The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-01-17
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Down in the Darkness.


Fortunately for me-for Grantly-
| was so overcome that | remained
motonless with the horror of it all.
Hurry" said a voice near. Lift
him in your arms, Aslin. There
that is better Now clear the room
as quickly and as quietly as posi-
BILE"
Where had Il heard that voice
before? | huddled the curtains to-
gether in my shaking fingers and
stared at the scene before me. Three
men had appeared as if by magic in
the shadowed room. one of these. a
veritable giant, picked up the body
of Grantly as if he had been an in
FAINT and the other turned the gas
down to a mere spark The Thing
in the corner had vanished. The
man who had lowered the gas said
! something in a low voice to his
companions. The next instant he
touched a spring in the wall and
section of it swung outward.
My fears had vanished with the
conviction that the assalants of
Grantly had been creatures of flesh
and blood. Satisfied that in the
darkness my presence would not
be noticed, ! followed the others,
tiA I'M of 1,,r h., Of
their voices.
To my surprise, although I could
still hear them, they We're Already
lost to sight / followed the sounds
down flight of steep steps until
gust of fresh air told me that
we were outside of the house.
Here | hesitated for moment,
but for only one. The thought of
Grantly-Travers-my brother-made
every impulse one of vengeance.
These fiends had had no mercy upon
them; when the time came that
thought would strengthen my arm
and harden my heart.
We were at the back of the
house. | saw the loom of it in the
darkness, but everything was very
still. I'VE have made good job
of it this time" said one of the
men just ahead of me. "Open the
door, Jim. This fellow is internally
heavy"
AS l have alrady said, the house
was built upon a hillside ! had
noticed a cliff behind the building.
Now, as it rose before me in the
darkness, / heard the grating of
hinges and felt breath of mouldy
air in my face was past reasoning
with myself now. When the others
passed through that mysterious por-
tai | was close behind them, with
my hand on the butt of a pistol
held the lives of at least two of
the devils at my mercy.
dropped behind a little as we
proceeded, for | did not know what
moment a light would flare up and
betray me. The passage was very
narrow one. By reaching out | could
touch the rough, uneven surface with
my finger tips, and the roof was
low Once | struck my head smartly
against a sharp projection, and the
pain almost brought a cry to my
ful.
We had gone a long way, and
could tell by the heavy breathing OF
the man in front of me (Grantly |
was no featherweight that he was
getting winded. The slope was rath-
er precipitous, and he stumbled |
more than once. Far ahead of me |
in the darkness | began to hear a
faint murmur
"Oh, put him down and rest a lit
tle," said one of the men, as the |
other, carrying Grantly, stumbled to
his knees with an oath. "Or better
still, leave him here and come on.
He will recover consciousness in
few minutes, and will not have
to be carried. Come on, the chief
will be waiting.
They hurried on in the darkness.
crept forward a little. cropping on
my hands and knees in the darkness