The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1896-04-03
CMAPTnR x-fContinued,

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ss. Ihe ground had been measured ty
Nd Wall and In the dead of night
sSseorEe himself climbed the dividing
IN ana made sure of his position
i re could not possibly fail in direc-
& slsns ~ disposition The work of sink
i ING the small SHIFT and of dig
ans she mine proved to he more trou-
8 geee0Me than they had bargained for
\ - iAy cOr them, they had to dig only
sn.gUgn 9 sandy, gravelly soil, ut the
0lote0m OF which they found q stiff
through which they were able
soo. rnn their tunnel without the neces-
ny Of structural supports. But the
Work mad to be done with the utmost
caution, slowly and gradually, so that
30S0nld should reach the outer world.
10y md to lie ON their stomachs for
in0lr9, and to use their tools in the
most guarded manner. AS the narrow
sy1nnel Increased in length, the air
O01me sitting, their own breath half
01Mccated them, and time after time
they had to make speedily exit to
eecape, personal danger. They slept
IN the room overhead. and the blinds
cnere, ms well as on the ground, floor,
sEe kept continuously closely drawn.
me lower room soon assumed the
appearance of casemated breast
Mork In war time-with it's furniture
N one corner, the carpets taken up,
the aoor partly removed, the great,
Hlkack, gaping hole in the center, with
4 Ne excavated earth heapcd against
1 ma walls, and numerous parcels and
( snxes, containing gunpowder and gun
cotfon, stacked ready for use. Dig
et1 and miners tools were strewn
s3s1l over the place. The only article
furniture which remained in use
Mae g mahogany table, scratched.
oiled and damaged, and two equally
unused chairs. the red damask COW
9-era 0f which were torn and stained be-
S0nd repair.
Instead OF a week, twelve inter-
Nninable days passed before they saw
ehomselveS near the end of their
scheme. 1t was a lovely summer
night, and all the world around was
&nshed in balmy sleep when the two
AAclanes emerged from their fienlish
hole, utterly tired and worn out. but
0xultant with hellish joy ut the nigh
approach Of the result. The mine was
tlnG Right underneath Lord Cloves
ehamber space of some four feet
embed had been dug out. and this was
~ the course of tomorrow to be filled
With explosives. Early in the morn
4Ag Ned Wall was to receive his five
1h0nsand pounds and to be allowed to
escape; in the evening the fuses were
30 be laid, and three hours after that
the Earl Of Cleve would no longer be
able to remember anything.
The evening was warm and the per-
opiration was standing in great drops
ANan <vHy0 nkn1,o
freshed themselves with their usual
beverage, neat brandy, and on this oc-
EA0l0n bottle after bottle was emptied
before, with toss of the head, and
half surly Good night, Ned" David
and George Maclane proped their
O Way upstairs and threw themselves
a on their beds. Fifteen minutes after
ward they were both snoring soundly.
Now it would have been an aston.
AlShing fact if Mr.. Edward Wall had
sheen able to act honestly even toward
Ehis companions in crime. Mr.. Edward
Wall was a thief by education and
sprOfession. Thieves have, like other
xm0rtals, shrewd perception of GUAM
dftes In arithmetic, and Mr.. Edward
Wall conceived the idea that it would
be more profitable to steal the larger
.saum OF money at The Bottoms than to
be contented with the smaller one Of
"1ered by the Maclanes. Perhaps,
who knew, he might be able to steal
both, and that would certainly be the
most satisfactory arrangement. In ad-
dition to that, Mr.. Edward Wall had
been turning over in his mind the MUIR
1erous scheme, and it's dangers to his
ereciOus neck. An apparently brilliant
Idea struck him. If Lord Cleye were
blown into smithereens. the person
immediately implicated would he him
E,0elf, and pursuit would he hot and
81 SPURIOUS after him; but If he were to
SshOlst .Messrs. Maclane with their own
aspetnrd and blow them to atoms in
stead, it might SO happen that the pub
r. He would say "served the wretches
right. They fell into their own trap"
II the one hand five thousand mounds
and the bloodhounds of the law at his
heels within twelve hours, himself the
n first person suspected and tracked az
hunted. On the other hand, the chances
N s0f very much larger booty and pur-
is0uit nothing near as deadly, nor as
fact, no proof that the
y AAclanes had not ended their miser-
able existence by an accident inter.
,Eupting their devilish scheme.
Mr.. Edward Wall had passed his
gsboyh0od under IN expert professor IL
the art Of picking pockets. He
his shaking nerves BIZ
huge draughts from the remaining
4 brandy bottles, and then, taking Of
his shoes, he stole upstairs.
The two men were sleeping soundly
Ned knew the disposition Of the room
Deyfectly, and cropping his way abou
y ~ noiselessly as q cat, he crept t,
George Maclane's bedside, and from
,eneath his pillow, with a clevernes
and delicacy only possible to the ex
saperienced pickpocket, he took the lat
eer's waistcoat without so much as ruf
s0ing the breath of the sleeper. In t..
pocket Of that garment he found tn
8s bunch Of small keys among which ht
KNEW would be one that opened tn
strong box ct The Bottoms. and he re
placed the waist-coat as softly an,
sllnperceivedly Us he had taken Il
III, WI Hanging over chair, by the sleepin
bed, was his coat. and Mr.. Wal
further ado drew from hi
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