The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-09-10
Gont1nued.1

.-No1, this . -..-5ti.It.ss'' he went on. You are trapped like rats. We have only to wall up the entrance or build a fire in front of it and you will die.'
 Ut is better to die even so,' I re- piled, than to live with men like you"
 You are foolI' he excIa imed.
 He dropped down on his knees as he spoke, and I could see his face in the opening. but too far away for me to swing my ax. If it were my last eff fort I was determined that I would get him, and so I waited.
 Don't lose the swordr' I cried to my lady across the chamber, where her white face stared at me out of the dimness-
 .I shall not she answered undaunt- edly.
 Then lifted the ax and waited for Master Pimball and his men to come Dn. But he had a better plan. Bullets and powder they had in plenty, and he knew from the fact that I had thrown my pistols at them that I had none left. With a deafening roar a storm of bullets from a dozen weapons swept into the cave. I leaped back. I had to or should have been shot where stood. Of the way thus opened they took advantage, and under cover of a second vol1ey they entered. Well, it was all up. All I could do was to leap upon them as they rose, and7
 But at that moment the Solid rock beneath my feet began to sway. It was as if had been instantly trans lated to the deck of a tossing ship. stood rooted to the spot trying to main tain a balance. Pimba1l had lifted himself Lpon one knee and was almost clear of the entrance, but he, too, stop ped appalled,. A sickening feeling of apprehension that all the savages on earth could not inspire came over me. My mistress screamed faintly. The na- lives outside broke into terror stricken shouts and cries; on oath burst from the lips of the leader of the nutineers.
 The next moment, with a crash like a thousand thunder peals, the earth was rent in twain.
 The earthquake shook that rocky island like a baby's cradle. A great mass or rock over the entrance fell With another roar like the first the cliff was riven in every direction. The noise outside eased. The men with Pimban were ground to death. Upon his legs lay fifty feet of broken rock. Darkness, total and absolute, sue ceeded the dim light. l remember real iZing that the attack had failed aHd then something struck me. Down upon the wet, still quivering sand I fell and knew no more.
 Water, icy cold. trickling upon me from some spring, opened in the wall by the earthquake presently brought me to myself. I lay for a moment lis tening. 1 could hear nothing at first, but in a little while deep groan and then a faint whispered prayer came to me
 I strove desperately to collect my senses, and finally I realized where I was-the cave. the battle, the earth quake. Pimball and the woman!
 Mistress Lucy!'' I cried.
 "Oh, thank Godr' her voice came through the darkness hystericalIy, T thought you were ki1led.''
 ''No,'' I answered, slowly rising to my knee and stretching my members to see if had control of them, which, fortunately, soon discovered I had. 'T was stunned but otherwise I be- Iieve am not much hurt. How is it with you?"
 "I am well and unharmed."
 ''Thank Godp'
 'fFor heavens sake, water,' inter rupted a trembling hoarse, anguished voice.
 "Who speaks ?' asked.
 '1, Pimball, I am pinned to the ground, my legs are crushed, my back Is broken, I am dying"
 There should be lantern here,' said. 'T placed tt-let me think where did place it?"
 ''It was just to the left of the open ing" answered my little mistress.
 was turned around and giddy, but I managed to fix the direction of the entrance by Pimbalrs groans and by good fortune presently found the Ian tern. It would burn but q few hours, but we never needed a light we did then My flint and steel I carried ever in my pocket, and to ktndle a iickering flame was but the work of a moment If I had not possessed it I would have given years of my life for that light which threw a faint illumination about the place.
 There, opposite me, where I had sta toned her, protected by a niche in the cave from the rain of rocks which had beaten me down, was my mistress, safe and unharmed. I stepped toward her and-with allow cry of thankful ness she fell into my arms. I soothed her for a moment and then turned to the other occupant of the chamber.