The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-10-04

lantly to the front, mlncng like eat.
but his long lower jaw worked, tSu
two threads of saliva dripped from 1t.
| Andy smelled the rank, stlnging odor
himself, and his heart beat more rap
idly. He ordered Grip tc heel in a
stern whisper, and pulling bit of
candle from his pocket, lighted it with
fingers that were not quite steady.
| Holding his hat behind the flame
and the rifle under one arm, he walked
gently forward, until deep, inquiring
rumble satisfied him that he had gone
far enough.
He moved the light, and it struck
two green, steady sparks out of the
darkness ahead. Then he placed it
upon the floor, and stood with rifle
ready and straining eyes. About the
greenish dots he presently distinguished
the outlines of black, snaring face,
and lower down vague whitish mark.
The pariah glared back at him with n
| grinning snarl ana then retreated
softly round Il sudden twist in the
gallery.
"No going round there for me-"
thought Andy. "Old sly-boots might
get me at uncomfortably close quar-
ters."
He unwrapped the cotton from the
wicked little dynamite cartridge and
set it glngerly in n cleft in the rock
| T. I,t
snaky fuse. 1t ignited and tiny
spark began TO crawl sprally down
! the coil.
| Catching Grip by the collar. Andy
hurried back toward the entrance. The
dog was reluctant to leave, and at
times Andy had to drag him along by
main force. Excited as he was. he
| paid no attention to his surroundings
until all at once he brought up against
dead wall
For the first time he noticed how alb
solutely dark was the place Releas-
ing Grip, he swept the wall with an
anxious hand. He was in cul-de-sac
at the end of one of the smaller side
galleries.
For moment he hestitated, chilled
| by the thought of the small red spark
| crawling ineXorably on its errand.
Then, clutching Grip, he ran stumbling
| down the passage.
He came out into the main chamber,
| recognized it by its width, and turned
to the right The fuse had been cut
to burn ten minutes. How much time
he had wasted or how far away lay
the entrance he could not tell
1t seemed any time, no time, since he
had left the pariah's lair. Rocks that
| he had not noticed before rose malicious
| ly in his path and sent him sprawling.
The loose rubble slid like sand under
his feet, and he carromed against the
walls, cutting his hands and hruisng
his shoulders.
Then. with great sigh, he felt the
| air sucked inward. The next instant it
was belched forth with a shaking roar,
and he was flung forward upon his
face with force that stunned him.
An anxious whine and the swab of
wet tongue convinced Andy that he
was still alive. He got up feebly, half
choked by the gaseous and earthly air.
Leaning on Grip, he staggered for
ward and stumbled over the rifle. APP
parently it had sustained no injury.
He set the hammer at half-cock. and
using the gun as a staff, soon reached
the entrance
He sat down on fiat rock and lifted
his face to the cooling rain that fell in
| long stcely lines. Shaken and dizzy,
he did not notice the pariah as he stuck
his lank-muzzled. wavering head from
the tlssure, until Grip, scenting the
wild-beast smell, sprang up with a
furious challenge.
Andy stared at the pariah, too as
tonshed by the bears escape to think
! Of shooting. Fortunately the pariah
was not feeling very well. He was
more dazed than Andy. With eyes
half-closed and mouth open he swayed
drunkenly and inhaled greedily the re-
vivifying air.
1t seemed like taking an unfair adj
vantage of the great beast to kill him
in his helpless state, but to spare him
meant the death of many innocent,
necessary sheep,
The range was too short to admit any
inaccuracy of aim. The bullet passed
directly to the brain, and the pariah
sank down quietly, dead across his
own thrcshod.-Yo Youths Companion.
The Cockney Language.
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