The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-08-22

.Neg
HE PI.UCKED 1T OUTOF THE HANT
| THAT SEEMED TO BE GROWING
COLD ALREADY.
But I feel Il good deal better now. II
the noise that We've made hasn't
| brought anybody, it's because there
! isn't anybody to bring. I'm convinced
| that the job is as easy as it looks, and
YOU and l can do it in couple of min
utes."
II don't know, Jack" said the other
''If everybody else let's this thing alone
there must be reason for it. It's got
| a record
pinney laughed. The fears that ha'
so shaken him had vanished when tn,
| first danger proved to be not only nat
! ural, but of small account. He hat
also the support Of companiOnship
made stronger by the pleasure of meet
! ing an old acquaintance in a foreign
| land. The same influence operated t
| put courage into Braydon, but he wa'
Of q supcrstitiOUS nature and could no
rise superior to the terrors of the ring
| lie had been driven into the enterprise
| by the spur of necessity, and had beer
almost on the point of abandoning i
when his encounter with Pinncy had 81
absurdly frightened HIM
With the encouragement Of pinncy'!
| assurance. he prepared 10 execute hi!
| share in the crime in which they hat
so strangely become partners. IIacl
| had provided himself with Il nOoseC
and knotted rope for sealing the side q
the statue. 1t was decided by lot tina
| Pinney should ascend by The rope aftc
the moose had been thrown over III,
head of the image. This was accom-
| plished after several failures: and still
| there was no sign of discovery by an!
Of the city's nocturnal guardians.
The ascent was easy; but when h
| came within reach of the ring, pinncl
| could not, for all his hardihoOd, stretcl
| forth his hand and grasp it. His for
mer fears returned. He hung ther
| trembling. until his strength had al
most failed, and he was on the pOin
Of falling back to the ground. At thi!
| moment he heard the voice Of his com
| panion whispering eXcitedly: SON,
| one is comng!" =.
Some one cried out upon the corner
of the square. The thieves We're dis
| covered. COnvulsiveiy, Pinney sleZet
| the ring. and at he same instant III
| loosed his hold upon the rope. The
| golden chain broke with the strair
thus suddenly put upon it, and tn,
thief fell upon the shoulders of hi!
companion. Both men rolled upon tn,
ground. The ring slipped from Pinney'.
hand. He heard it tinkle on the stones
| Braydon seized it, and sprang up. A
| that moment, the policeman who hat
discovered them, and was running to-
ward the SPOT fired his revolver. Pin
ney, who was upon his hands and knees
| heard the bullet whistle over his head
| Braydon uttered q cry and fell back
ward, his huge body crashing down
upon the flagstOnes. The ring was in
| the palm of his open hand. as he lay
| there. Pinney saw it by the light OF
its own jewels. Ffe bent down and
| plucled it out of the hand that seemed
to him, as he touched the flesh, to be
growing cold already. Then he fled
putting the statue between himself and
| his pursuer.
Whether he was actually fred upon
he did not know. His fears created q
perfect fusillade. and at every step ht
felt the sting Of a bullet. But the noise
might have been the echo in his brain
of the shot that had struck down Bray
don and he was unwounded when at last
he paused in q dark and dirty street
near the inn where he had lived.
1t had been his first intention to re-
main in Madrid, and take his chance of
arrest, believing that he was known,
and that any attempt to leave the city
would only make his incarceration sure.
The fate of BraydOn changed Pinney's
plan. 1t had given him new light upon
the possibilities of destiny. He was not
more sure that the sun would rise on
the morrow than that the power of the
ring had directed the bullet which had
laid his companion low. The darkness
and the distance put Workmanship out
of the question. 1t was a chance shot.
Then by the severest logic. there was
something in the story of the ring. He
marveled at his own courage in taking
it from Braydon's hand; and, indeed,
he credited his escape to his bravery.
1t was survival of one of the Oldest
superstitions that magical dangers are
only fatal to those whose hearts yield.
Braydon had proved a coward and had
been struck down the instant that his
fingers closed upon the ring. Pinney
had braved the peril, and had been
shared. He believed that he should be
safe as long as he crushed down fear.
If he could get out of Spain: could re-
turn to his own land, and be among his
friends. he felt that his courage would
not desert him. Therefore he resolved
to leave the city with all speed.
Fastening to his room in the inn, he
gathered up his scanty baggage, and
then summoned the landlord, that he
might pay his bill. Pinney and the
landlord were on terms of mutual un-
| derstanding, in that each believed the
other to be a thief. When. therefore
the landlord learned that Pinney was
calling for his bill in the middle of the
night. he rightly judged that a success
full robbery had been committed. This
did not prevent him from taking the
| money and wishing his guest the best
of success upon his journey.
10 Pinney had decided to put his trus
in disguise. and to travel to the coast
by train. The first that he could get
would start about five o'clock. and sc
he had some hours to wait. After care.