The Detroit times., 1914-03-14
CHAPTER NINE.

vacuity ! came slowly back to sense
Of things. My head panied me in
tolerably; II throbbed and roared un.
til my temples seemed like to split.
Yet there was small wonder this
should be SO: indeed. the only won
der was that I lived after the fierce
cudgelling that pair OF DULLES had
given me In the lane.
Ny head was bandaged. and these
bAndases. either from accident or de.
sign. were brought down over my
eyes % that could not see: but for
oil this ! knew there were people
about me-, and that was stretched
out nat on my back on q bed.
sought 70 raise my hand to my head.
but found could scarce lift 1t, while
the mere attempt to do % brought
such added pain to my racked body
that ] could not repress = groan.
This got me immediate notice from
my attendants. whoever they were,
tor steps quickly approached where l
lay. and someone raised my head.
Here, my chicken. take pull at
this" heard = strange voice say.
and . glass was held to my lips.
It contained brandy. as I knew BY
the odor. and took great. thirsty
God! You have given him
enough!" I heard second mans
swiftly after had drunk OF the
brandy all pain left me. My temples
still throbbed, It II true, but the hurt
Of It was not nearly SO great. won
dered where was. thought OF
Mary. and Of the failure Of my plans.
We had been betrayed. doubtless. No
matter, would get word to her pres
ently-presently. My mind seemed
70 dwell on the word, and then sleep.
or Ito counterfeit, came to my senses,
and all was blank.
| Next I heard what sounded like the
distant roar Of cannon; the duh
echoes lifted mo out of the black
depths into which I had fallen, each
surging burst OF sound bringing me
nearer complete consciousness. lis
tened. desperately intent, timing the
reports by the throbbing of my pulse,
and then the reverberations died
away In the distance. and there was
silence.
After another interval, though how
long It endured knew not. / again
issued from my stupor. For = time
! lay scarce on the edge Of conscious
ness, with the black void from which
I had emerged . menace. At first I
had no memory Of any part OF what
had occurred; then, little by little,
recalled how had gone into Al0ers.
gate-st. to my rendezvous with Mary;
next, the fight In the lane came back
to mo. But what had happened to me
since then I could not say.
Presently I became aware OF sounds
which was barely able to distin-
guish as the speech Of men. Some
times this speech was boisterous, and
sometimes It was y mere distant and
confused murmur; but to fix any
meaning to what I heard was beyond
me, though came to understand that
these men, who were always talking
or laughing or singing, we're very near
to me, and that there was q medley
Of other sounds and movements; for
now I seemed raised aloft, and then
I sank, and then I was lifted again;
not Just myself. but the very bed on
which | lay partook Of this move
ment, and all this while there was a
grooming and creaking going ON, now
underneath me. now above me. now
/, ut my side, and with the groaning ana
creaking was q curious rushing sound
to which could Ak no name. Yet It
troubled me not q little for this very
reason; but of all the sounds that
&0rmented me was most aware OF
the voices.
This continued indefinitely, inter.
minably; whether for hours or days
IL could not tell. But at last was
able to catch single words and SEN
fences, and then knew that one
man appeared to be doing most OF
the talking: save for an occasional
word here and there he had 1t all
his own way.
AYE, II CALLED us to be tainted by
those heather, who would sometimes
tell us we were growing fat for want
Of exercise. This, I say, nettled us;
yet to me 1t brought special honor,
for one day a Turkish ofiicer came
from the town under a flag Of truce.
He was taken before our commander.
to whom he delivered his message,
| saying how II WAS reported we would
70 a. we had come, without assault.
| ing the city, and that rather than II
should be said we had had no fight
With them. his Lord Turbeshaw had
| sent him with q challenge to any cap.
tain, with whom he would hight, each
for the others head"
There was q pause, and then: at
| was decided choice should be made
by lot, and to my great pride the LOT
fell to me-"
Here lost my voice, and for a
time could distinguish only q con.
fused murmur, but presently my brain
seemed to clear.
"Our troops were drawn up, leaving
q fair field for the combat, whilst the
walls were crowded by the Turks. At
the sounding Of trumpet we charged.
end had such luck that struck my
opponent through the sights Of his
helmet 40 that he fell TO the ground.
His head I presented to that most
noble and Christian prince, our gen.
oral. who graciously accepted IT,"
In a kind Of heavy stupor I had
| heard all this, but whether the voice
was real or not was unable to say:
indeed, / was almost ready TO for
swear the evidence of my senses, and
count 1t naught but part and parcel
/ of some dream. But the voice went
ON. with an eager. ringing note to it,