The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1911-11-24
The Knight
of the
Silver Star

Sdiu ~ hydn SlOWlS. the NdSCa 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 so. Use ex-
pediion. 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 will open for
you at a sign. and you are free to
make the best of your way to the
woodcutter's cottage. l shall be wait
ing there with horses"
"And afterwards
"Unless 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 l go?"
fYou 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 Stay him as you would a
mad dog. Now l must 60"
We grasped each others hand. and
he left me.
Suddenly | heard the guard changed
The time had come, and my heart beat
faster. l waited until the sound Of
the mems measured tread had died
away down the corridor, and then l
went to the slab. A dozen fears took
hold of me at that moment Indeed,
my hand trembled as I put the key
into its hole
1t turned easily. and the next mo
ment had raised the slab.
The dungeon was pitch dark. ] had
to be careful not to slip into the hole.
I could hear the swish of the river far
below me-a noisy sound 1t was. COM
ing up through the shaft.
| found the ring. and to it l tied the
rope. tested the security of the knots
at least half a dozen times before l
let the rope go. 1t swung out to Its
length with a jerk I fastened the
sword tightly round me, and then l
stood for a moment. 1t was short
prayer I muttered-too short. perhaps,
for the great matter ! 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 l. a living one. was about to
take it.
1t had seemed pitch dark in the dun
geon, yet l hung in a greater blackness
and could discern the opening above
nv head. wasted no time now had
begun my journey. 1t was simply a
matter of sliding down the slip and
steadying myself by the rope. This
was easy enough
l must have traversed nearly the
fifty feet of rope. yet my feet had al
ways met the wall had come to no
OLGeT UOlG. uO tflutl sup JOAhAhe5 sHS
main shaft land over hand | went
down. first feeling the rope with my
feet to ma o. certain that | was not at
the end of il, then feeling the wall, not
TO miss the opening sought for.
Hand over hand. then my feet dan
Cling below me-there was no more
rope. For an instant l felt inclined to
let go and fall to death. so ending my
troubles. Then | went up hand over
hand in desperate haste. and, having
got the rope between my knees again,
! hung, swinging, and steadied myself
to think Either | had missed the hole
or O'Ryan was mistaken; the rope was
not long enough. Perhaps 1t was be-
cause the first solution was the most
acceptable that believed it to be the
correct one. took courage and
climbed upward, stretching my legs to
right and left searching for the hole.
might have missed 1t even then had
I not heard a sound that made me
listen intently. Yes; it was distinct
from the kissing of the water below
me. the murmur OF mans voice.
Was it above me in the dungeon ] had
escaned from? If so. had only to wait
few moments. | should feel the rope
serked. or else it would be cut. and so
an end to me l hung, waiting. and
still in a dull monotone the voice went
on. Suddenly a little below me and to
nv left the rocky wall seemed to grow
luminous. flickering light that shone
for a moment. then died. then shone
again
rs that n good way out of life?"
The voice sounded low, yet the
words were distinct. The light flicker
ed and then slowly went out. low
cred myself TO the level where II had
been and then. holding the rope with
one hand, worked my way along the
face of the wall with the other,
made slow progress. but presently
grasped the side of the slip Cautiously
I fell for the door of ii with my foot
After some minutes ! succeeded in
finding il. but it was. if anything. at
a sharper angle than the slip from my
dungeon. How to get Il footing upon
il was a matter for consideration. AS
7