Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1912-05-07

A Head Of Fire Came Toward Them.
little hurried waves, swifter than the
| waves that rush over the sands at
high tide, little Nightmares foaming
under the moon, under the fiery head
that was like a moon. And the little
waves passed between their legs.
climbing up their legs, irresistibly.
and Raoul and the Persian could no
longer restrain their cries OF horror,
dismay and pain. Nor could they
continue to hold their hands at the
level of their eyes; their hands went
down to their legs to push back the
waves, which were full of little legs
and nails and claws and teeth.
Yes. Raoul and the Persian were
ready to faint, like Pampin the fire.
man. But the head of fire turned
round In answer to their cries. and
spoke to them:
Don't move! Don't move! {.
Whatever you do, don't come after
me! I am the rat-catcher!
Let me pass, with my rats!"
And the head of fire disappeared,
vanished in the darkness, while the
passage in front of it lit up. as the
result of the change which the rat
catcher had made In his dark Ian
tern. Before, so as not to scare the
rats in front Of him, he had turned
his dark lantern on himself, lighting
up his own head; now, to hasten their
flight, he lit the dark space in front
Of him. And he jumped along. drag
ging with him the waves OF scratch
ing rats, all the thousand sounds.
Raoul and the Persian breathed
again, though still trembling.
II ought to have remembered that
Erik talked to me about the rat
catcher" said the Persian. But he
never told me that he looked like
that and it's funny that L
should never have met him before.
or course, Erik never comes
to this part!"
'Are we very far from the lake,
sir?" asked Raoul. when shall We
get there? Take me to the
lake, oh, take me to the lake! {.
When We are at the lake, We will call
out! Christine will hear us!
And he will hear us. too!
And. as you know him. We
shall talk to him!"
''Baby!" said the Persian. I'VE
shall never enter the house on the
lake by the lake! l myself
have never landed on the other bank
the bank on which the house
stands. You have to cross
the lake first and 1t is we'll
guarded! fear that more
than one of those men-old scene
shutters, old door-shutters-who have
never been seen again were simply
tempted to cross the lake. 1t
Is terrible. myself would
have been nearly killed there Z.
If the monster had not recognized mo
in time! One piece OF adj
vice, sir; never go near the lake. I.
And, above all, shut your ears If you
hear the voice singing under the wa
ter, the SIRENS voice!"
But then, what are We here for"'
asked Raoul, in transport of fever,
impotence and rage. III you can do
nothing for Christine, at least let me-
die for her!"
The Persian tried to calm the young
man.
1--WE have only one means of saw
ing Christine Daae, believe me, which
is to enter the house unperceived by
the monster"
''And is there any hope of that.
sir?'
''Ah, If had not that hope. would
not have come to fetch you'll"
''And how can one enter the house
on the lake without crossing the
lake?"
From the third cellar, from which
We were so unluckily driven away.
We will go back there now. {.
l will tell you," said the Persian, with
a sudden change in his voice, Il will
tell you the exact place. sir; it is be-
tween set piece and a discarded
scene from Roi de Lahore, exactly at
the spot where Joseph .Buquet died.
Come, sir, take courage and
follow me! And hold your hand at
the level of your eyes! But
where are we?"
The Persian lit his lamp again and
flung its rays down two enormous cor
ridors that crossed each other at
right angles.
1--WE must be-" he said, I'm the part
used more particularly for the water
works. l see no fire coming from the
furnaces"
He went in front OF Raoul, seeking
his road, stopping abruptly when he
was afraid of meeting some water
man. Then they had to protect them
selves against the glow Of sort of
underground forge. which the men