Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1913-07-16

known agility CT his Kind, he scratched.
kicked and had managed 10 get the
others hand in his mouth. when. max
ing an effort to throw Of that ciinging
burden. the Black Seigneur dashed
the dwarf's head violently against the
wooden support OF the place. AT once
all belligerency left the hunchbaek,
and. releasing his hold, he sank 10 the
ground.
An instant the intruder regarded the
inert form; then. going to the door,
latched and locked IL with a key he
found inside. Having thus in a meas
ure secured himself from immediate
interruption without-for anyone try
ing the door would conclude the wheel
room vacant, or that the dwarf slept
there or in the store-house beyond
the Black Seigneur walked to the APP
erture, and reaching up, began to pay
out the rope from a pulley above. AS
he did so, with feet braced, he leaned
over to follow in its descent small
car along the almost perpendicular
planking from the moutk OF the wheel
room to the rocks, several hundred
feet below.
A sudden slackening OF the rope
assurance that the car, at the end OF
the line. had reached the loading
spot below without the fortifications-
and the young man stsaigatsred: 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 fig
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 its feet.
At once was the young mans first 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
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
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 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, tremor
ran through him, while cowardiee, his
besetting quality, long covered by
growl and egotism in his strength and
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 up!" con-
temptuously. And" as the bunch
back obeyed, his crooked legs shaking
in the support of his misshapen frame,
Unto the wheel with you'll"
"The wheell" stammered the dwarf.
"Why-what-"
ITO take a little Of your own medi-
cine! Pardii What voluble fellow!
In with you. or"
With no more words the hunchback,
staggering, hardly knowing what he
did, entered the ancient abbot's ma.
chine fer hosting. But as he started
to 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 with
jeer and whip--arose mockingly be-
fore him. and the homogeneous present
seemed, in contrast, like black wax
ing dream.
That ii was no dream, however, and
that the awakening would never oc.
cur. he well knew. and malevolently
though fearfully he eyed the rope, COM
ing in over the pulley at the aperture:
to be wound around and around by d
smaller wheel. attached to the larger,
and-drawing up what?
An inkling of the sort of merehan-
disc to be expected. under the circum-
stances. could but fash through his
mind, together with more vivid con-
seriousness of the only course open for
him-to cry out, regardless of conse,
quences! Perhaps he might even have
done so. but at that instant-as If the
other had read the thought-came the
cold touch of bare blade on his
neck; and with a sudden chill. the
brief heroic impulse passed.
(Tc BE CONTINUED