THE BLUE DRAGOONS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 493, 21 August 1912, Page 2

THE BLUE DRAGOONS.

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AK SNDEAN SOLDIER STORY. BY GEORGE MANVILLE PENN. PART 26. Suddenly this was darkened witl cement and pieces of ■ stone driver in like wedges so that now sounding dull and distant carae the blows oi iron bar or hammer, the discordant trumpets and the murmur of the crowd fading away into nothingness. And now came the horrible thought —the air was excluded, how long would it be before suffocation set in ? For a moment Lawrence felt as il he must tear himself from alsa's arms, and run raging round the tomt raving for help, and beating his head against the rough wall till he fell senseless and died. Even already he felt choking, that the air was mephitic, and his senses reeling ; but he was brought back to himself by the voice of Alsa, which, though at his ears almost, sounded, in the intense darkness of that place, far off and feeble. "Freda," she said, gently "lay me down. I am weak—so weak — QOW." He lowered her gently, and threw away the rugged pieces of rock that numbered the floor, and then, making a pillow of his arm, knelt over her. As he performed these offices with a tender ''solicitude, he felt that the poor girl's dress was wet —that his hands were wet —and be asked himself, was it with her tears. " Thanks," she whispered, wreathing her arms round his neck and irawing his face down till their lips met in a long, loving kiss, wherein the poor girl's soul seemed exhaled in a faint, weary sigh. " Thank you my brave prince, mji hero, whom my poor soul would have worshipped. I tried so hard to save you." "My poor, poor child, yes," he sighed, forgetful now of self in the agony of the woman who clun'g to him with spasmodic force. " Freda," she whispered, faintly, " if I was cruel to you once, it was in my selfish love. I could not bear that another should share your heart." Lawrence knelt there holding the feeble sufferer to his breast, and for many moments no sigh broke the awful silence of that tomb. "Freda," whispered the poor girl at last ; and Lawrence started, so strange and distant was her voice.

" Yes, yes," he said, eagerly. "Kiss me," she whispered faintly—- " his sword was very merciful —my own —" Alsa's arms clung more tightly round her companion's neck, drawing his face lower till • their lips met in

a long kiss, and then seemed to end in a faint, fluttering sigh. Alsa's arms loosened their hold, and glided softly down, her head fell sideways on his arm ; and after waiting a few minutes, Lawrence took his cummerbund from his waist, folded it with one hand to form a little pad, drew a flat stone nearer, and placed the pad upon it to form a pillow, and upon thia he softly laM the girl's head and drew away his arm. " Poor child !" he thought—" so exhausted that she sleeps. True, brave little soul, what slie has suffered—and for me !" He bent down softly to kiss her forehead, and then started, it was so cold. He caught one of her hands ; it was cold and damp. A horrid suspicion flashed through his mind ; and he placed his hand upon the girl's shoulder to draw it away wet and cold ; and', that which tie touched was clinging and strange. "Blood!" he gasped, and the recollection of the wound, came back tc him. Half frantic he tore open the muslin tunic and placed his hand upon the poor girl's throat. There was no pulsation. He placed it upon her - heart, and laid his ear close by the lips that Sad so lately clung to his. No motion —not the faintest breath from the lips that, had so lately spoken ; and then tSdc strange rigidity, so slowly setting-, in, confirmed ais horrible suspicion'—one whftch he would not believe till at least an aour must have passed when be started up with an agonised cry, exclaiming : Alone ! alone ! She is; dead !"

How long Lawrence lay ;tn a swoor Into which he fell after realising that his companion was nt d more he could not tell, for in si rite of the pangs of hunger, and t: tie burning thirst, the efforts he had made produced an exhaustion whicn sent hire into a sleep as calm and j >eaceful as that of a child.

Lawrence was so confuse d upon awakening, after many hour s, that il was a long time before b tunger, ex haustion and weakness co: übined al Lowed him to realise tha ± he hac been lying with his head c. lose up t< the tomb wall, and toi iching cm particular stone, which r low, wher he at last laid hand upcm c£, jarrec and sent a vibration thi ttiiugh hi: frame.

