下载辰思小说免费APP
throwbackyourhair，sir。’
Ifeltthatallchanceofescapewasatanend；andsteppingforwardasnearasthetablewouldallowmetohim，Iraisedmyhead，threwbackmyhair，andfixedmyeyessternlyandboldlyuponhisface。
Isawthatheknewmeinstantly，forhiscountenanceturnedaspaleasasheswithsurpriseandhatred。Hestartedup，placinghishandinstinctivelyuponhissword-hilt，andglaringatmewithalooksodeadly，thatIthoughteverymomenthewouldstrikehisswordintomyheart。
Hesaidinakindofwhisper：’HardressFitzgerald？’
’Yes；’saidI，boldly，fortheexcitementofthescenehadeffectuallystirredmyblood，’HardressFitzgeraldisbeforeyou。
Iknowyouwell，CaptainOliver。Iknowhowyouhateme。Iknowhowyouthirstformyblood；butinagoodcause，andinthehandsofGod，Idefyyou。’
’Youareadesperatevillain，sir，’saidCaptainOliver；’arebelandamurderer!
Holloa，there!guard，seizehim!’
Asthesoldiersentered，Ithrewmyeyeshastilyroundtheroom，andobservingaglowingfireuponthehearth，IsuddenlydrewGeneralSarsfield’spacketfrommybosom，andcastingitupontheembers，plantedmyfootuponit。
’Securethepapers!’shoutedthecaptain；
andalmostinstantlyIwaslaidprostrateandsenselessuponthefloor，byablowfromthebuttofacarbine。
IcannotsayhowlongIcontinuedinastateoftorpor；butatlength，havingslowlyrecoveredmysenses，Ifoundmyselflyingfirmlyhandcuffeduponthefloorofasmallchamber，throughanarrowloop-
holeinoneofwhosewallstheeveningsunwasshining。Iwaschilledwithcoldanddamp，anddrenchedinblood，whichhadflowedinlargequantitiesfromthewoundonmyhead。ByastrongeffortIshookoffthesickdrowsinesswhichstillhunguponme，and，weakandgiddy，Irosewithpainanddifficultytomyfeet。
Thechamber，orrathercell，inwhichIstoodwasabouteightfeetsquare，andofaheightverydisproportionedtoitsotherdimensions；itsaltitudefromthefloortotheceilingbeingnotlessthantwelveorfourteenfeet。Anarrowslitplacedhighinthewalladmittedascantylight，butsufficienttoassuremethatmyprisoncontainednothingtorenderthesojournofitstenantawhitlesscomfortlessthanmyworstenemycouldhavewished。
Myfirstimpulsewasnaturallytoexaminethesecurityofthedoor，theloop-holewhichIhavementionedbeingtoohighandtoonarrowtoaffordachanceofescape。Ilistenedattentivelytoascer-
tainifpossiblewhetherornotaguardhadbeenplacedupontheoutside。
Notasoundwastobeheard。Inowplacedmyshouldertothedoor，andsoughtwithallmycombinedstrengthandweighttoforceitopen。It，however，resistedallmyefforts，andthusbaffledinmyappealtomereanimalpower，exhaustedanddisheartened，Ithrewmyselfontheground。
Itwasnotinmynature，however，longtosubmittotheapathyofdespair，andinafewminutesIwasonmyfeetagain。
WithpatientscrutinyIendeavouredtoascertainthenatureofthefasteningswhichsecuredthedoor。
Theplanks，fortunately，havingbeennailedtogetherfresh，hadshrunkconsiderably，soastoleavewidechinksbetweeneachanditsneighbour。
BymeansoftheseaperturesIsawthatmydungeonwassecured，notbyalock，asIhadfeared，butbyastrongwoodenbar，runninghorizontallyacrossthedoor，aboutmidwayupontheoutside。
’Now，’thoughtI，’ifIcanbutslipmyfingersthroughtheopeningoftheplanks，Icaneasilyremovethebar，andthen——’
Myattempts，however，wereallfrustratedbythemannerinwhichmyhandswerefastenedtogether，eachembarrassingtheother，andrenderingmyeffortssohopelesslyclumsy，thatIwasobligedtogivethemoverindespair。
Iturnedwithasighfrommylasthope，andbegantopacemynarrowprisonfloor，whenmyeyesuddenlyencounteredanoldrustynailorholdfaststickinginthewall。
AllthegoldofPlutuswouldnothavebeensowelcomeasthatrustypieceofiron。
Iinstantlywrungitfromthewall，andinsertingthepointbetweentheplanksofthedoorintothebolt，andworkingitbackwardsandforwards，Ihadatlengththeunspeakablesatisfactiontoperceivethatthebeamwasactuallyyieldingtomyefforts，andgraduallyslidingintoitsberthinthewall。
Ihaveoftenbeenengagedinstruggleswheregreatbodilystrengthwasrequired，andeverythewandsinewinthesystemtaxedtotheuttermost；but，strangeasitmayappear，Ineverwassocompletelyexhaustedandovercomebyanylabourasbythiscomparativelytriflingtask。
AgainandagainwasIobligedtodesist，untilmycrampedfinger-jointsrecoveredtheirpower；butatlengthmyperseverancewasrewarded，for，littlebylittle，I
succeededinremovingtheboltsofarastoallowthedoortoopensufficientlytopermitmetopass。
WithsomesqueezingIsucceededinforcingmywayintoasmallpassage，uponwhichmyprison-dooropened。
Thisledintoachambersomewhatmorespa
