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No hapless prisoner confined, as I have read they were in olden tieon whose walls slowly closed to crush hi of death, resistless and horrible, with clearer vision than was ours as that group of savages pronounced our dooreatest effort of will that I conquered the dread sense of utter hopelessness which seeh I was to be tortured to the end, and perish at last in utony, yet before that moment came there still remained a duty to be perforth to act like ainch by inch across the s, so as not to attract the attention of our guard, I crept forward, pausing at last close beside Madame Even as I reached her the final warrior cast his useless vote with the others, the excited concourse voicing appreciation in noisy acclai from weakness, until my lips were close to her ear

"Eloise," I whispered softly, forgetting at the awful moment that she possessed another name, "it has been voted that three of us perish by torture, but you are not in the list; you are named for a different fate Is it still your wish that I fulfil the pledge?"

As she glanced up, the old war-chief pointed directly toward her I could perceive the baleful gleam of his eyes, and noted hat quick aversion she shrank back until her shoulder pressed my own

"Yes, Geoffrey Benteen," sheyou strike"

"You forgive the blow?"

"Forgive!" An instant her clear eyes, unfrightened, looked directly into e in their depths I had never seen there before "More, I love the heart and hand which speed it"

My hands were bound tightly together, butfirh I drew my body somewhat back in readiness for the stroke, I delayed the terrible deed until the last possible reat beads upon my face Oh, how I loved her then! how my half-blinded eyes feasted upon her sweet, sad face, the fla fitfully aled hair! There swept across ain with irlhood, before sorrow had stamped her with its seal, and she had turned me away tenderly as ever a woman could And now she was doomed to death by my hand; with one bloas to blot out the life I loved a thousand times better than my own Merciful God! what a trick had fate played ers toyed with the rosary at her throat, the beads glowing dully in the fla with each instant the co soul to God I, who have seenand atrocity, look back on no rasping that deadly knife in both hands, I watched every threateningunto God for strength hich to perform my duty