The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-10-16

ward to gaze down, WI EN- through the
air distant sOund-the low, melan.
choly hoOt Of an Owl-was waited ND
ward.
Upon him at the aperture, this nisht.
call, common to the Mount and its en-
virons, acted in magical manner, and
swiftly had he stepped toward the
wheel, when an object, Intervening,
stirred; started to stagger to It's feet.
AT once was the young mans first i'm.
pelling movement arrested; but. thus
1orcIbly crawn from his purpose, he
ola not long pause to contemplate: his
hand, drawing the soldiers sword, held
1t quickly at the hunchback's throat.
"A sound, and you know what to ex.
pect!"
With the bare point at his flesh.
jacques, duly hearing, vaguely com.
prehending, could, indeed. guess and
the fingers he had involuntarily raised
to push the bright blade aside, fell.
while at the same time any desire to
attempt to call out, or arouse the
guard, was replaced by an entirely diff
ferent emotion in his aching brain.
Never before had he actually felt that
sharp touch-the prelude to the final
thrust. At the sting Of it, a tremor
ran through him. while cowardice, his
Desett1ng quality, long covered By
growl and egotism in his strength and
hideousness to terrify, alone shona
from his unprepossessing yellow fea,
lures.
You were brave enough with the
soldiers at your beck!" went on a de.
termined voice whose ironical accents
IN no wise served to alleviate his
panic. when you had only a mounte-
bank to deal with! But get up!" con.
temptuously And" as the hunch.
back obeyed. his crooked legs shaking
IN the support OF his misshapen frame,
into the wheel with you'll"
The WHEEL" stammered the dwarf.
"Why-what-"
ITO take a little Of your own med,
cine! Pardi! What a voluble fellow!
In with you, or"
with no more words the hunchback
staggering, hardly knowing what he
ala, entered the ancient abbots ma
chine for hosting But as he started
TO walk in the great wheel at the side
or his captOr. picture of the past
the times he, himself. had forced pris.
oners to the wheel, stimulating with
1eer and whip-arose mockingly be.
Iore him, and the incOngruous present
seemed, In contrast. like a black wax.
ing dream.
That 1t was no dream, however, and
that the awakening would never oc
cur. he well knew, and malevolently
thou n fearfully he eyed the rope, com.
Ing In over the pulley at the aperture:
to be wound around and around by
smaller wheel. attached to the larger,
and-drawing up what?
An inkling Of the sort of merchan.
disc to be expected, under the circum.
stances, could but flash through his
mind, together with more vivid con.
tc!oIsnt:S OF the ONLY CCur2e cpcr ,o.
nlm-to cry out, regardless Of couss.
quences! Perhaps he might even have
done so, but at that instant-as II the
other had read the thought-came the
cold touch Of bare blade on his
neck; and with sudden chill, the
brief heroic impulse passed.
More stealthily now he began to
study his companion in the wheel
While question. suddenly occurring.
reiterated itself in his brain. This
man-who was be? And what did he
Know OF the moultebank, or his. JAG.
ques', dealings with the clown? That
MS captor was no soldier Of the rock.
or belonged there, the hunchback felt
py this time assured, and a growing
suspicion OF the others identity
brought home with new force to the
oWarr the thankless part chance, per-
haps, had assigned to him in that
nights work. And at the full reali.a
ton OF the consequences, should lis
surmise prove correct-what must ul
umately happen to himself in that
event, when unwilling cooperation at
the wheel should become known-al
most had he again reached the dcs
perate point Of calling out; but at
tnat moment turn In the wheel
brought to the level of the aperture
the car. In 1t, or clinging thereto
were number of.igures who, as soon
as the rope stopped, sprang noiselees
ly to the platform.
Seigneur, We hardly dared hope
I'VE obeyed orders. but"
Gazing through the spokes of the
wheel, and listening to their whispered
exclamations. any lingering doubt IS
to who his captor was could no LONGER
be entertained by the hunchback
These newcomers took no pains to
conceal 1t; even when the dwarf's
presence became known to them and
unceemoniously was he dragged forth
they displayed contemptuous dis.
regard OF him as a factor to Interfere
not calcnlated To Gnll Tia oaexa ae Iia