Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-03-10
CHAPTER x1-continued.

r,tIAPTFR XI-COntinued.
soor was close by. Would that
IA reach It But those heavy chains
As.d any such possibility. I looked
81 some means of escape from my
buds ,,, ,,o ,to
tiny surgical instrument which
y - them must have dropped. 1t looked
.rte button hook but was much
.,r and It's point was sharpened A
sr.d times in my boyhood days had l
IN, locks with button hook
,,d hut reach that little OF of pol
"a "a" steel I might yet effect at least a
temporary escape -. 1T, >
,hat by reaching one hand as far
iounu could my fingers still fell an inch
eul S ~ the coveted instrument. 1t was
tne,si,,ingl ~ Stretch every fiber of my
,naas would could not quite make IT,
p'ne p'anle,sst I turned about and extended one
sst toward the object
~ heart came to my throat I could
u Il ,onch the thing But suppose that in
Mont 10 drag II toward me / should
@dsrtally shove it still fur,ner away
~ thus entirely out OF reach Cold
.rsat broke out upon me.
slowly and cautiously / made the eff
a.. NV toes dropped upon the cold
vi GRADUALLY worked it toward me
as,Ii felt that It was within reach of my
s.rd and a moment later / had turned
.ho1t and the precious thing was in my
nasp
u,bar lock that held my chain. II was
selhly simple. A child might have
licked II, and moment later | was free.
The Mahars were now evidently COM
,,s,inr their work ut the table. one al
,,sdy had turned away and was cxamin-
M other victims. evidently with the intcn-
iIon OF selecting the next subject.
those at the table had their backs
Inward me. But for the creature walking
.oward US might have escaped that
moment.
slowly the thing approached me, when
ss attention was attracted by huge
,laye chained a few yards to my right
uere the reptile stopped and commenced
10 70 over the poor devil carefully, and
As Il did so. its back turned toward me
for an instant. and in that instant | gave
too mighty leaps that carried me out of !
thc chamber into the corridor beyond. !
down which raced with all the speed ! |
could command.
Where l was or whittier | was going | /
.new not. My only thought was to place I
as much distance as possible between me !
and that frightful chamber Of torture.
Presently ! reduced my speed to n |
brisk walk, and later realizing the dan
rer Of running into some new prediCa-
nent were | not careful, | moved more
,owly and cautiously still.
After a time came to passage that
,eened in some mysterious way familiar
. me, and presently CHANGING to glance
yithn chamber which led from the cor
idor | saw three Mahars curled up in
lumber upon a bed of skins.
could have shouted aloud in joy and
elief II was the same corridor. and
ere were the same Mahars that / had
tended to have lead so important role
our escape from Phutra. Providence
I'd indeed been kind to me, for the rep
les still slept.
Ny one great danger now lay i'm re-
Irning to the upper levels in search of
erry and Ghak, but there was nothing
Sc to be done, so | hastened upward.
When / came to the frequented por-
,ns Of the building found II large bur
led to my head carrying them in such
way that ends and corners fell down
out my shoulders, completely hiding
: face, Thus disguised, l found Perry
d Ghak together in the chamber where
had been wont to eat and sleep.
Both were glad to see me, it is need
$ to say though of course they had
own nothing of the fate that had been
ted out to me after my trial by the
iges.
L was decided that no time should now
lost before attempting to put our plan
escape to the test as l could not hope
remain hidden from the Sagoths long,
! could / forever carry that bale of
ms about upon my head without arous-
suspicion. ;
iowever it seemed likely that it would
ny me once more safely through the
wded passages and chambers Of the
yer levels, and so l set out with Perry
Ghak-the stencil of the illy-cured ;
Is fairly choking me.
ogether we repaired to the first tier of
rdors beneath the main floor of the !
ding, and here Perry and Ghak halted ,
wait me.
ne buildings are cut out of the solid !
sslone formation. There is nothing at
remarkable about their architecture. .
ne rooms are sometimes rectangular
eumes circular, and again oval in '
Pc The corridors which connect them
narrow and not always straight The
nbers are lighted by diffused sun Q
rejected through tubes similar to
{ py which the avenues are lighted. 7
ne lower the tiers of chambers, the
Ser' Most of the corridors are en- o
y unlighted. The Mahars can see n
well in semidarkness.
own TO the main floor we encountered
mahars. Sagoths and slaves but II
llen'lon was paid us, as we had be-
part Of the domestic life of the
i'hs, There was but a single en- D
&C leading from the place into the t
, iae, and this was well guarded by ~
y 'sns, Thls doorway alone were we
d to pass. e.
Is true that we were not supposed h
aer the deeper corridors and apart
: except on special occasions when
e instructed to do so; but as we
considered lower order without in
'enoe there was little reason to fear T
NC could accomplish any harm by so
~ !, anu ~ SO we were not hindered as we
" 'pe corridor which led below.
,spped ~ In skin carried three
4 and the two bows, with the arrows
lerry and had fashioned. As
! saves bore skin-wrapped burdens
= lto my load attracted no comment.
'sls left Ghak and Perry there
hs no other creatures in sight. and so
LEV l.al one sword from the package,
'psavlhg the balance of the weapons
Iey started on alone toward the
,s' ssEsls Tor my dangerous enterprise.
ssus ss come to the apartment in which l
~ Mahars slept entered silently
,.,,l forgetting that the creatures
''iout the sense OF hearing.
y quick thrust through the heart on