Page:The Necromancer, or, The Tale of the Black Forest Vol. 1.djvu/116

 light darted from a remote corner of our dungeon: I started up, half frantic with joy, and we pursued the gladdening ray of light; it seemed to come from an opening in the wall. No words can express the rapture we felt when we beheld one of the iron doors half open; we went through it with hasty steps and entered a long vaulted passage: A faint dawn of light hailed our joyful looks at a great distance, from below. We descended declivity, the farther we went the more the light increased, at length we reached the end of the avenue, and perceived some steps leading into a spacious apartment, at the entrance of which some boards on the floor had given way: We descended the steps, and, who can paint the horror which rushed upon us, when we beheld the Baron lying lifeless in the deep vault, upon some mouldering straw? I leaped down without a moment's hesitation, the Lieutenant did the same, and now we began to shake the Baron 'till we at length perceived signs of returning life. We continued our endeavours to recall his senses, he breath-