The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-07-24

M Z poSSlDle, ne 10
secrete himself in one of the unoccu-
pied rooms, and then, when a chance
offered, make his way out of the build
ing? Then he figured that by this
time the police would be acquainted
with the manner Of his escape, and
having invested the building on all
sides below, would proceed to investi-
gate the inmates n by one, as they
had done on many a similar occasion.
NO. he was not secure in this precious
"hotel' at all, and the only safety for
him lay in getting away as far as pos
sible from the neighborhood.
Going to the end of the hall where
the window stood open. he peered
down on the street. 1t was too high
thing could be accomplished in safe
ty, he would only fall into the hands Of
the men who were lying in wait for
him.
"Ah. If my work were only done, I'd
go back with them gladly" he NUT
tered, as he turned away with a sigh.
But there is more that I have to do,
and until then the police and I, I hope,
Will remain strangers"
Near the window through which he
had been peering was an open door,
and without knowing exactly why, he
entered. The room was empty, but
along n side ran a shelf, on which
were ranged various rusty candlesticks
containing pieces Of candle. evidently
for the use of the guests"
Job helped himself to the largest
piece Of the candle he, could find and
appropriated some of the matches.
May need 'em," he muttered.
This enterprise may carry me into
many dark Places"
AS he cams out of this room, he
thought he heard the sound of steps
halnw q nd tho aohnoS aF mn f7o1 xyn{CoS
They must have got On my TRAIL"
he muttered. We'll. the only thing to
do is. to try and reach the roof; perhaps
it may communicate with some other
building. not-well, I shall be
caught
~ he approached the stair again the
SOUND Of the voices below became loud
er,s.and, from h fragments of con-
versatton that drifted up to him, he
judged that the police were making an
examination Of the rooms on the lower
floor.
"It will take 'em some time to do
that" was the thought hat was run
ming through his mind, "and in the
meantime who knows but I may be
able to show them a clean pair Of
heels"
He had reached the stairs again, and,
cautiously, that he might not awake
the sleepers, assembled them slowly.
Whoever it was Investigating the
lower rooms, he did not AXE any pre-
caution to muff1e his voice, and frag-
ments OF h was said satisfied Job
that the police were in the building.
He had now reached the upper floor,
which, from the silence that prevailed,
he judged to be unoccupied. There was
a small iron ladder leading to the roof,
and, without a moments hesitation, he
climbed this, and, opening the trap,
r1oGnI. ~ haLip1 lS-, ~ t11 -oo4
1t was only through this trap that
they could possibly find him, so he
thought If he could weight down the
trap, they would nave no easy task in
reaching him. AT the same time, if
he found no way to escape from the
roof, his enemies had only to wait, and
he must eventually fall into their
hands.
He closed the trap carefully, and see
ing a pile Of old lumber near at hand,
by degrees brought the boards over In
his strong arms, and piled them on top.
When he found that there was nothing
els of a weighty nature that he could
pile over the door, he wiped his fore
head of it's perspiration and sat down
on h pile of boards to consider his
situation.
Looked at it in any light, his position
seemed to be desperate, for the place
was guarded below, and the house was
full Of policemen. He rose and walked
to h further end Of the roof, and then
saw below him a low building that
looked as If it were a factory Of some
sort. Then he wandered to the front
IF the building, and, looking down,
thought he could see a policeman
walking back and forth, and, beyond,
others. SO he returned to the contem-
of the little factory. If he
could only reach that roof, it would not
hard to get to the street. But it lay
far below him, n to jump would be
Just then, as he was walk
about, feeling very uneasy, he
the chfmneys, and which at some time
must have been employed in the work
of painting the building.
1t was only a shor piece, but he took
1t up tenderly, undid the knots and
found that it was still Of too short
a length to be of any service to him.
Rope in hand, he drew e the brink
OF the roof, and peered down into the
The roof of the factory, or
it was, lay far below, but he
saw a small projection jutting out
from h building on which he was
standing, about half way down. All.
# h rope had only been double its
.ength! Then a thought occurred to
aim whereby he might make his little
rope do double service.
Fastening 1T to a hook where q
lightning rod had formerly been, he
the loose enc over the wall,
where it dangled in space. Under the
he had &tied about the hook he
placed a candle and lit it. His inten-
ion was that by the time he had
the lower projecting ledge, the
would have burned its way
through the rope, it would drop into
lis hands and then he would be able to
Use 1t again to each the roof of the
Having arranged this, Job
scrambled over h edge Of the parapet,
md, climbing to the rope, launched
into space. He knew that it
vas possible that the candle might
the rope through before he
cached the ridge of safety, but it was
lecesary that he should take the risk.
n his swinging descent he could not
lelp but look upward at the f1aring
andle, the progress of which was to
.ecide his fate, for life or death. An
Id cope like HAT must Consume a