Guy Boothby

“ Closer and closer he approached the unsuspecting monk, and then, having measured his distance, with a great spring threw himself upon the man and clapped the sponge upon his nose and mouth. The man fought hard, but Nikola held him like a vice, while I was standing near to render him any assistance he might need. Then little by little his struggles ceased, and presently he lay in Nikola's arms as helpless as if he were dead.
“That is one man accounted for,” said Nikola quietly, as he laid the body down upon the floor; “now for the others. Slip on this man's dress as quickly as you can.” ”

“ In half an hour the monk will arrive with our evening meal. He will place the bowl upon the floor over there and then turn his back on you while he puts his torch in that bracket upon the wall yonder. I will have a sponge of chloroform ready for him, and directly he turns it must be clapped over his nose. Once he's unconscious you must slip on his dress and go out again and make your way up the steps. There are two men stationed on the other side, and the door between us and them is locked. I have noticed that the man who brings us our food simply knocks upon it and it is opened. ”

“ Strange is the force of habit; the pain was a sharp one, and though I was buried in the centre of a mountain, surrounded by the dead men of a dozen centuries, I employed exactly the same epithet to express my feelings as I should have done had a passing hansom splashed my boots opposite the Mansion House.
Leaving the lower regions we climbed the ladder and reached the crypt, passed up the stairs into the great cave, made our way across that, and then, Nikola still leading, found the tunnel and passed through it as safely as if we had been lighted by a hundred link-men. ”

“ Having said this, this extraordinary votary of science condescended to continue our escape. Leaving the long corridor which led into the small passage where the guards were now lying insensible behind us, we turned to our left hand, ascended a flight of steps, followed another small passage, and then came to a sudden standstill at a spot where four roads met.
“Where on earth are we?” inquired Nikola looking round him. ”

“ At last we came to a halt at the foot of the smallest staircase I had yet seen in the monastery. We waited for a few moments, then ascended it and arrived at a narrow landing, at the end of which was a large door. Here our procession again halted for a few moments, then the doors were unbarred and thrown open and an icy blast rushed in. Outside we could see the battlements which were built on the sheer side of the cliff. It was broad daylight, and from where we stood we could plainly distinguish the mountains across the valley. ”

“ Arriving there, and when the monks had departed to take up their positions at the top of the staircase as before, Nikola said—
“If we escape from this place you will never be able to assert that science has done nothing for you. ”

“ For thirty seconds he held it upon his nose and mouth, then throwing it into a corner, divested the man of his garments and attired himself in them.
“Now,” he said, when he had made his toilet to his own satisfaction, “we must be off. They change their guards at midnight, and it is already twenty minutes past eleven.”
So saying he led the way down the corridor, I following at his heels. We had not reached the end of it however before Nikola bade me wait for him while he went back. ”

“ I followed him and together we made towards that end of the cave furthest from the great doors. The entrance once found we had only to follow the steps and pass down into the queer sort of crypt I have before described. ”