The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1911-01-05

seeming 10 say tnat ne naQ ALREADY
Judged and condemned me. In such
two OF them, moving the great levers
which opened the furnace doors, they
revealed the very heart Of the NOM
strous fire. white az the glory Of the
sun, glowing as lake OF flame. Q tor
rid,y molten, unnamabie fire, toward
which strong arms impelled me, blows
thrust me, and naked bodies OF the hui
man devils impelled me. For my part,
l turned upon them as man upon the
brink OF the most terrible death con-
ceivable. They had snatched my re-
.volver from me; had but my strong
arms. my 1.-the shoulders, to pit against
theirs. and with these fought as
wild beast at bay. Now upon my feet.
now down amongst them, striking saw
age blows at their upturned faces. Il
Is no boast to say that the very num-
bers thwarted their purpose and de-
layed the issue. And more than this,
found another ally, one neither In their
calculations nor my own. This befriend-
ed mo beyond all hope--served mo az
no human friendship could have done.
For, In word. 1t soon appeared that
they could thrust me but a little way
toward the furnace doors. and beyond
that point were impotent The heat
i overpowered them. Trained as they
] were, they could not suffer Il. I saw
| them falling back from me one by one.
/ heard them vainly crying for this
4 measure or for that. The furnace mas
tered them. 1t left me at last alone be-
! fore it's open doors, and, staggering
to my feet, fell headlong In a faint
! that death might well have termin-
ated.
A cool air blowing upon my forehead
| gave me back my senses, I know not
after what interval OF time or space.
/ Opening my eyes, perceived that men
were carrying me in a kind Of palan-
quin through deep passage or the
rock. and that torches OF pitch and flax
guided them as they. went. The tunnel
was lofty and its roof clean cut as
though by man and not by nature. The
men themselves were clothed In long
white blouses, and none of them APP
/ peared to carry arms. I addressed the
nearest of them, and asked him where
i was. FIe answered me I'm French, not
unkindly, and with an evident desire
| to be the bearer of good tidings.
I'VE are taking you to the Valley
House. monsieur-it Is Herr Imroth's
order"
Arc these the men who were with
! him down yonder:"
Some of them. monsieur. Herr I'm
| roth has spoken and they know you.
Fear nothing; they win be your
! friends"
! must have fallen again into sleep
of weakness almost Immediately; for,
| when next ] opened my eyes, the sun
was shining into the room where I lay
! and no other than General Fordib~as
stood by my bedside watching me. Then
understood that this was what the
Frenchman meant by the Valley House
and that here Imroth's servants had
! carried me from the cave Of the FORCES
II come to ask after a very foolish
man." be said with sternness which
seemed real enough; ut appears that
! the visit was unnecessarv."
sat up in bed and filled my lungs
with the sweet, fresh air of morning.
IF you know the story" I said, Eve
shall go no further by recalling the
! particulars of II. came here to find
what you and your servants were do
| ing at Santa Maria, and the discovery
/ was attended by unpleasant, conse-
| uuences. grant you the foolishness--
do me the favor to spare me the pity"
He turned from my bedside abruptly
and walked to tho windows as though
to open them still wider.
LAS you WILL" he said: 1.-The time
may come when neither will spare the
other anything. If you think It is not
yet
ut shall be when you please. / am
always ready. General Fordibras.
Speak or be silent, you can add very
little to that which I know. But should
| you SitUooo " hioAo d pdrBdlu With
! me-"
He wheeled about hot with anger.
What dfshonor is this!" ne ex-
claimed: you come here to spy upon
me; you escape from my house like
a common footpad. and go up to the
! mines"
1.-The mines. General Fordibras!"
| Nowhere else, DR.. Fabos. Do you
think that am deceived. You came
to this country to steal the secrets Of
which am the rightful guardian. You
think to enrich yourself. You would
return to London, to your fellows,
knaves of Throckmorton street, and
say. there is gold in the Azores, ex-
plot 1t. buy the people out, deal with
the government OF Portugal. You pry
T, upon my workmen openly, and but for
my stewart, Herr Imroth. you would
not be alive this morning to tell the
story. Are you the man with whom
i, Herbert Fordibras, the master OF
| these lands, shall make q bargain?"
| leaned back upon the pillow and
regarded him fixedly with that look
| of pity and contempt the discovery of
| a lie rarely fails to earn.
1.-THE next thing you are to hear"
/ said quietly, lis that the English
government has discovered the true
owners Of the Diamond Ship and Is
! perfectly acquainted with her where
/ abouts."
"By what right do you Intervene.
he asked. who sent you to be my
accuser? Are you, then. above others.
a judge Of men? Good God! do you
not see that your very life depends
upon my clemency? At word from
| mo-