The Dolores star. [volume] (Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo.) 1901-current, 1914-10-16

time intO NOME ter worse Ouu8cOn
How had he dared 70 hopei The en-
trance was closed, overgrown, the
masonry had grown solid with years
and dampness.
| CHAPTER XVIII.
The Peasant Guide.
He flashed out the saber and des.
perately he slid II this way and that
about the great stone, trying to md
a crack. something TO loosen, some
thing that would give. And while he
worked in fever. In chill. he 70
membered Pictro's letter.
Then he set down the candle end on
q shelf and with trembling fingers
drew on his coat and drew out the hid
den papers. Tho wet from his bath In
the water-butt had stained them lit
tie. but only . little. for they were
carefully wrapped iu the bit Of oIlskin
in which they had come Ne unfolded
the letter.
III you will press the lower corner
on the left-hand side" Pietro said
the lower corner!"
And he had been concentrating all
his efforts. all his despair, on the mp
per corner. When It ID . question Of
life and death . man II superhumanly
strong and quick sometimes. but he h
also sometimes forgetful. It II an ex-
citing and confusing thing. likely, TO
BE- working for life and liberty after
Aw~ w.mr~ - frno-a.ruu>u E~ou r1ta
pushed the lower left-hand corner and
like magic the great block above
swung ont. With his lighted candle
end In his hand he slipped through
and turned and swung back the door
into place and turned again and faced
blackness. Marrow. low. cold black
ness. Quickly enough. however. with
good courage. with his heart thump-
ing out . song OF hope. which he had
kept down sternly till now. he walked.
q times STOPPING low - he must. BE-
canse Of the descent. down the secret
rod Of the old zappis. His candle
hsl1 tDrward. he could see few feet
aAeol. but Ill he could see was huge
blocks Of rough stone. green with
mold. water dripping between them.
The cir be breathed WAS heavy and
thick: through his wet clothes he felt
chill - d the grave. But what mat
tsred the road. when the road led TO
frssacmf
Suddenly II came to him that the
passage might b blocked. II vas ysars
sincs Pietro had been through II:
some Of the stones might have fallsa
~ vealA take vesy littls TO close -
narrow . way. With an anxiety which
was physical pain. with brsathless
saserness now. be hurried on. He had
b stop 70 light his second candle:
again he hurried on. Would the end
mover come! Was any mistake pos
sible3 with that he stumbled against
something and fell. and the candle
Jew from his hand and was put out:
witAia hoarse sroan he threw out an
arm to steady himself. TO rise: his
hand went through . yielding. prickly
mass: . slimmer came In past IT.
lisht-the end!
Pushing. crashing. staggering
through. he came into strange place.
Il was a. II . giant had taken . huge
spoon and scooped out the top Of the
earth deep, very deep. All Of this
great hollow was filled with trees and
tangled underxrowth. II was fall OF
vague shadows In the glimmer OF the
earliest dawn. Francois. standing
there sobbing. CHASTITY with palsncss.
with matted hair and wild-staring eyes
and gasping mouth and wet torn
clothes. WAS q At demon for the haunt
I'd spot. He cav nothing. no one; with
that there was . soft swapping Of
twigs and . movement In the darkness
farthest from him; . movement toward
him. Tottering he crawled to meet Il:
In another second the shadows had
shaped Into hgures-a peasant boy on
Q horse. leading another horse.
Then he stood close 10 them. and
the boy. leaning over without . word
put something into his hand. and Fran
coils, swaying With exhaustion. saw
that Il was Z flask. He took . long
swallow Of cognAc and his chilled blood
leaped. and with that he had caught
the bsidle from the lad and was u the
saddle.
In tho shadows Of trees. In . loasly
lana, tho peasant boy stopped his
horse buddenly and made . short 90.
tnse toward the flask sticking oct Of
vraacots' coat pocket. His strength
vas going again; II was exactly the
right nomene Anoshsr swallow d
hrandy and he rode on with IRISH
cournko. Nut eomothin9 In tho ~.