The Argosy, Vol. XXV, No. 1 — page 187: what you’re looking at

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

A MONTH IN THE MOON. 187 of the eight tons of chlorate of potassium, used to furnish the party with oxygen, have been stolen by the captives. It is finally discovered at the bottom of the crater, and Norbert is strongly minded to put the culprits to death, but decides to grant them a respite till they can be brought before a tribunal on the earth. He places them under Kaddour’s surveillance, who declares that he will wall up all the openings of their prison, leaving them only just space enough for breathing purposes. CHAPTER XLIV (Continued).—THE STOLEN CHLORATE. IRGIL, and Kaddour were not long in collecting materials wherewith to close up the prisoners’ breathing hole, till it was no bigger than the port hole of a vessel. The prisoners looked on in horror, terribly afraid that they were to be buried alive. ‘My good friends,’’ said Wagner, in hurried accents, ‘‘ can it be possible that you intend to wall us up alive? ’’ ‘«Since we have only a ton of chlorate left,’’ said Virgil, ‘‘ we must at _ least take care to keep it all for our own use.”’ 7 Wagner and company looked at each other in dismay, and conversed apart in low tones. ‘“We have not destroyed the chlorate,’’ explained Wagner, ‘‘and we are quite ready to indicate its whereabouts, if we are only treated a little better.’ 2 ee ‘Indeed !’’ replied Virgil, plastering on with supreme unconcern. ‘‘ You are too late with that offer. It just happens that we can do without your chlorate.’’ : “‘T am delighted to hear you say so,’’ said Wagner, whose countenance denoted anything but unmixed satisfaction. . ‘‘ In that case, you would surely not punish a harmless offense so severely.’’ ‘“Kverything depends on the intention,’’ said Virgil, as he laid. his first stone. ‘“ But surely you do not really mean to suffocate us?’ cried.Vogel, more and mor terrified. ‘‘ What was your intention in taking away our air?’’ retorted the Alger- ian soldier. The rascals were so ill advised as to turn to Kaddour. ““Sir,’? said Gryphins, ‘‘ will you not intercede for us? We have not the pleasure of knowing you, but we cannot believe that such an odious crime will be perpetrated in your presence.’’ ‘No !’’ shouted the infuriated dwarf, who up to this moment had kept silence with difficulty, out of obedience to Norbert’s instructions. ‘‘ No! You cannot believe that so odious a crime can be perpetrated? Such things do happen, though, sometimes! Have you never heard talk of a certain child who was stolen from his family by two proprietors of a traveling circus, who walled him up for fifteen years in a steel corselet to prevent his grow-. ing? The story was related to me, and I thought I had never heard its equal for. brutality. Shall I tell it to you, Peter Gryphins and Ignaz Vogel ?”’ | The two wretches became perfectly livid; their eyes dilated, and seemed as if starting out of their sockets. CoTpmiclaoolK< (@)