Bunce, left alone, grew somewhat staggered with his fears. He now
half-repented of the self-imposed adventure; wondered at his own rash
humanity, and might perhaps have utterly forborne the trial, but for a
single consideration. His pride was concerned, that the deformed Chub
should not have occasion to laugh at his weakness. Descending,
therefore, from his horse, he fastened him to the hanging branch of a
neighboring tree, and with something of desperate defiance in his
manner, resolutely advanced to the silent and forbidding mass of rocks,
which rose up so sullenly around him. In another moment, and he was lost
to sight in the gloomy shadow of the entrance-passage pointed out to him
by the half-witted, but not altogether ignorant dwarf.
CHAPTER XXXI.
THE ROCK CASTLE OF THE ROBBERS.
But the preparations of Bunce had been foreseen and provided for by
those most deeply interested in his progress; and scarcely had the
worthy tradesman effected his entrance fairly into the forbidden
territory, when he felt himself grappled from behind.
Pages:
646
647
648
649
650
651
652
653
654
655
656
657
658
659
660
661
662
663
664
665
666
667
668
669
670