The Argosy, June 1904 — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

A DESPERATE DEAL. ol3 He shoved with all his might, but the massive portal did not yield. He stood and looked at it a moment and then went back to the collection of old weapons and curios. Atter clawing over a pile of rubbish in a corner, he found three old-fash- ioned cannon balls of iron. They were each about all he could lift, but he fan- cied that in some way he could use them to burst open that door. It was now evident to his mind that’ he had been locked in there to remain without food, and that was something Mr. Bunker Till of New York was not inclined to do. He stood and looked some time at a long, thin plank, without knowing just how he could use it. But in desperate need one thinks of things, and he drageed the plank out into the larger room. We then examined all the rings and chains, and, haying done some measur- ing, fastened a chain from one ring to another, making it pass the door. Ile stood the plank up on end, set 1t down inside the chain, and slid it backward, leaving the upper end resting on the door. Tle next took up a eannon ball, grit- ting his teeth and grunting with the Ww eight, and, exerting: his gree vat strength to the uimost, he drew hack the upper end of the plank until it formed a semi- cirele, with the chain for the fulerum. Then, holding the cannon ball careful- ly in front of the upper end, he Iet it vo. ‘There was a tremendous crash as the hall struck the door and the plank fol- lowed it. he chain rattled, and the ball, after banging against the door, fell with a ereat clatter to the floor. The door had not opened, but it seemed to have given a little, and Hill felt encouraged. “That door can’t stand any such bombardment as that,” he said. “ T’ll do it again.” Hie readjusted the plank, picked up the cannon ball, and was using his strength to pull back the plank when to his amazement there came to his ears the sound of a key in the lock of the door. lTe paused a moment. 9A Whoever was PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ecomclooolk at the other side seemed to be hav- ing difficulty, but after a time the door opened and a very old man appeared. “Hat? he said in French. “ What does all this mean? You have ruined the lock.” “Wave 1?) That is certainly a pity,” sard dtl, throwing down the cannon ball and removing the plank. “ Pd lke to ruin the whole confounded place.” “But how is this? That you should be in the dungeons strikes me as strange,” went on the old man. “Tt certainly struck me as being strange,” said HilL “But how came you here? understand,’ “What are you?” ican. Caution had come to him, and he did not wish to say too much. ‘“T ain the keeper of the dungeons. But it is many years smee they had prisoner. I do not understand. It was not known that any one was here.” T do not asked the Amer- “Certainly not,” said Hill “M. Alfred Rougiére gave a supper last night to his friends. Did you know that: o*= “T heard that M. Alfred had few etests.” “So he did, and we drank much wine. | was one of them. After the supper M. Alfred took us mto the dun- geons to sce the ancient implements of war, and I fell asleep on a bench. [| was locked in, and was now trying to Iet myself out.” The old man erinned in appreciation, “My name is Pierre,’ he said. “Strange, though, for I am—well, you don’t want to know what I am. You must be hungry.” “T am not exactly famished, but I could eat. The first thing Is to see Alfred.” : “But that is impossible. M. Rou- olére, Mime. Hill, and Alfred all left early this morning.” “What? M. Rougi¢re—Alfred’s fa- ther? And Mme. Marie?” “Why, yes. That was why he gave the supper. They start for a long voy- age, and after they return the young master and madame will be married.” “Did M. Rougiére, the elder, and Mme. Marie sleep here Jast night? ” —- ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED CO