Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-10-06
GAMBLING
WITH FATE
By WILLIAM WALLACE COOK
Author Of 1.-THE Gold Cleaners; A Story Of
the Cvanide Tanks" "Wilby's DAn,"
"His Friend the Enemy, Rogers
Of Butte" Eo., Etc.


smart. housing, he brushed hdHu
across his eyes, laughed at the folly
into which the perilous hour had be-
guiled him and dropped back to be
further prey of his disagreeable rev.
cries.
The queen of hearts tripped through
the semi-gloom, but between her smil-
ing countenance and his came the
dead face of Sturgis; and when this
faded II left the gruesome hand OF
Death raising five cards for his inspec-
tion--three inaves and two sevens,
dripping red.
With a sudden movement he threw
himself forward in the chair and raised
his clenched INST. There was nothing
before him, however, except the dull
CLEAN OF the candle.
What was wrong with his nerves?
This mood was foreign to him and he
could not understand IL.
Springing up. he tramped the cTeak-
ing boards for an hour. When he
again seated himself he bowed his head
on the table in his folded arms. The
restless stirring OF the guards outside
died away in his ears; he slept and
the candle burned to its socket, sput-
tered and went out.
Some time later-just how long he
had no means of knowing-a peculiar
sound aroused him. He started up,
his eyes peering into the blank dark
ness.
He still heard the guards: but the
noise that had awakened him came
from within, not from without.
A labored breath, carefully Stihed;
the sweep of a hand over rough sur
face; a creaking lift of one of the floor
boards; fall of wood, muffled with
painstaking care. Then silence again,
broken only by the tramp Of the armed
sentries.
In the Opaque gloom, Darrell strained
his ears to follow the sounds and
couple each with corresponding
movement that must have caused it.
He readily gathered that entrance was
being forced into his prison chamber
from beneath Who could it be?
Darrell" came a kissing whisper.
"Yes?" he returned, in undertone.
"If you would save your life you
have not a moment to spare. The
marshal has been lured away and made
q prisoner and there is nothing to
prevent Sturgis' friends from wreaking
their vengeance on you. There are a
lot of them at Hawkbill's now, getting
ready. The guards posted by the mar
shall are in sympathy with them and
listen!" The voice broke off, trem-
ulous with excitement. do you hear
anything? They may be coming this
minute"
NO" returned Darrell, after a mo-
ment, its the watchers outside that
you hear. In the first place, who are
you?"
THE man whose life and honor you
saved at FTawlbill's."
How have you been able to come tc
me?"
Through one Of the drifts from the
creel, bank 1t was only necessary tt
dig out a few feet of earth in order
to come up directly under this build
ing-but it has taken hours and every
hour seemed an age. | was afraid
should not be in time. God knows
could not abandon you after what yol
have done for me-
"Stureis' friends would take the Law
into their own hands, would they?"
They intend to lynch you"
"For crime did not commit" sup
plemented Darrell.
"The doctor found the bullet tina
killed Sturgis and it's a 40. The re
volver taken from you by the marsha
was also a 40 and one shell wa
empty"
"Who is the doctor?"
can eastern man and one Of tn
sanest and best men in the camp. H
has implOred the mob to let the lay
take its course, but no one would liste
to him. But there's no time for tall
You can drop into the tunnel throug
this hole l have dug, reach the cree
and get to point below the camp III
der shelter of the bank. My horse
there, saddled, bridled and read,
Come. you must hurry!"
There was not little feeling man
Tested in barrels voice as he al
severed:
you have done a good deal for n
and l appreciate it. You do not thin
I killed Sturgis?"
81 haven't stopped to think vel
much about it. 1t would be no mol
than a natural supposition after thi
row in Hawkbills-that row on n
account"
"Well, I'm innocent of murder, bl
tn =,