Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-12-28
CHAPTER v-(continued).

did you think that I spent Q yea,
of my life here for nothing?" he asked
1.-THE slab at the corner Of your cell is
loose n can easily be raised"
wal painting with excitement. SC
this was how his voice could reach me!
"A moment!" I cried, and my fingers
CROPPED for the loosened slab. It was
soon found. but how to raise It was q
question, for I could get no hold OF It
from my shoe and inserted Its edge
into the creek. I pried the stone up
but a dozen times 1t slipped back before
could arrest It. Finally I raised 1t
halt an inch. grasped the edge with
desperate fingers. n with an effort
1t up. I looked into the hold, but could
see nothing.
1.-The slab is out, MONSIEUR I called.
Good" said Richelieu. and then
there was an %instant's pause. Now
he went on. at last. 'as l raise this
Of the way"
In q moment 1t was done. and I found
myself looking Down into his eyes, so
near they almost startled me. for he
had placed his chair upon his bench
and was standing on 1t.
1.-THE guard Will be back" he said.
Bring your bench to the corner and
lie down upon 1t"
l did as he directed. and saw that
he had jumped down from his chair and
was walking carelessly about his cell.
Again the sentry reached the door.
paused an instant to glance within,
and then went on his round.
Richelieu was back upon his chair
In an instant.
Now" he said, Il can pay you a 10
minutes visit. know the routine Of
this place" and he held out his hands
IN mo II n 1Ovryn r~~~-~
and he scrambled lightly up beside me.
/ began to think that, after all, es-
cape might not be such a difficult
thing. What other secrets Of the prison
might he not possess?-
"'Tis not the first time I have made
brushed the dust from his sleeve.
when the king sent me here to re-
pect OF that affair at Marty he permit
ted my tutor to accompany me. But
IN the evening we We're separated. and
he was locked up in this cell to spend
the night. We were both dying Of
ennui. and determined to speed the
nights together. So with infinite pa
thence he picked away the cement
around this slab and the one under It.
AS you see, they rest on the Orders and
so remain in place. The guard cannot:
we were not disturbed. 1t is fortunate
h corner is dark" he added, "and
that the cracks of the floor are filled
with dirt. else the ruse might have
been discovered since I was last here"
"And now what?" I asked, trembling
with Impotence.
Now to escape said the duke, and
sat down on the bench to consider.
But to escape, and with only our
bare hands for tools! What a problem!
YET I was determined that 1t should be
solved. Others had escaped from he
bastille. Why not we?
Clearly I said. after a moment, we
cannot hope to break Gown the door
nor penetrate these walls"
My companion nodded IN gloomy ac-
Quiescence.
There remains. then, only one pos
window"
But the bars7"
w must remove one. Luckily they
are single, so that one will be enough"
IT is 80 feet from the ground"
W. must get q rope" q
"A rope? Yes. But where?'
Il do not know" I said. but I arose
and went to the window. Yes. It was
not less than 80 feet from the ground.
WELL" said Richelieu. at my elbow,
suppose we had q rope. Suppose we
had the bar out. What then? Do you
soldiers3 We could not hooe to
escape them. But even if we
did. there Is the outer wall still to pass
40 feet high n with q sentry at
every 30 paces."
saw what he said was true. To
descend into the cou would be to en-
ter q nest Of hornets. But Of q sudden
Q new thought came to me.
We'll" I asked. III one way II Inn
posslble, why not try the other?"
THE other?" exclaimed Richelieu.
What other: de Brancas?"