The Holly chieftain., 1916-05-05
81 am, sir; my names Kelly"

You used US all right when thar
wus fghtin' ter do"
That's enough, Kelly. l didn't use
you-Moran did: and you can go to
him with your complaints. l know
how you treat prisoners. and would
hang the whole Of you. II I had my
way. Now get out, and don't answer
me-those are your orders. Lieuten.
ant Raymond"
"He was here q minute ago. sir"
voice answered from the vestibule,
"but he went outside. think he was
touched little in one arm"
"Pity is wasn't in the mouth; has
anyone seen a woman?"
No one answered.
mo! That's strange! Here Green,
way along the walls; Jasper. make q
light of some kind-who wants me?
Colonel Moran? Tell him l am the
only officer present, and can't leave.
BY God! The place is shambles!"
The searching party was to the right
of me. against the black shadow of
the wall. This was my chance. my one
and only chance to slip away unob-
served. In five minutes more the
searching party would find me there,
and bear me along with the others.
wriggled out from under the weight of
the body lying across my legs, and
CROPPED about in the dark until my fin.
gers encountered the ring embedded
in the floor. The light Of the sputter.
ing torch still left the pulpit platform
Of the church, his sharp voice rasping
out orders. got to my knees, and
lifted the trap barely far enough to
squeeze through. There was a CLEAN
of light below; sufficient to reveal the
dark outline, of the steps leading down.
Some eye might distinguish the glim-
mer yet thrust my body through the
narrow opening noiselessly, and low
cred the cover to the floor level.
There was no cry, no sound indicat.
ing that the movement had been OBJ
served. waited an instant, crouched
breathlessly on the upper step, listen
ing. My eyes surveyed those contract
ed surroundings curiously. The candle.
mere fragment, burned dimly in one
corner. revealing what appeared to be
the interior of huge box. with q
platform built half across it, its outer
edge protected by low rail. A small
wheel ingeniously arranged to operate
lever, occupied one end of the plat
form, and directly across was an open
ing In the side wall next the floor.
barely large erough for a mans body
to squeeze into. Nothing else was
visible; no evidence left Of the two
who had already passed that way.
slipped down the steps, lowered
my body silently to the damp floor. I
entered the hole head first. dragging
and pushing with hands and feet, eager
to get quickly into the open. Almost
before l realized the possibility, my
head and shoulders emerged into the
outer air and hung suspended over
rock ledge. staring blindly down in.
to the unknown depths of a ravine.
The ledge itself was barely wide
enough to afford foothold. yet l sue
ceeded in creeping out upon it, and
then in standing upright. The shoul-
der Of the hill was sufficiently steep
and high to shut out all view OF the
log walls Of the church, while below
was black void, out from which
arose the faint splashing of distant
water. But the church itself must
have been lit up by this time, for
reddish glow of light tipped the bank
above, and bridged the dark ravine.
The rock ledge extended to the right,
a fairly smooth path, and followed 1t
cautiously, finding no other available
passage. 1t led gradually downward,
until 1t seemed to merge into beaten
track, running directly south through
tangle OF underbrush not far above
the stream. The way was intensely
black, yet not difficult to follow by the
sense of touch, while the incessant
roar Of the nearby water blotted out all
sound from above Once l heard the
crack of guns. but they sounded at q
distance, and, looking up, l could per.
ceive the red reflection on the trees
lining the bank far above. But for
these was plunged in black soil.
tude, through which I must grope my
way, each step liable to plunge me
into uncertain peril. A hundred yards,
two hundred, and the trail swerved
more to the right. and began to mount
upward. zig-zagging among the trees
Slowly, cautiously, my head arose
above the crest, and the moon, Just
peeripg out from behind the edge of a