The Secret Shot; Or, The Rivals Of Misty Mount — page 40: what you’re looking at

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

$8 THE SECRET SHOT. attempt made upon her life or honor—what an excellent thing it would be if she were only enabled to fly to this natural dungeon ——of whose existence, in all probability, her captors were in ignorance—shut herself in, and bide her time for escape. But, alas! the thought of that adamantine door of her dungeon forced her to abandon her hope so soon as formed. She proceeded on her un- ‘certain way around the great cave, and was at length again filled with hope by the ap- pearance of a faint white glimmer, as of her long-lost daylight, which seemed to proceed from an opening a few paces in front of her. Almost satisfied that this must be the en- tranee proper to the cave, the trembling captive sprung toward it with a nimbler step. It was, indeed, the entrance she had guessed it to be; but, before she could take a step into it, she started back with a cry of terror; for the dark figure of Judith rose like a ghost in her path. If Ida still re- tained a doubt as to Judith’s treachery, that doubt must haye been, dissipated by the dark, mocking smile that wreathed the scornful lips of the quadroon. Without uttering a word, the latter seized her trembling victim by the wrist, snatched the lamp from her hand, and almost drag- ged her straight.aeross the vast chamber to her former dungeon. Thrusting the captive within the open door, and following her in, the quadroon replaced the lamp on its dang- ling chain, Then, suddenly grasping the other wrist of her victim, she forced. her back upon the couch, and, before the terri- fied Ida could utter a shriek or make a struggle, the quick hand of the quadroon had taken the precious dagger from its con- cealment in her bosom. The unhappy vic- tim expected, the next instant, to feel the lost weapon quivering in her heart. But, J udith merely smiled again, with that dark smile of hers, stuck the captured prize in her belt, and departed without a word, clanging the heavy door to behind her, and shooting the bolts with spiteful yehemence. Greatly terrified with what had passed, the unfortunate victim gave way to tears, believing herself as indeed lost. The iron firmness and steady courage with which she seemed to have been endowed since her capture, returned, however, ere long, to her breast, and she paced the floor of her prison, pale, but collected. Now, since her precious, heaven-sent dagger was gone, she knew not upon what to rely; and at. length, as she had done many times before, fell upon her —_s knees, and implored the aid of her God, since by man she seemed forsaken. Much comforted, she arose, and continued her busy thoughts of escape. Her faculties were sharpened by this additional peril, and whetted by the glimpse of daylight which she had lately caught. Suddenly the thought flashed upon her, that perhaps the sub- cavern whieh she had discoyered but a few paces from her own door, might have a natural opening into the wall of the chasm in the rear, something in the manner of her own window. In an instant she was at the window, and sitting half-way out of it, with her lamp upraised. Could it be? Scarcely twelve inches from the side of her lattice she discovered a small hole in the side of the chasm—a very little hole, in- deed, but one into whieh she could thrust her arm to the elbow. Forgetful of the tremendous gulf that yawned beneath, with trembling eagerness she rapidly enlarged the aperture by tearing away fragment after fragment of the loose, soft rock by which she was enyironed.. Soon an opening was made amply sufficient to admit her form; she prepared to enter her new-found sanc- tuary. But then, for the first time, did the thought of the hideous; unknown depths below, recur to her mind, with all its force, Commending herself to God, she set the lamp just within the opening, and com- -menced the perilous feat with the utmost caution. In a few seconds she was in the neighboring cave,-Jamp in hand. A moment’s examination convinced her that her new sanctuary was identical with the one she had discovered, and previously en- tered. . The slab was as she had placed it over the outer entrance; but she did not. re- move it, knowing that another attempt to eseape by the main cavern would be 4 fruit- less. and perilous task. It was enough for. her, fer the present, to know that she had a secret hiding-place to which to flee in her. hour of. need, | : Much of the same sort of stone or slate, with which she had blocked up the front entrance, was lying in the cave, some of it quite loose. Detaching a large, thin slab, she propped it up against the window she had contrived, and found it to fit pretty well. _ She. calculated that she could escape into this cell, and shut.herself in, in a little -less time than it-usually took to shoot back the many bolts,.and open her own dungeon door from without, She also thought that, Cconnicloooks (C@)