Middletown transcript., 1912-09-21
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"SsMjTiOR Of THE STROllERS5' ~niDE7 TIC RQxsQG
ILLUSTRATIONS By Tes4I 1OA<1=RS
CHAPTER XIII.
A. the Veroe Of the Aperture.
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near the guard-house OF th5 dungeon9,
was measured, yet noiseless, as he.
stepped on the soft earth, alongside
the stone walk, now toward the pass
age in the direction Of the wheel-room,
then back into the little square. That
his thoughts, however, moved not In
accord with that deliberate stride, the
brows impatiently knit, and the quick
glances he continued to cast over his
shoulder, bore testimony. 3:
Stopping at length near the Tour
Bernard, he looked fixedly down at the
town, wrapped in a stiffness that
should have reassured him. Never
theless he appeared not satisfied; and
had stepped out into the court again,
when some sound he heard, or fancied,
sent him quickly to an embrasure in
the wall. From this opening-for-
merly for cannon in defense Of the
kenils, and the poulain, or planking for
the hoisting Of goods-he leaned far
out, his glance instinctively turning
toward the barracks, some distance to
the right and far below. As he stood
thus, that which had first attracted
his attention-the sound Of a voice
giving orders-was repeated; at the
same time where had been only dark
ness now shone many windows, while
to the left, near the entrance he had
passed after leaving the stable, lights
began to dance like firefies.
At these signs Of activity and the
sounds breaking the general quietude,
an exclamation fell from his lips; then,
pausing only a moment to listen and
observe, he sprang toward the guard.
house. Crossing the threshold, de-
fined by faint glimmer from dis
tant corner, he made his way past sew
sral motionless forms, into low pass
age beyond. Here he called out impa-
dent1y; but from those depths, lead
ing down into the dungeons where his
comrades had gone, no answer was re-
turned. His voice, hollow, mocking,
seemed stifed in a tomb; more loud
ly he shouted; walked farther in, when
an indistinct response was followed by
a pin-point Of light, and, ere long, by
the bearer Of a little lamp, Sanchez.
"The others?" At the head of
dark stairway into which he would in
advertently have plunged, had he gone
farther, the Black Seigneur confronted
the man, as he approached.
They will soon be here" said the
old servant, springing up the steps and
walking after his master, who had al
ready turned back toward the guard
room. "Jacques-curse him!"-put-
ting out his light in obedience to
gesture from the other-'fumbled
with the keys; pretended he couldn't
find the right ones! So 1t took long
er to open the DOORS"
"The prisoners?"
II left our men working at the last
dungeon to come on ahead-to let you
know you might soon expect them"
"soon," ironically, may be too late"
you mean"
'The hue and cry is out! 1 have
long been expecting it; I do not un.
derstand why it didn't come before;
unless a mountebank, locked up, was
considered safe enough for the
night"
Then some one kneW-%
"some one?" A bitter laugh was
quickly suppressed on the young mans
lips 'Hark! Listen!"
Sounds beloWl the soldiers!'' ex-
claimed Sanchez, and started toward
the window to look out, only to fall
quickly back.
What is it?" With his hand on the
others shoulder, the Black Seigneur
whispered the question.
"a face! At the window!"
$50 soon? The hounds are quicker
than 1 thought Or" drawing his
sword. 1T may be only one or two in
advance. In that case"
But no enemy, single or plural, met
their view, either in front, or at the
side Of the guard-house; only the
darkness, void, empty, and the bare
rampant wall winding around the head
of the Mount like a monster guardian
dragon, asleep at his post.
Here is no onei"
"No Onel Yet am l sure saw"
"A shadow" answered the other.
sand We have nothing worse to fght!"
Some one was there, Seigneur,"
;stubbornly, "and fed!"
"Eh bien! He's gonel"
"He? 1t looked like "a"
Back with you, quickI Is this q
time for talk? Call those who can
come-f they would save their
necksl"
Here they are now" exclaimed the
servant, and, as he spoke, the first Of
their men, blowing out the light he
carried, ran quickly across the guard
chamber and into the open air. 9th
ers hastily followed, until the gather
ing, swelled by those brought with
them from the dungeons, stood ex-
pectantly before the little stone struc-
ture.
"All the prisoners are here?"
2 "AIl!"
ITO the wheelhouse, theni"
But as they hastened across the
square and into the narrow way, the
Black Seigneur again spoke to the
man just ahead:
The hunchback?"
I'VE left him below, locked up im
the DEVILS CageI"
'The DEVILS Cage! Quelle bonnS
plaisanteriel Although" looking back,
~it may cost us dearl"
And indeed, behind the sound Of pur-
suit came nearer; the clatter Of sol
diers' feet grew louder, until, reaching
the little square and the guard-house,
all tumult suddenly ceased. A mo-
mentary silence, strange, ominous,
was broken by din Of voices, as the
Aaring here and there Of torches
threw grotesque reflections high
against the grim background Of black
masonry.
To those now within the wheel-room,
the cause Of that abrupt clamor was
not difficult to divine; his Excellency's
soldiers had found the sentinels over
powered in the guard-house! Would
the former stop to investigate; search
first those subterranean passages? AL
ready had the prisoners, the weaker
of the Black Seigneur's men, filed the
car. or hung clinginR to the rope