For what seemed hour a: fear hour the thud, thud, of the he; tv-y blow: continued, and whenever tb sit ceasec it was for three raps to be given oi the massive wall, then two and thei one,to all of which he respoi sSed wild ly hoping it would be ar i rattempat his rescue. Then a tei :rtble des pondency ensued, and he fel tas if h must after all, lie down anc I Sie. He roused himself slightly, for i was for a few moments as if th noise of the blows was i .'©doubled then all became misty agai a, and h sank into a stupor and If ;y .almos

unconscious. He started up wildly, tho" agh, afte

a strangely hollow whisper. " Lawrence ! Fred—Fred, can you reach this ?"

He strove to crawl in a helpless, feeble way towards the spot from whence the voice came, and raised his hand which touched and moved a stick.

" That's right," came again in the came hollow whisper. "'Now put your lips to the end of this bamboo."

La-,vrence held the bamboo, lying close beneath it, and in a dreamy way he tried to comprehend what was said, and mechanically raised his lips to the end of the tube, down which trickled some fluid, a little of which he tried to swallow, but it seemed to strangle him and he lay back hoarsely panting for breath. But the wine poured down the hollow tube had moistened his mouth, and it begot so terrible a thirst once more that he feebly drew the tube to his lips again, and as the spasm that had contracted his throat yielded to the cool fluid, he drank for a few moments eagerly and then stopped to breathe with a strange sense of returning life making his pulses throb.

"Lawrence —Fred !" came the same whisper again—and he kmew this time that it was through the tube—- " did you get that wine ?" The poor fellow could hardly master his senses to replj, but at last he contrived to apply his lips to the tube and whispered : " Yes, yes ; for God's sake" —

He would have said " help!" but he could do no more, only lie still waiting, while the working of an iron bar went on busily, and a faint current of air fanned his cheeks. The wine, too, now began to have its effects, enabling him to apply his Lips to the tube once more and in his turn ask a question. " Who is there ?"

" Friends," was whispered back. " Melton —Jackson. Keep a good heart and we shall get you through. Quick,, drink some more wine!" Lawrence applied his lips to the tube once more and this time drank with avidity, the wine reviving him. " How are you ?" was whispered now. " Almost dead," he faintly replied. *' And Alsa ?" • " Dead !" he whispered back, and fell on his side, unable to do more than listen, while the bar was plied swiftly, but with' evident caution. At last a sufficiently wide opening was made to enable the prisoner to catch a glimpse of the heavens with the stars evidently paling before the coming day ; and then blows of the iron bar suddenly ceased, and a voice whispered : " Hush ! Silence !"

Lawcence could not have spoken — he was too feeble ; but he lay listening to the sounds of the living world, as there came the clash oi arms and the tread of feet, as a body of men rapidly approached the tomb.

CHAPTER XXIII. HOW LAWRENCE WAS NURSED. As Lawrence lay, hardly able to comprehend what was taking place, there was loud laughing and talking, and the party stood for a few moments a short distance from the tomb. " Dead enough, both of them before an hour was over," a voice exclaimed in Hindostanee ; and then they passed on, without the knowledge of a party of men having been so near producing any other feeling in the young officer's breast than that of pleasure. It was otherwise with those who were trying to effect his rescue —Melton and Jackson—whto, panting with their exertions, and bathed in sweat, lay flat on the ground amongst the ruins and the debris they had formed trembling lest they should be discovered. Thej did not move till the party appeared to be out of hearing, then they looked up ; the bar one of them wielded was thrust into a crevice and both pressed against it, and dislodged a stone, one which had resisted all their efforts for hours.

" Sharp's the word, sir," whispered one. "It will be daylight directly, and we must leave all straight before we go." Another stone in the monstrously thick old wall still resisted their efforts, but after almost superhuman exertions this too was levered out, and rolled down at their feet.

In an instant Melton was down upon his knees, and crept through the opening to feel about in the intense darkness.

The first thing he touched was the face of Lawrence, and bending down he secured a scarf round his chest, passed one end as far through the opening as possible, whispered a word, and Jackson caught the end.

