The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1890-10-04
Tas reached, he produced and lighted q

lantern, by the light OF winch ne began
an investigation of the subterranean
place.
It was divided into number of rooms.
| and had once, evidently, been used as a
human habitation, though this must have
been before the grading of the street had
shut off the supply OF light and air.
Hurriedly the anxious officer ran
through the place. He encountered
no end Of debris, but no sign of life ex-
cept huge rats which scampered about.
Satisfied that his quest was vain one,
he prepared to return to the upper world.
Just then a peculiar sound smote his
bearing. He listened intently, and upon
its repetition startled visibly.
! "A groan!" he muttered. There's no
doubt of it. But where?"
Once more he fruitlessIy examined the
! moldering rooms.
He was strangely puzzled and almost
despairing when, for the third time, he
heard the ominous sound.
, Studying the direction from whence it
proceeded, he was not long in solving the
mystery.
In one of the rooms, behind q pile of
rubbish, he discovered an opening in the
stone wall which separated the cellar
from the one next adjacent.
The work of q crook who was close
pressed" commented the detective. 1T
was lucky that my Cronin man didn't find
it last spring. Well, here's for it.
Cautiously and with considerable diff
Guilty the officer crept through the irregu-
larly shaped opening.
Once again in standing posture he
flashed his lantern about to gain some
idea of the sur. oundinls.
He had barely discerned that he was
| in long basement undivided by parti-
! tions, when he saw lying on the ground
| the semblance of a human form.
Cole Winters!" cried he, excitedly, q
moment later, as he stood over the IMAM
innate form Of our hero.
Setting down the lantern the detective
| began q systematic examination of the
! young man.
He's alive, and / can see no wounds
! or bruises to account for his condition, !"
unused he, perplexedly.
Just then the open trap-door above him
| attracted his eye.
Hal see In trying to escape he fel |
down here and is suffering from the
| shock. I'll soon revive him."
Hyland took out q small vial labeled
ammonia and poured little of the pun
gent fluid upon his handkerchief.
This he applied to the nostrils of our
hero.
While I'm waiting for it to take eff
feet l may as we'll search him, decided
the highly elated officer.
In q moment he had discovered and
drawn from one of his coat pockets a
small bundle of saws and files, of the
kind used by burglars.
I've got him dead TO rights" chu killed.
Hyland, UNNECESSARILY pleased at the
evidence of crookedness. I'll bet he's
i,,h &c
A hurried examination proved this
theory to be incorrect, but it served also
to reveal an object in one Of Coles boot
/ legs.
In trice Hyland hal drawn it from
its hiding place.
Gre heavens" he circulated his
! hands trembling like an aspen-l leaf in the
wind. The missing bonds, Ten, TWEEN
! ty-I believe they're all here. Good!
Capital! My promotion
\ groan interrupted him. Mat Hyland
was a humane man, and the sound of suf-
fering recalled him 10 his prisoner.
| He replaced the saws and files in Coles
pocket, thrust the bonds into his own,
and hasing removed the handkerchief,
raised the lnanimate form in his arms.
He breathes freer." soliloqnized the
detective, and is in no danger of dying.
l want to keep this matter to myself for
the present. I'll go to the nearest drug
store for restoratives. When l take him
away from here it will be with full con-
fession and the names of his accomplices,
for I'm snre he had one at least.
He laid Cole back upon the ground,
and glided away TO the opening in tho
wall. Two minutes later he had gained
the sidewalk and was hurrying up the
street.
He met with number of provok ng
delays. The druggist was an unreason-
Gble time in giving him the articles he
/ impatiently demanded At the doorway
lie encountered brother officer, who for
some minutes engaged him in CONVERSE
tiol about an important matter. Lastly,
I small boy ran against him, dashing the
! ackage from his hand and bre akin9 the
inc,osed bottles III on the sidewalk.
BY the time lie had duplicated the re-
storatives fully half an hour had elapsed.
He lost no time in returning to the dis
NAL cellar.
As lie crawled through the opening in
the wall, and dared forward the rays of
his lantern, a cry Of min gIed chagrin and
dismay swept his white lips.
The trap-door in the floor was closed,
and Cole Winters had disappeared from
! the place.
CHAPTER VIII