The Argosy, Vol. 61, No. 4 — page 34: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

592 ' But, as his wife rushed to him with a glad cry, I clasped Nellie in my arms, and did not hear the guy. between the others. “Bob! Bob!” cried Nellie, and her head went down on my breast and she burst into tears. Great sobs shook her lithe frame, and I thought her heart would pound itself through her ribs. At last, however, I managed to quiet her, and turned my attention to the other two. ‘“ Rest a moment,” I said. ‘‘ We are very fortunate. ‘The governor was in a generous mood, and gave an order for your release. As soon as you are ready to start, we will proceed to Amalpa. I think we can get some kind of a ship there; if not at Amalpa, we will go on to La Union.” ‘Ah, let us start,” said Mrs. Innors. “We can go slowly. At any cost, let us get away as soon as possible from this hateful place.” She had risen. I had helped Innors to his feet. I had turned to Nellie to tell her we were ready. Suddenly there was a great turmoil outside. Loud and angry voices. Curses and blood-curdling threats. The clank- ing of scabbards on the stone fioor. Then the door was thrown open. ‘Where are they? Where is 4e—the vile Americano who held me at a pis- tol’s point? Ah, cartion! I'll show you now.” It was Savanilla. the alcaid, a dozen soldiers, governor’s staff. Innors sank back with a moan. Mrs. Innors fainted. Nellie turned to me with a white and terrified face. “He tied me! He filled my mouth with vile stuff!’ roared the exasperated governor. ‘Had not one of my staff been suspicious, these pigs of Americanos would have got away. Take these three back to their dungeons. And this fel- low—pig that he is—put him in one of the worst. He shall be shot with the other. Obey!” I tried to speak, but there was no use. And struggling would merely have re- sulted in my death, leaving Nellie and her parents with no one to act. I submitted, and was half led and Behind him came and the THE ARGOSY. half dragged to a dungeon. My heart was heavy. A moment more, and we would have been safe. CHAPTER IX. A LINK WITH HELP. I HAD heard Savanilla say that I was to be put in the worst dungeon. So far as I could see, the order had been strict- ly obeyed. The hole they gave me was about six feet long, four feet wide, and just high enough for me to touch the top. It was as bare of furniture as I was of hope that moment. The floor was damp and unclean, the air foul. When I say that rage welled up with- in me, it reads as if I said I laughed with glee. In all the lexicons I ever saw, there are no words that could ade- quately express my emotions. I imagined Nellie and Mrs. Innors in such a place. ‘They may have had bet- ter light and air, but I knew their suf- ferings must be most acute. As for In- nors, I looked upon him as already dead. But the more I raged the more deter- -mined I was to make a fight for my life at least. A fight! What chance had I to make a fight? But it was im- possible for me to lie supinely down in that filth and wait for the intelligent officials to get ready to shoot me. I remembered that Innors was not to be shot until he was well enough. I could not exactly reason the thing out, but supposed there was some accursed diabolism about it. So I resolved to be- come sick when anybody came for me. I had been stripped of everything, so shooting was out of the question. I went all around the cell, examining every inch of it, but to no purpose. There was not the sign of a crack that indicated a loose stone. The decay of age had not weakened the walls. The first person who opened the door of my cell was an imposing-looking offi- cial, with a sword as long as himself. He found me huddled in a heap in a corner, where I had thrown myself when I heard the bolt. ‘“‘ Prisoner, rise,” he commanded. I merely groaned. He came over to me and gave me a kick. ECO OO (Cc (©