The next moment Melton had raised Lawrence in his arms, passed his head and shoulders into the opening, and by the help of Jackson drawing at the scarf till he could get hold ol the inanimate sufferer's arms, he was drawn through into the open air. Melton then felt around him for a few moments, and his hand touched another that was cold and stiff. A second touch sufficed —he wished to be perfectly sure —and he knew bj that touch that he would be doing but his duty to hurry out and helf to reclose the tomb.

On forcing his way out it was tc find Lawrence lying a short dis tance away, with Jackson pouring wine from a flask between his lips. Then leaving him the two worker; laboriously replaced the larges' stones fitted in a few smaller pieces and trusted to the opening they hat made being at the back of the tomb and thus escaping observation for j short time longer. The bar was then thrust ii through a small hole not filled up the two toilers stooped down an< raised Lawrence, and, as the da; was breaking, bofffi hi lo to the en

trance of another of the many tombs in a corner of the enclosure, past where the shadow of the great minaret fell, and carefully threading their way in the dark past the rugged stones, they turned down a passage which sounded hollow to their steps, and at last laid their burden down.

"Is that you, Captain Melton," whispered a voice.

" Yes, and all well," was the re

Ply. "Tttank God !" was uttered in a fervent tone, followed by the sound of women weeping. The sobs were stifled the next moment as Captain Melton whispered — " Alive, but another hour —"

He did not finish his sentence, for Lawrence feebly muttered something incoherent and the attention of those around was directed to his wants. But a pang shot through Captain Melton directly as Laura whispered to him —

" The Indian lady, Captain Melton ?"

"Beyond reach," he bitterly replied— " beyond human aid;" for such jealous interest seemed to him cruel and out of place. " I have restored him to you," he said almost sternly. "What he did was for your sake and for the sake of your sister." Laura Leslie could not reply, for she was startled at the passion in the young man's words ; and she busied herself in trying to force biscuits sopped in wine between Lawrence's lips with such success that he soon after sank asleep.

Four days passed before Lawrence was anything like recovered from the frightful ordeal to which he had been subjected ; and in the meantime he learned that he had been immured for three days and nights, while his companions in the escape had been separated and succeeded in reaching the tomb where they had concealed themselves, Jackson having found the opening as being likely to afford concealment, which it did, for it opened into chamber after chamber, with long passages between —the whole being shunned by the inhabitants on account of its nature.

It' was while investigating their place of refuge, after going out in his disguise and successfully obtaining bread and wine, that Jackson was hemmed in by the crowd, and was a witness of the terrible fate reserved for Lawrence and Alsa, both of whom the fugitives of the tombs had believed slain ; and at last he succeeded in creeping round and gaining by a circuitous route, the place where he was anxiously expected, horrifying all by the narrative of that which he had seen.

For the next two nights a watch was kept, and there were no means afforded the horrified holders of the dread secret of approaching the tomb ; and during this terrible interval Ella and Laura had sat in the darkness of their hiding-place with Melton, who had promised to break into the tomb the moment the guards were gone.

And it was during those dreadful hours of waiting that to his honour he spoke of the words committed to him by the friend he believed dead.

But Laura would not believe that he could be dead, and Ella shudderingly gave way to despair as she lamented over Lawrence's fate. "He was brave and true, and I forgive him all," she said aloud, through her tears and that night Melton crouched with half-broken heart watching the guards, longing to attack them and free his friend, or bring forth his dead body from its cruel resting-place, but they were a dozen strong, waiting till their leader felt it impossible for the cement to be disturbed, and he dared not stir lest he should bring ruin on those he had to protect. And so the time passed on till Melton felt his blood chill as he thought of the sufferings of his friend.

Meanwhile in his clever disguise Jackson busied himself, going by night to the bazaar to obtain food. It was hard work, for he had the horses to feed as well —the three noble beasts he had secured being safely tethered to one of the dark chambers of the tomb.

But he secured food for them, and continued to come and go unseen. Water there was an abundance of in an underground tanki, and the young fellow rubbed his hands as he thought of the time when he should mount and ride away.

It was to Jackson's forethought that the hollow "bamboo was due ; and he it was who secured the iron bar during one of his night visits, but it was Melton's hands and sinews which played the bravest part in dislodging the stones, when at last the opportunity came, the soldiers having been marcbted off at the end of the third day. (To be continued.)