Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-23

a crevice of rock among some trees.
through the leaves of which he could
clearly see the distant mass of stone
which rose in solitary dignity, an island
above the mists of the valley. grim
relic of an age when such a situation
meant isolation and impregnability.
Indeed, it scarcely seemed less impreg-
nable now, for upon two sides at least,
the cliffs rose sheer from the gorge
until they We're Joined by the heavy
they joined the walls of the crenelated
towers and bastions. In the center OF
the mass of buildings rose the square
solid mass of the keep. with its
inclosed within the gray walls. He
marked the dim lines of road which
assembled from the valley upon. the
because of the vegetation which grew
luxuriantly on the hillsdes.
He studied this approach to the castle
most attentively-the straight reach of
wall built to span a branch of the gorge
beyond, perhaps, two hundred feet long
and six hundred wide. This was the main
entrance to the castle, a narrow cause
way, that terminated at the gate where
he marked drawbridge now raised,
which hung by chains to the heavy walls
above.
The only means of access? Perhaps,
and if the gate were guarded, impossible
by night as well as day. But Renwick
was not sure that there was no other
means of ingresS. To the leii of the
keep. and on level with the top of the
long curtain of wall, the building fell
away in ruins. for portions of old
bastions were missing, and there was
breach in the northern wall, which had
tumbled outward over the plecipice into
the ravine below.
AS daylight came Renwick watched
the windows and ramparts intently. There
was no sign of life, but remembering
that here there was no need for early
rising, he waited patiently, gazing stead
lily through the leaves across the valley.
At last his patience was rewarded, Tor
from building in the courtyard near
the central mass he made out a thin
pale blue line which ascended straight
into the sky. Smoke Breakfast was
cooking. His heart gave a leap There
were no devils in Schloss Szolnok-but
Goritz In short while. still watch
| ing intently, he saw figure pass from
| the gate toward the main buildings,
where it disappeared Renwick would
| have given the remainder or mis- nun
| dred-kroner notes for good pair OF
! field glasses, by which it might haNe
been possible to distinguish the identity
of any figure that could be seen. But
| he realized that he had accomplished
! the object of his visit, for the raised
| drawbridge indicated that whoever occu-
| pied the castle seclusion was important
!
| to warrant closer ilveHti tigat!on, RenWlrk
moved slowly along the mountainside
nto the gorge. under the cover If rocks
and underground, slowly descending
toward the road. with the idea of cross
ing the stream and climbing the rugged
cliff beyond, from which he could gain
nearer view of the northern and ruined
end of the castle.
But after an hour of careful progress,
as he reached a projection of rock which
] blip no hpl o
suddenly listening. For he heard the
sound of voices, a rumble of wheels. and
the creaking and clanking of heavy
metallic objects. The sounds came
| nearer, swelling in proportion, now
| clearly dstingushable and so lying fiat
upon his stomach, he parted the bushes
at the edge of the rock and peered over
| There was cloud of dust and the
| clatter of iron-shod boots against the
flints of the road, and in a moment he
made out long ranks Of soldiers. march
ing rapidly to the northward into the
| pass. Renwick knew that the northern
| guarded, for his host had told him that
many soldiers had gone through during
the weeks before; but the sight Of these
| Nurrying men. the shrouded guns which
| numbered amid them, and the long line
of motortrucks and wagons which fol.
| lowed, gave Renwick a notion tina
events of military Importance were pend-
| ing in the Galician plain beyond he
| tried TO form some lued Oi tHc
of men that passed. A regiment-two
three, our-artillery-three batteries al
! least For an hour or more they passed
and then at last. silence and solitude
Although adequately disguised, Rem
wick was in no position to be stopped
and searched, for If he wore no marks
of Identification, his automatic, and the
money pinned in his trousers lining,
would have made him an object of sus-
picion, the more so in a country where
soldiers We're moving in so precarious a
military situation.
| And so he descended slowly, hiding in
a copse at the base of the rocks, where
he waited for a while listening, and then
peered cautiously out Then matching
his footsteps to those Of the soldiers, he
crossed the road obliquely and plunged
through the bushes down over the rocks
to the bed of the Dukla. where he waited
and listened again, crossing the stream
at last by fallen tree and reaching