The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-12-25
CHAPTER X.
w1NNsoME's VERDICT OF DEATH

OnAT ER ~.
wINNSoME 8 VERDICT OF DEATH
Tho voice-the condcmning words
followed Nathaniel as he staggered ON
between his two guards; ii haunted him
still as the cold chill OF the rottine dun
geon walls struck In his face; II re-
mained with him as he stood swaying
rumbling in his ears, the words beating
against his brain unt the shock OF then
sickened him. until lie stretched out his
arms and there fell from him such cry
as had never tortured his lips before.
Strang was alive, He had left the
spark OF life In him. and the woman who
loved him had famed II back into full
strang, Was alive' And Marlon-Aiari-
on was his wife,
The VOICE of the king taunted him
from the black chaos that hid the dun
Eeon walls. The words struck al him.
filling his head with shooting pain, and
he tottcrcd back and sank to the ground
TO get away from them, They followed.
and that vengeful leer OF the king was
behind them. urging them on. until they
beat his face Into tho sticky earth. and
smothered him into whet he thought was
There came rest after that. long.
silent rest When Nathaniel slowly
climbed up out OF the ehon shadows
to him was that the word demons had
stopped their beating against his brain
and that he no longer heard the voice
of the king. His relief was so great
that he bresthed restful sigh. some
thing touched him then Great God !!
were they coming back? Wero they still
-waiting-waiting
II was wonderfully familiar voice
that spoke TO him.
Hello there. Nat! Want drink"
Ho gulped eagerly at the cool liquid
that touched his lips.
Neil" he whispered
IT'S me, Nat: They chucked me. in
VIs Eon ss aas c hSls Se 's strons t: arm
his back. There was a light in the room
now and he could see his companions 8
face. smiling at him encoura gingly The
He drank again and new life coursed
through him.
,,YeSmhe!l of hole" he, he repeatsd
he seemed TO sleep again,
Neil laughed as ne wiped his compan-
IONS face with q wet cloth
bench over here-not long enough to
stretch you out on, or ] would have
made YOU bed Of 1t. but RS better
He put his arms about Nathaniel and
helped him to his feet For few mo-
rnents the wounded man stood without
moving.
sSna KIM not slow vs .S bad ws.ss . the he ssa sd
Nell? I'm going to walk to il. What
sort of bump have got on the head?"
.ISo Soothing geh assured s,rd. Heil h.srfII SnS
Looks az though you we're running and
somebody came up and tapped YOU from
behind"
Nathaniel's strength returned TO him
quickly. The pain had gone from his
head and his eyes no longer hurt him.
In the dim csndlelight he could dlstin-
elistening with the water and mold that
reeked from between their rottine logs
The floor was Of wet. sticky earth which
chung TO his boots. and the air that he
breaihed filled his nostrils and throat
with the uncomfortable thickness Of
night fog AT sea. Through II the candle
burned in misty halo Near the can :
die which stood on shelf-Ike table
against one OF the walls. was q big dish
which caught Nathanlcl's eyes.
What's that?" he asked. pointing to-
ward it.
Grub replied Neil. Hungry"
He went to the table and got the plate
Of food. There were chunks of boiled
meat. Mnbuttered bread and cold pota-
toes. For several minutes they ate in
silence. Now that Nathaniel him
sell again Neil could no longer keep up
his forced spirits. Both realized that
they had played their game and that 1t
that it was in his individual power to
alleviate to some extent the others mis-
cry. To Neil what was ahead of them
held no mystery, few hours more
In which 1t would come that troubled
him. that made him think Usually the
victims OF this dungeon cell were shot.
Sometimes they were hanged But why
tell Nathaniel? So he ate his meat and
bread without words. waiting for the
other 10 speak, as the other waited for
him. And Nathaniel on his part, kept
10 himself the secret OF Marions fate.
After they had done with the meat and
the bread and the cold potatoes he pulled
out his beloved pipe and filed II with
the last scraps OF his tobacco, and as
the fumes of II clouded round his head.
soothing him in It's old friendship. he
told OF his fight with Strang and his
killing OF Arbor Croche,
I'm glad for Winnsone's sake snid
Neil. after A moment. "Oh. II you'd d
only killed Strang!"
Nathaniel thought OF what Marion had
said 10 him in the forest.
Neil" he said quietly. do YOU know
that Winnsome loves you-not as the lit
tie girl whom you toted about on your
shouders-but woman? Do you
know that?' In the others silence he
added, When last saw Marion she sent
this message to you-.Tell Neil that he
must go. for Winnsome's sake Tell hin
that her fate is shortly to be as crue
AS mine-tell him that Winnsomc loves