The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-11-02

ceased 8 serpent IN the TY&&HAH8&WV pHt8N ~
: 4: rs s: !. i: s; + : ': :':;: -,
smith" I said. scarce M&&
" recognizing my own M0
voice. Il can't bear this 49,
suspense; He intends 10 ~
XIII US, that is certain;
but
Don't worry" came
the reply; he intends to
learn our plans hrst."
~Yoa mean"
You heard him speak of his nIes and of his wire
Jacket
aoh. my God" I groaned. Can this be England?"
Smith laughed dryly. and heard him fumblng with
the steel collar about his neck.
4 have one great hope he said. since you share my
captivity, but we must neglect no minor chance. Try
With your pocket knife If you can force the lock. ! am
trying to break this one
Truth to tell, the idea had not entered my half-dazed
mind. bat Immediately acted upon my friends sugges-
ton. setting to work with the small blade of my knife. 1
was so engaged, and. having snapped one blade, was
-a1sQnt 10 omen another. when a sound arrested me--lt
cane from beneath my feet.
SMITH l whispered Listen"
The seraplng and clicking which told OF Smiths efforts
ceased. Motonless. We sat in that humid darkness and
listened.
Something was moving beneath the stones Of the cell
lar. / held my breath; every nerve in my body was strung
A line Of light showed a few feet from where we lay.
1t wtdened-hecame an oblong, A trap was lifted, and
within a yard of me. there rose a dimly seen head. Hor-
ror had expected-and death, or worse. Instead l sa" d
lovely face, crowned with a disordeFed mass OF CURING
hair; 1 saw a white arm upholding the stone slab, a
shapely arm clasped about, the elbow by a broad gold
bangle.
The girl climbed into the cellar and placed a lantern
on the stone floor. In the dim light she was unreal-a
figure from an opium vision. with her clngins SILK
draperies and sartsh jewelfy, with her bare feet encased
IN little red slippers. 1t was difacu't to believe that we
We're. in modern. up-to-date England, easy to dream mat
We were oaptves of a caliph in a dungeon of cid Basdad'
MY prayers are answered said Smith softly. She
has come-to save youf'
SSH warned the girl, and her wonderful eyes opened
widely. fearfully. "A sound and he viii kill us all
She bent over me: a key Jared iii tAe lock WHICH ha
broken my penknife~and the collar was off, As rose 10
my feet the gin turned and released Smith. She raised
the lantern above The trap aud signed to US 10 descend
the wooden steps which its light revealed.
Your knife" she whispered to me. Leave 1t on the
floor. He viii think you forced the locks Down! @uie"
Maryland Smith disappeared into the darkness. l rapid
ly followed, Last of all came our mysterious trent q
gold Band about one OF her ankles cleaning III ,"e rays "
the lantern which she carried We stood in a 10" afenea
passage.
Tie your handkerchlefs over your eyes and do ez-
actly as / tell your she ordered.
Neither Of US hesitated TO obey her Bhndfolaea' l
allowed her to lead me. and smith rested his hand upon
my shoulder. In that order we pfoeeeded' II came ~
stone steps. which we assembled,
Keep to the wall on the leftE' came a Whisper
There IS danger on the right
win my free hand / felt for and found the wall. and
We Pressed forward. The atmosphere Of the place thfoaSh
which we were passing was steafny and loaded vita an
oaor ike that Of exotic plant hte. Bnt a ialh' a""iAt
scent crept to my nostrils, too. and there was a s'paAeu
stir about me. Infinitely neutrality-suspicious.
Now my feet sank In a soft carpet and a curtain
brushed nay shoulder. A gong sounded. We stopped
The din OF distant drumming came to my ears.
Where in heavens name are We Missed StMth N
my ear THAT is a tom-tom"'
Ssh! SSH
The lttle hand erasping mine quivered nerVousiy
We we're near a door or a window. for a breath OF per
fume was waited through the air; and It reminded me or
nv other meetings with the beautiful woman VINO was
now leading us from the house Of Fu-Manchuf VINO "lth
ner own lips, had told me that she wss his slave. Through
The horrible phantasmagoria she hitted-a seductive VISION
ber piqQant loneliness standing out richly in it's black
setting of murder and devltry. Not once, but a thousand
trims had tried to reason out the natul OI le tS
which bound her 10 the stalster doctor
sileace feL
quick! This way"
Dawn a thickIy carpeted stair we went Our guide
upened Z door and led us along a passage. Another door
was opened, and we were in the open air. But the girl
fresh breeze blowing IN my face. ana along >in'it an9ls,
takably, stood upon the river, bank. NO pianklns
creaAed to our tread and, lookins do"nwatd esAsath tae
handkerchief, saw the gleam OF watei oeneath N ~
BE careful" 1 was warned. and found myself step
ping NJ "a a n snI2S fo lowe . pa and the girl pushed the punt
off and poied out into TIE stream
My brain was fevered. / scarce knew II / dreamed
and was awaking, or IL the reality ended with. my I'M
fiadf5ided. upon the river. with a girl for our guide. who
mlgbi have stepped out Of the pages Of The Arabian
indeed, / began seriously 70 doubt II this stream
Whereon We noated. whose waters FLASHED ana tnkled
about US, were the Thames, the Ilgris or the Styx
"Yoa viii hear a clock strike In q few minutes " said
the girl. with her soft. charming accent. But / rely upon
your honor not 70 remove the handkerchiefs until then
I'VE do said smith fervently.
/ heard him serambiins TO the 3ank' ana a moment
,5lsL 4 % a0t 70 t ssns n Tas Arrived s 4 on anh ne bank. sill still held
The girls hand. ORA wing her towaIa me. .ura au ~.
2Het M g1t8 she said, .asphen once 1 asked yeu %
sshs a NJ iaon ON pe 4 psross : ~. You Would lei them