Polk County news-gazette. (Benton, Tenn.) 190?-191?, 1913-07-24

room 10 the rocks. several hundred
feet below.
A sudden slackexIng Of the rope
assurance that the car. az the end Of
the line. had reached the loading
spot below without the Notifications
and the young man Strengthened; In
an attitude OF attention. stood listen
ing. But the stiffness. impregnated
only with a faint underbreath. the
far-away murmur OF water. or the Just
audible droning Of insects near the ng-
trees on the rocks. continued I'M
broken. An impatient frown gathered
on his brow; more eagerly he bent for
ward to gaze down. when through the
air a distant sOund-the low. melan-
choly boot Of an owl-was waited up
ward.
Upon him at the aperture, this night
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 hrst I'M
polling movement arrested; but, thus
forcibly drawn from his purpose, he
did not long pause to contemplate; his
hand, drawing the soldiers sword, held
II quickly at the hunchback's throat.
"A sound. and you know what to ex-
pect!"
With the bare point at his flesh,
Jacoues. DULY hearing. vaguely COM
pretending, 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 dit-
ferent emotion in his aching brain.
Never before had he actually felt that
sharp touch-the prelude to the maj
thrust. At the sting Of it, a tremor
ran through him, while cowardice. his
besetting quality, long covered by
growI and egotism in his strength ana
hideousness to terrify, alone shone
from his unprepossessing yellow fea-
lures.
"You were brave enough with the
soldiers at your beck!" went on de-
termined voice whose ironical accents
in no wise served to alleviate his
panic. when you had only = mounte-
bank to deal with! But get l'p!" con-
CONTINUOUSLY. "And," as the bunch
back obeyed, his crooked legs shaking
in the support of his mlsshaper frame,
Unto the wheel with you!
~oh dwarf
"Why-what-
"To take a little of your own medi-
cine! Pardi! What voluble felloW!
In with you, Or y
With no more words the hunchback'
staggering, hardly knowing what he
did entered the ancient aDbots pa
chine for hosting. But as he started
n walk in the great wheel at the side
Of his captor, a picture of the past
the times he, himself, had forced pris-
oners to the wheel, stimulating WIN
ieer and whip-arose mockingly be-
fore him. and the incongruous present
seemed, in contrast, like black wax
ing dream.
That 1t was no dream, however. and.
that the awakening would never oc-
cur. he well knew, and maleVolently
though fearfuIly he eyed the rope. com
ing in over the pulley at the aperture
to be ound around and arornd by -
smaller wheel, attached to the larger,
and dEawigs , Sg g4l1ht IT, csrsl.dew
An Mixing - >. a., H. u - 4
disc to be expected, undersA4e
stances, could but fash through AZ
mind, together with a IRE vivid corr
seriousness of the only oRsse open forS
him-to cry out, rec "rdless of conse-
ouences 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.
CTO BE CONTINUED)