The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1881-08-02

~fssss sHS p"t. "SiV p"SShS t"ouSs'
a deep cut in the rocks with no chance
of escape on either side. But direct
" the track came out OH a wider
space with dense forests OIL both sides
and now was Charley's time. Hi.
captor gave another of his savage
jerks upon the chain around his neck
and on the instant our hero's revolver
cleaned in the moonlight and a bulle,
struck the wretch to the ground.
Turning sharply on his heel as a
ball whistled by his head Charley
again presented his revolver-this
time at the man whose careless watcl,
in the rear had allowed of his escape
but the pistol missed fire. Almost
simultaneously bullet from the
drivers pistol grazed his arm and !,
sharp blow from behind him sent his
revolver high in the air. 4 quick
leap to one side revealed the fact that
the man his bullet had struck down
had been only stunned. and was now
his third assailant. Under the cir
cumstances there was nothing left for
Charley TO do but to abandon the
unfortunate Collins who was vainly
dragging at the chains that held him
prisoner. a powerful blow of the
fist sent one Of the assailantS across
the road, and shaking himself free of
the man who held him, whom he re-
cog;ized "a the leader. and who he
felt sure was his personal but still I'M
known foe, Charley Powell sprang
away into the forest needless IF the
shots that were sent after him Ham,
pered by the long chain that hung
from his neck, he paused. after awhile.
to wind ii around his waist, and i'm so
doing became aware that, contrary Ia
his expectations. he was being fol-
lowed, and that too ny one who had
already stolen so closely upon him that
there was no time for escape. Charley
was standing on rather IN odd look.
ing stone, large, oblOng. smooth and
Hat Is 4 table, and as he remarked.
even in that moment of excitement
it seemed strangely unsteady. He
was wondering about it i'm a sort
Of half bewildered way while his
nimble fingers secured the chain
around his waist. when he became
aware of the pursuit nv the whizzing
of a bullet past his ears. Immediately
succeeded by fierce onset OF the part
of his determined foe. And then
commenced silent desperate <.rug-
gle; up and down. turning. twisting.
bending and cracking of branches and
dried leaves, and the hard breathing
of the combatan,s alone disturbing the
silence Of the night. But suddenly
there arose another sound, a stone
grating ANA rattling. heavy thud,
and a >mo,hered shrek, and then
silence-perieci silemce-aS the moon
light streamed down into a deep, dark
hole that opened into the earth. where
Il few moments before that strange.
fla; stone had been.
And down at the bottom Of it
some twenty feet below the level OF
the ground-Char!ev Powell sat.
looking up toward the dim rays cf
light and feeling cautiously with his
hands seeking some clue TO the kind
of place into which he had fallen.
tie was bruised and shaken. but
not really injured but his foe had
been less fortunate. The heavy stone
had fallen upon him, striking him
across the back of the neck ard caus-
ing instant death. And then, rcmov-
ing the mask to see if the man were
really dead, Charley Powell. with
a great shock, at last recognized Dave
and insiinctively OWNED
the cause of his sudden and bitter
enmity. When the long nigh, came !
to All end the rays of the sun revealed
a strange, weird scene. and Charley
knew that he had unwittingly discov-
cred one Of those curious catacombs |
the native races of ages long
gone by had buried their noted dead. |
The cave was evidently an artificial !
one, of a quadrangular shape, and
seated in a single row around the !
sides were the skeletOns-some almost
entire-of fifty warriors. Instru-
ments of war and the chase Law scat
tered around, some Of iron, some Of
stone. and q fine, impalpable dust
covered the floor. all that remained of
the furs and robes with which the
cave had once, no doubt, as the Gus
tom was. been carpeted. Amidst all
these strange, mouldy relics of the
past Charley came suddenly upon
'ome objects uninjured by the touch
IF time, that caused him to forget for
The moment his unpleasant position in
IN Indian catacomb. with only dead
man and Aeshless skeletons for COM