The Irish standard., 1912-05-25
wrapped in an oiled cloth. 1t was in

wrapped in an oiled cloth. 1t was In,
truth a gloomy, deso1ate hole, al.
though dry enough. For want of some.
thing better to do went over and
picked up the pistols: the lock Of one
was broken, but the other seemed
Berviceable. and, after swapping the
flint, loaded the weapon, and slipped
1t into my pocket. Somehow its pos
session yielded me q new measure Of
courage, although had no reason to
suppose would be called upon TO use
the ancient relicA
There was little to examine. but I
tramped about nervously. tapping the
walls, and convincing myself of their
solidity, and. finally. tired by this use.
less exercise, seated myself in the
chair. It was like being buried in q
tomb. not sound reaching my
strained ears. but at last the spirit Of
depression vanished, and my mind be.
gan to grapple with the problems con-
fronting me. .'s.;il
Heaven alone knows how long re.
manned there motionless, my mind
elsewhere, drifting idly backward to
the old home, reviewing the years Of
war that had transformed me from
boy to man as though by some magic.
The silence and loneliness caused
me to become restless. could not
entirely throw of the sense of being
buried alive in this dismal hole.
wondered II there was any way Of 90.
cape. IL that secret door was not
locked and unlocked only from With
out. A desire to ascertain led me to
take candle in hand. and climb tho
circular staircase. examining the wall
as l passed upward. The Interior of
the chimney revealed nothing. While
felt convinced there must also be q
false fireplace on the first floor, 90 az
to carry out the deception. the dim
candle light made no revealment Of its
position. l could judge very nearly
where It should appear. and sound.
ed the wall thereabout carefully both
nbove and below without result. Nor
did any noise reach me to disclose q
thinness of partition.
Convinced of the solidity of the wall
at this spot, continued higher until
came to the end Of the passage. To
my surprise tine conditions here were
practically the same. Had l not en-.
tered Mt this point could never have
been convinced that there was an
opening. From within 1t def,ed dis
covery. for nothing confronted my
eyes but mortared stone. was sealed
In helplessly, but for the assistance
Of friends without: no effort on my
part could ever bring release.
Yet I went over the rough surfaces
again before retracing my steps down
to the room below. All this must
have taken fully an hour of time, and
the strain Of disappointment left me
tired. as though I had done a days
work. I can hardly conceive that I
slept. and yet certainly lost con.
seriousness. for when aroused myself
I was In pitch darkness.
l felt dazed. bewildered, but as my
hand felt the edge Of the table com.
pretended where I was, and what had
occurred. Cropping about, found flint
and steel. and that last candle, which
forced into the candlestick. The tiny
yellow flame was like message from
the gods. How I watched 1t, every
nerve tingling, as 1t burned lower and
lower. Would 1t last until help came.
or was destined to remain pinned up
In the darkness Of this CHASTITY grave?
Why. l must have been there for
hours-hours. The burning out Of the
candles proved that. Surely I could
doubt no longer this was trick, a
cowardly. cruel trick! II help had
been coming 1t would have reached me
before this. The day must have passed.
and much Of the night. Grant and his
party would have marched away long
before this on the road to Philadel-
phia. What could have occurred, then.
to prevent Peter or the girl from set
ting me free? Could they have been
forced into accompanying the SOL
diers? Could they have forgottenf
Conld they deliberately leave me there
to diet
My brain whirled with incipient mad.
ness, as such questions haunted me-