Show ictor rousseau pivot WO chapman CHAPTER 13 the hidden chamber simon turned just in time the wheel went crashing to the floor and bounded and rebounded out of the room and along the little hall phil ppe jumped in terror from the place where be crouched and then the last strand broke and I 1 was free to slip the cords from my limbs you old fool I 1 screamed leroux catching by the wrists but charles ducharne Duch alne possessed the strength of a madman he grasped leroux round the waist and clung to him and would not be shaken off kill him ahe screamed lie Is a apy I 1 ue has come to betray me to the government what followed was the work of a moment I 1 saw pull down both broadswords broad swords from the wall she flung one down beside me just as I 1 was staggering to toy feet lerowe off the old man at he turned on me I 1 swung the sword aloft and brought it down upon his skull heaven knows I 1 struck to kill but my alst was feeble from the ropes and the blade fell flat it drew no blood but leroux dropped like a stricken ox upon the floor this way capped gapped the old man lie pulled at arm and halt led and half dragged her through the open door behind his chair I 1 fol lowing lacroix sprang into the room calling but whether to us or to the other ruffians I 1 did not know leroux eat up and looked about him dazed and bewildered then I 1 was in the little room with lne and ducharne Duch alne and he turned and bolted the door behind us he seemed possessed att all the strength and derision of youth again when I 1 stood there before the room lad been as dark as pitch but now a nicker of light was at the far end A voice cried Ms lerl I 1 have not fop gotten thee I 1 it was alerre caribou I 1 saw his figure against the light of the flaring candle which he held in his hand ducharne Duch alne had placed one arm about hla daughters waist and was urging her along but she stopped and doted back to me I 1 baw she held one broadsword in her band ns I 1 held the other come monsieur I 1 she gasped 1 I am going back I 1 answered fumbling tor the bolt ducharne Duch alne had drawn no I 1 we are safe inside it Is a secret room my father made it in the first days of his sojourn here in 1 struck to kill daae he were pursued and none but alerre and be knew the secret ah come monsieur cornel but I 1 meant to kill leroux and felt for the bolt As I 1 fumbled there the door suddenly and out then I 1 yielded reluctantly to jacque lines bott violence I 1 followed be through the dark chamber under ai archway of stone and through a wind ang passage in the rock alerre Pl erre flickered before us and in an other moment we had squeeze i through n narrow opening into a chain her in tho cliff on ane ground acre five or sl large stones and alerre began to fl hem into the aperture through hb ic la a minute the olac i ate A was completely sealed and we four stood and looked breathlessly at one another within what might have been a cenotaph the chamber seemed at one time to have been prepared for such a contingency tin gency as had occurred for there were wool rugs on the stone floor though they had rotted and partly als integrated from the dampness M ducharne Duch alne he make this place in case govoent gov ment come take him ex alerre as be placed the rugs no can find no can break down stone door other way simon not know only and me old caribou he come that way he see you tied and know it time to come here soon time to kill simon come as well when in heavens name will it come I 1 cried come soon his deable tell me answered alerre caribou 1 I go now he announced tomorrow I 1 come for you take all through tunnel you stay here till I 1 come all sleep till morning 1 I will go with yon alerre I 1 said still under my obsession but he laid hla heavy hand upon my arm and pushed me away you no kill simon he answered why you no kill him again when you have sword only deable can kill him when time come deable tell old caribou you sleep now I 1 go for take my woman and gal safe through tunnel to place I 1 know when my v oman and gal safe I 1 come back to and mam selle I 1 lay down the silence v as lonell nesa itself and not rendered less lonely by the occasional cries of the old man and the drip drip of water I 1 could not see anything and jacque allne might have been a woman of stone for she made not the least movement at last I 1 spoke to her lne 1 I 1 heard her start and knew that she had raised her head and was looking after me I 1 crawled toward her dragging my blanket after me I 1 felt in the darkness for the place where I 1 knew her band must be and took it in mine lne 1 I 1 said again ah M hewlett the weariness in her voice went to my heart it might have been so different if if what lne if there had not been the blood of a dead man between us she moaned if you had not killed him I 1 iier words were a revelation to me for I 1 learned that she had mercifully been spared the full remembrance of what had happened in the tenth street apartment she thought that it was I 1 who had killed louis devernay dE pernay and how could I 1 deny this when to so would be to bring