set tied that three of the original party should undertake the further prosecu- ton of the hunt for the two hairs. Ioru OePpiASAdh iouuu Teduy Noiun- teers in Chase and the faithful Selim. They prepared to go out in the hills before the night was an hour older. Selim convinced Chase that the willy Rasula would carry his captives to the mines. where he was in full power.
 You're right, Selim. If he's tried that game we'll beat him at it. Ten to one if he hasn't already chucked them into the sea they're now confined in one of the mills over there"
 They were ready to start in very short time. Selim carried a. quantity of food and small supply of brandy Each was heavily armed and prepared forIa stih battle with the abductors
 we seem sconstantly to be saying (goodbx to each okher.s Thus spoke