Gilpin observer., 1911-02-02

room now and he could see his COM
panion's face, smiling at him encour-
agingly. The sight of 1t was like an
elixir to him. He drank again and
new life coursed through him.
"Yes-hell of hole!" he repeated
drowsily. Sorry for you-Neil-'
and he seemed to sleep again.
Neil laughed as he wiped his COM
panion's face with a wet cloth.
I'm used to 1t, Nat. Been here be-
FORE" he said. Can you get up?
There's bench over here-not long
enough to stretch you out on or
would have made you a bed of it, but
It's better than this mud to sit on"
He put his arms about Nathaniel
and helped him to his feet. For few
moments the wounded man stood with
out moving.
I'm not very bad, guess" he said,
taking a slow step. Where is the
seat, Neil? I'm going to walk to it.
What sort Of bump have got on the
head?"
Nothing much" assured Neil.
Suspicious, though" he grinned
cheerfully. Looks as though you
were 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 candle-light he could
distinguish the four walls of the dun
geon, glistening with the water and
mold that reeked from between their
rotting logs. The floor was of wet,
sticky earth which clung to his boots,
and the air that he breathed filled his
nostrils and throat with the uncom-
Portable thickness of a night fog at
| sea. Through 1t the candle burned in
a misty halo. Near the candle, which
stood on a shelf-like table against one
of the walls, was a big dish which
caught NathaniePs eyes.
What's that?" he asked, pointing
toward it.
Grub" replied Neil. Hungry"
He went to the table and got the
plate of food. There were chunks Of
boiled meat, unbuttered bread and
cold potatoes. For several minutes
they ate In silence. Now that Ma
thaniel was himself again Neil could
no longer keep up his forced spirits.
Both realized that they had played
their game and that it had ended in
defeat. And each believed that it was
his individual power to alleviate to
some extent the others misery. To
Neil what was ahead of them held no
mystery. A few hours more and then
death. 1t was only the form 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 to speak, as the
other waited for him. And Nathaniel.
on his part, kept to himself the secret
with the meat and the bread and the
cold potatoes he pulled out his be-
loved pipe and filled it with the last
scraps Of his tobacco, and as the
fumes of 1t clouded round his head,
soothing him in its old friendship. he
told of his fight with Strang and his
killing Of Arbor Croche.
I'm glad for Winnsome's sake"
said Neil, after a moment. "Oh. II
you'd only killed Strang!"
Nathaniel thought Of what Marion
had said to him in the forest.
Nell" he said quietly. do you
know that Winnsome loves you-not
as the little girl whom you toted
about on your shoulders-but as a
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 him that her
fate is shortly to be as cruel as mine
tell him that Winnsome loves him
and that she will escape and come to
him on the mainland Like words
of fire they had burned themselves in
his brain and as Nathaniel repeated
them he thought of that other broken
heart that had sobbed out its anguish
to him in the castle chamber. Neil,
man can die easier when he knows
that a woman loves him!"
He had risen to his feet and was
walking back and forth through the
thick gloom.
I'm glad" Neil's voice came to
him softly. as though he scarcely
dared to speak the words aloud. After
moment he added: Have you got
a pencil. Nat? | would like to leave
little note for Winnsome."
Nathaniel found both pencil and
paper In one Of his pockets and Neil
dropped upon his knees in the mud
beside the table. Ten minutes later
he turned to Nathaniel and great
change had come into his face.
CTo BE CONTINUED)