Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-06-19

must nave ygone the night you escaped.
A boat Is lying hard by the great rock.
He will. cross the river and before
dawn will be in the woods which lie
to the south. There is q woodcutter's
cottage there, and horses VIII be wait
ing for him."
HE means to leave DrussenlandT p
asked
Organ smiled.
mo. Tomorrow the revolution VIII
commence. Half the city Is Vasca's
already"
1.-The princess win not consent" I
said after a pause.
"Yet Vasca must succeed tonight"
said Organ slowly, 1.-The Vasca I am
| thinking of. The count will be alone
with the princess and will have the
keys of the dungeon You will enter.
and you will kill him. Take his cloak
and hat and sword Then drag his
body to the slip and let it go. Use ex-
pedition. Open the door and walk out
of the fortress. Do not speak If you
can help It Your voice might betray
you. AS you go through the city you
will be watched, but have no fear.
They will be watching to see that you
come to no harm. They are your
friends. The city gate win open for
you at a sign, and you are free to
make the best Of your way to the
woodcutter's cottage. I shall be wait
ing there with horses"
"And afterward"
"Uniess you are delayed. by dawn we
should be well on our way toward the
place where you entered this internal
country. We must trust to luck to find
the way out. Now do you thoroughly
understand"
eyes. When do go?"
'You will presently hear the guard
changed in the corridor without Then
tie your rope securely and descend
Here is a sword See that you do not
drop it as you go down Do not go be-
fore your time or you Will ruin every
thing. Don't be too courteous with
vasca- Once he hired an assassin to
stab You in the dark; just remember
that and slay him as you would q
mad dog. Now 1 must CO."
We grasped each others hand, and
he left me.
Suddenly heard the guard changed
The time had come, and my heart beat
faster. waited until the sound Of
the mems measured tread had died
away down the corridor, and then /
went to the slab. A dozen fears took
hold of me at that moment Indeed,
my hand trembied as I put the key
into its hole.
It turned easily, and the next mo
ment had raised the slab.
The dungeon was pitch dark. I had
TO be careful not to slip into the Dole.
I could hear the swish Of the river far
below me-a noisy sound It was. COM
ing up through the shaft
found the ring, and to it I tied the
rope. I tested the security Of the knots
at least half a dozen times before I
let the rope go. It swung out to its
length with a jerk I fastened the
sword tightly round me, and then
stood for a moment It was a short
prayer I muttered-too short. perhaps,
for the great matter I was entering
upon, but It was an earnest one. Then
I sat upon the edge Of the slip and,
grasping the rope with both hands, let
myself go. dropping to my full length
1t was the way that only dead men
took, yet /, living one, was about TO
take II.
1t had seemed pitch dark In the dun
geon. yet hung In a greater blackness
and could discern the opening above
my head. wasted no time now ] had
begun my journey. 1t was simply a
matter of sliding down the slip and
myself by the rope This
was easy enough
I must have traversed nearly the
fifty feet Of rope. yet my feet had al
ways met the wall. had come to no
other hole. no other slip Joining the
main shaft Hand over hand I went
down, first feeling the rope with my
feet TO make certain that I was not at
the end OF ii. then feeling the wall. not
to miss the opening I sought for.
Hand over hand, then my feet dam
Cling below me-there was no more
rope. For an instant felt inclined TO
Let ON and fall tn death 90 ending INV