Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1900-06-01
CuAr,ri,l, VII

ia have taken the ke%yslway with me.
but for such action offering Il bait 10
Sims BLASTED curiosity" grumbled
Wccms. as hc fumblci in The dark for
'he key. which he presently found Hang
ing mt the side of Il door post. What
would have become of me ii he had talk
on it into his prying skull to open that
package containing the clock-work con-
trivance:'
He made his way nto The room. and.
striking Il match. lighted Il candle that
Glanced To he mt hand. after which he
glanced around him with cager and sus-
picious eyes.
The room WAS large. dusty and almost
bare of furniture, with n single window
looking across the shed 10 the stables.
There was. indeed. nothing in HE room
bur an iron bedslcad. provided with plain
and cheap bedding. :: washstand of the
same material. two chairs. and n number
of packages. including Il large hair trunk
and two bales Of wool. the lnttcr oontain-
ing. perhaps. II hundred pounds each. and
neatly packed in canvas, but with the
contents protruding ut the ends.
Wccms first drew out The hair trunk.
and, going carefully under the upper con-
tents, brought To view IL strong wooden
box about eighteen inches square. which
he pilccd on the bed. He then produced
from the bottom of the trunk four heavy
cylindrical packages, about the size of
ordinary fruit cans. padded and swaihcd
m WOODEN wrappings; and. in conveying
these also across the floor he handled
them as s~ingerly AS though the slightest
rough jar OF one of them might he caua-
bic of blowing him 10 atonls.
There he mlttercd. setting himself
by the bed, and surveying the packages
he had placed on il. Let me soc: not
yet eight o'clock. My nephew will scarce
ly turn UP here before ton. if he once gcts
to drinking freely with those newcomers.
and ! thought | detected !; lurking devil
in his eye rs ! was quitting him. That
Will leave me ample time to prepare my
little bale of wool for shipment on the
Scarborough, rs there is no telling when
! shall have the opportunity again before
She Sails
He then carefully opened the l.ox. and
exposed 10 view a small machine OF beau
tiful workmanship. that very much re-
scnlbled the works of Il: clock of consid-
cradle size. 1T WAS u compact. graceful
combination of polished springs. bolts and
wheels OF brass and steel, hearing on
one side !; little dial. with Il band in It's
center. and numbers one, two three. four
and so on up 10 twenty. r~unnin. around
the outer edge. after the manner OF IL
timepiccc, while there WAS n Tiny square
projection ut one side of the dad, by
which il was evident that the machine
WAS to be wound up.
There continued Weems, in the
same chucllilg tone. as he unwrappcd
the cans containing the dynamite, and
adjusted them in Il row: iii that isn't an
interesting study, I'D like TO know what
is. There's more than II spice of danger
about it. Only 10 think OF it! The pow
or contained i'll this little machine. when
properly adjusted. and applied to Il GER
tain percussion cap communicating with
HE contents of these imnoccn,-lookin-
cans. is sufficient To blow the big.es. and
strongest ship ever built into eternal
smash. Come. III test ii for. say u few
minutes set. and then pack it away for
its final mission
He took Il small key and some other
articles ont of II compartment in the boN
that had contained the machine and pro
cccded to wind UP the latter. which. dur
ing The operation. emitted IL soft. clear.
pu,ring sound. He then moved the hand
just Il hairs breadth OH the dial. to the
right. and, taking out his watch for con
sultation. awaited the result with the
pleased and breathless anticipation of
an earnest school boy in the investigation
OF Il new toy.
The hand upon the dial of the machine
remained as noiSe!css as if painted there
on: but. just precisely as the secondhand
on his watch face Indicated tine passage
of five minutes. bang came Il signal from
the interior of the clock works. and then
for an instant the entire machine seemed
alive. Then, with the rapidity of light
ming. something dartcd out of the bottom
of the contrivancc. and the entire boN-lid,
OF which it stood. was split asunder, as if
by an electric shock.
Good! gooa!.' exclaimed Wecms. rub
bling his hands dclightcdly. True as a
die and sharp as IL sword"
He lifted the machine up from the lid,
and turned it upside down. A round.
-k-l 49,