Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-05-29


 i, :'atee{iya's Sleeve as Ten .sIs.a 5eply into a r.ara~ pAosa , thaGie,i : \ ..a&nfloned w,rsliuS oi t4s mine. "IIl $ sg,y thl"'5 the fellow is took suddenly crazy, sla t:e t nilt safe fur Us to follow him any iou,ar,' added tke newshoy.
 Hush Saa! Not so loud The still ness or ,ai5 place 5aa',os it q regular whispering @aGery, au i9 Eahert should hear our voices it woui spoil everything. ! He is not ora&y, 2s you shall aoe before this hunt is ended; and as you sEsl . mtn- ute G~o, if ne can stand ii, NC oan. Ncllert now slackened his speed and began to sc@roh carefully ahout in the dismal niDe-chumher, as if anxious to locate socGs particular spot. He made n close scrutiny Of coal pillar which had been loft s,.ndng to support the r5se ot the mine, anA he was eVIda0ly much pleaseo- with the result of hia obsorva- tion--so much s. iufee3, that he forgot to give his lam,a Int attalrtion which he had bestowei mp it since entering the mine.
 sam nollcH3 this, and the boys quick eyes also nv faint blue circle of light speedily faymcd Ikea halo about the flame.
 "Sae! za2! t'lr l'l cried in frighten- ed whisper, IS h. cnre1 t the detective convulsively by th" arm
 Just then there was \ succession ot hluc flashes III through the chamber in which EtkeVt w0s staLG;ns. They seen. ed to flt about with }uc velocity of thought, and reminded Nr. Sawyer ot the ;'artiu@ fnrlh of serpcnts tongues. That's tj:>-,lAnlp!" S;tid SaIn in alarm. "Ieta l1tn back 10 the slope before U's too late"
 The Ce.eytive felt that the warning was wei timed. Death iu one of its most horrible shapes wos close ut hand. He knew the consequences that would result i'll ease the flame Of the lamp should strike the volume of Geadly gas which was evidently near. Sawyer was young man of iron courage, but here was a situati0p in which neither rourn ge nor daring could ny0l in uGSc the contact of fame and tirc-,lamp should occur.
 Let lis go, " said Sam SEUrp.
 If you jntclnl to be q detective, you must show clear grit, sam, said Sawyer, who in reality shared SMns
 
 conduct that even the Sonst> of terrible danger could not drive hnn away. Ecllert. after loc0ting the spot in the coal pillar for which he had been look ing. laid his lamp on the Hnor of tine mine took q short piece of steel from his over. coat pocket, and with few sharp strokes released a large slab of anthracite which had evidently been cut to it a certain opening.
 This he removed, after which Sawyer and Sam Sharp, who were now watching his actions with hreathloSs interest, saw him take small box from the cavity.
 As nenr as the detective could judge, the box corresponded in size with the cash-bOX that had been stolen from Philip Carson's study on the night of the murder. He had received minute dcs- cription of the missing cash-boX from the chief of police, to whom it had been described by Zelda, after the tragedy, and he could scarcely restrain himself from rushing forward there and then to confirm the suspicious that had recently been growing in his mind concerning Ecllert.
 "let Us go back, said Sam. olutuhing lNE htittlINt ny tue tillt NOll llhG to be here"
 We must not go now" responded the detective. II would not lose sight of that man for all the gold in Crinlsby"
 Why does he hide thnt box there? . asked the boy.
 "Ah, that's the point, my lad. Why he has hidden that box there and why he visits it alone is the mystery that we propose to penetrate. Men don't do such things for more pastime. There's a secret connected with that box that Ecllert would sell his life rather than reveal; so we must be cautious, "whispcr- ed the detective.
 He used to be Mir. Carson's confGcn- tial book-keeper," said Sim.
 Hush, my boy! Not a word If that at present" replied the detective, add ing, "and now think it would be prl- dent if we were not quite 50 close"
 Saying this, they moved several yards further away from Tom Ecllert and in the direction of the slope, but hot so far that the keeD-eyed detective could not watch every movement of Eckert's Sawyer assisted his observation con sidelnbly by watching EcxeIt through
  anime the cash-boX infinitely and the character of the papers that the ec1N.l- dential bool-keeper took from it.
 As long as Eckerts lamp stood on the floor of the mine, there was an absvn 6 of those sinister flashes of blue flame which had been caused by contact with the light. The volatile gases rose to the roof of the mine, and there accumulated rapidly until great volume was formed, which was capable of causing death and destruction
 Eckert had been in the mines many a time. with visitors who were the guests of MT. Carson, and he Lad seen expert miners ignite the gsls that rushed through some Assure in the coal, without incur ring any particular danger thereby, so that he was not particularly alarmed at the fantastic streaks of light that danced about him. He took his time, therefore, in examining the valuable papers which the cash-boX contained, and Detective Sawyer could sec by the expression of his face that he was highly pleased.
 After a close scrutiny ot the papers,