to her mind the knowledge of her own dreadful guilt the hours wore away and we three lay there two waiting and one dreaming of the old days of youth no doubt I 1 tried to light the candle to see the time but my shaking hand sent it flying across the cae and when I 1 searched for my matches I 1 found that the box was empty it seemed an eternity since wo bad come there it Is one thing to wait for dawn and quite another thing to wait where dawn will never come I 1 resolved to follow the exit for a little distance to see whither it led and it I 1 could discover the light of day so I 1 took my sword and sallied out through the passage in the cliff I 1 bad only proceeded a few steps when the air grew cold and sweet and before I 1 had traversed two hun dred yards I 1 saw a dim light in the distance this was no candle light but that of day so I 1 had endured all those agonies of mind with the open air but a short distance away I 1 1 aa I 1 advanced I 1 fancied that I 1 heard the soft pattering of feet behind me I 1 halted and listened intently I 1 crouched against the wall and waited but I 1 heard nothing now except the distant roaring of the cataracts how sweet they sounded now I 1 I 1 listened intently leaning against the wall and facing backward holding my sword ready to meet any intruder but there was no sound from within except the soughing which one hears in a tunnel and satisfied at last that I 1 had been the victim of an over wrought imagination I 1 pursued my course but I 1 had not gone six paces before I 1 beard a scream that still rings in my ears today and a shadow sprang out of the darkness and rushed at me it was old charles ducharne Duch alne ills white hair streamed behind him his face bore an expression of indelible horror and rage and in his hand he held the other sword he struck at me a great sweeping blow which would almost have cut me in two I 1 had just time to parry it and then he was upon inc ruining blows upon my outstretch ul sword though hta attack was wild th vigor of his alowa almost beat down my guard t last a random blow ol 01 mine swept the weapon from his feeble old hand and sent it whirling down the cataract into the lake below then he was at my throat and it was fortunate that there was firm rock instead of slippery ice beneath us or we should both have followed the sword calm yourself for heavens bake monsieur I 1 I 1 gasped as I 1 gained a momentary advantage over him don t you know roe I 1 am your friend I 1 want to save youl you shall not take me I 1 have done nothing I 1 it was years ago 1 let me go I 1 let me go I 1 he screamed I 1 released him for a moment hoping that ats disordered brain would calm enough for him to recognize me and that when he saw my motives were peaceful he would grow quiet but suddenly with a final howl he sprang past me sweeping me against the wall and leaped out on the ledge I 1 held my breath I 1 expected to see him stagger to his death below but he stood motionless in the middle of the little platform and stretched out his arms toward the raging torrent as though in invocation then he leaped across with the agility of a wild sheep and rushed on into the tunnel beyond I 1 started back keeping this time to the right side of the tunnel until I 1 heard the gurgling of the brook then I 1 heard footstep who Is it she called wildly M hewlett 1 I 1 caught her as she swayed toward me he has gone lne I 1 bald 1 I went into the tunnel to try to find he struck at me the way lie had been feigning sleep and he crept after me I 1 tried to stop him he was so frightened that I 1 thought it best to let him go he ran on into the tunnel we must find him she said he will come back lne he will neer come back I 1 she answered he must have been planning this and waiting for me to bleed bleep he may be hiding somewhere we must search for him let us go then lne 1 I answered I 1 led her back into the tunnel on what was to be I 1 hoped our final boup ncy we reached the ledge the star had faded now and the whole sky was bright with the red clouds of dawn at length I 1 saw daylight ahead of me and there was no pound of the torrents I 1 left lne in the cave for a few and went into the smaller one near by where I 1 had seen the provisions on the preceding days I 1 found a small box of hard biscuit with which I 1 stuffed the pockets of my coat and happier still a small revolver and some cartridges to which I 1 helped myself liberally then I 1 went back to lne Jacquel lne I 1 said let us go on perhaps your father Is on his way outside the tunnel we cannot go without my father she answered shaking her head in determination lne I 1 eald if we can find your father you will come with me because it has occurred to me I 1 went on that it he had come this way hla footprints would be in the mud beside the stream it would take an hour or two for them to fill up again so perhaps he did not come this far but Is biding in some cave la the tunnel through which wa came will you wait for me here while I 1 go back and search 1 she nodded and I 1 went back into that interminable tunnel again TO BE CONTINUED |