Page:The Necromancer, or, The Tale of the Black Forest Vol. 1.djvu/111

 to speak, "Where are you?" whispered he, "Are you still alive?"

"We groped about in the dark, and at last found him leaning against the wall."

How shall we get out of this cursed residence of horror?" exclaimed the Lieutenant, "come, let us try whether we can find the staircase; it must be just opposite to us, if I am not mistaken." Then he began to walk on, and we groped after him, tumbling now and then over loose stones."

"I have found the staircase," cried our fellow adventurer, "at last, after a long fruitless search, I feel the first step."

"A ray of joy beamed through our hearts as we were climbing up, but, alas! it was soon most cruelly damped; the cellar door was locked up, and the blood congealed in our veins when the Lieutenant told it us. We exerted all our strength to force it open, but