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He tried to speak lightly and to cheer the girl, but in his breast his heart lay heavy as a lump of lead

"Suppose they don't come in, what then?" suddenly resumed Beatrice "What if they leave us here till--"

"There, there, little girl! Don't you go borrowing any trouble! We've got enough of the real article, without , dark, interhtfully oppressive Clad as they both were in fur garreat altitudes, they were suffering intensely from the heat

Stern's wrists and arms, moreover, still pained considerably, for they had been very cruelly bruised with the ropes, which the barbarians had drawn tight with a force that bespoke both skill and deftness His need of some occupation forced him to assure himself, a dozen times over, that both revolvers were coh to rob either Beatrice or hi a time passed? One hour, two, three?

They could not tell

But, overcoreat heat, Beatrice slept at last, her head in the ainst the wall of black and polished stone, nodding eariness and great exhaustion

He, too, must have dropped off into a troubled sleep, for he did not hear the unbolting of the massive iron cell-door

But all at once, with a quick start, he recovered consciousness He found hi at his ar

With dazzled eyes he stared--stared at a strange figure standing fraht

Even as he shouted: "Hold on, there! Get back out o' that, you!" and jerked his ugly pistol at the old ed thisas he leaned upon an iron staff--a voice spoke dully through the half-gloo: "Peace, friends! Peace be unto you!"

Stern started up in wild aers the pistol dropped And, as it clattered on the floor, he cried: "English? You speak English? Who are you? English! English! Oh, my God!"