He had gone forward but a short distance, when, to his chagrin,
a wall of masonry barred his farther progress, closing the tunnel
completely from top to bottom and from side to side. What could
it mean? Werper was an educated and intelligent man. His military
training had taught him to use his mind for the purpose for which
it was intended. A blind tunnel such as this was senseless. It
must continue beyond the wall. Someone, at some time in the past,
had had it blocked for an unknown purpose of his own. The man
fell to examining the masonry by the light of his candle. To his
delight he discovered that the thin blocks of hewn stone of which
it was constructed were fitted in loosely without mortar or cement.
He tugged upon one of them, and to his joy found that it was easily
removable. One after another he pulled out the blocks until he had
opened an aperture large enough to admit his body, then he crawled
through into a large, low chamber. Across this another door barred
his way; but this, too, gave before his efforts, for it was not
barred. A long, dark corridor showed before him, but before he
had followed it far, his candle burned down until it scorched his
fingers. With an oath he dropped it to the floor, where it sputtered
for a moment and went out.

Now he was in total darkness, and again terror rode heavily astride
his neck. What further pitfalls and dangers lay ahead he could
not guess; but that he was as far as ever from liberty he was quite
willing to believe, so depressing is utter absence of light to one
in unfamiliar surroundings.

Slowly he groped his way along, feeling with his hands upon the
tunnel's walls, and cautiously with his feet ahead of him upon the