The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1906-08-17

Of It. TITS no use making fuss,
Jones'! There are eight Of us. Oblige
me by attending to your signals"
Jones knew the voice. # was that Of
John Rex. "Reply, can't you?" said
Rex. coolly. captain Burgess is in a
hurry" The arms of the semaphore at
the settlement were, in fact, gesticulat-
ing with comical vehemence.
Jones took the strings IN his hands,
and, with his signal book open before
message. when Rex stopped him. ''Send
this message" he said. mot seen! Sig
nal sent to Eaglehawkv'
Jones paused irresolutely. He was
himself a convict, and dreaded the inev-
liable cat that he knew would follow
this false message. IF they finds me
out" he said. Rex cooked the car.
bine with SO decided a meaning in his
black eyes that Jones banished his hest.
tation at once and began to signal Gag.
erly. There came up clnking of metal
and murmur from below. whats
keeping yer, Dandyy'
Cali right. Get those irons off. and
then we'll talk. boys. I'm putting salt
on old Burgess tail" The rough jest
was received with a roar, and Jones.
looking momentarily down from his win.
dow on the staging, saw, in the waning
light, a group of men freeing themselves
from their irons with a hammer taken
from the guard house: while two, al.
ready freed. were casting buckets OF
water on the beacon woodpile The sen.
try was lying bound at little dis.
lance.
Now" said the leader of this sur.
prise party, "signal to Woody Island
Jones perforce obeyed "Say. An es.
cape at the mines! Watch One-tree
folnt! Send On to Eaglehawkv Quick
now"
Jones, comprehending the force OF
TINS maneuver, which would have the
erect of distracting attention from the
Neck, executed the order with a grin
ou're knowing one, Dandy Jack
said he.
John Rex acknowledged the compli.
ment by unlocking the carbine. Hold
out your hands! Jenny Vetch! Come
up. and tie our friend Jones. Gabbett
nave you got the axes?" "There's only
one." said Gabbett. 'Then bring that
and any tucker you can lay your hands
on. Have you tied him? On we 90
then. And in the space of five min.
ntes from the time when unsuspectine
Harry had been silently clutched by two
forms, who rushed upon him out of the
shadow of the huts. the Signal Hill sta.
ton was deserted.
AT the settlement Burgess was foam.
ing. Nine men to seize the Long Bay
BOAT, and get half an hours start of the
alarm signal was an unprecedented
achievement! What could Warder
Troke have been about? Warder Troke
however. found eight hours afterward
dlsarmed, gagged and bound in the
scrub. had been guilty of no negligence
How could he tell, that at certain
signal from Dandy Jack. the nine men
he had taken to Stewards Bay would
rush" him; and. before he could draw
pistol. truss him like a chicken? The
worst of the gang, Rufus Dawes. had
volunteered for the hated duties of pile
cure. How could he possibly guess that
there was plot in which Rufus Dawes
of all men, had refused to join?
Constables. mounted and on foot
were dispatched to scour the bush round
the settlement. Burgess. confident. from
the reply of the Signal Hill soma phore
that the alarm had been given at Eagle
hawk isthmus, promised himself the re.
capture of the gang before many hours
and giving orders to keep the commnni.
cations going, retired to dinner. His
convict servant had barely removed the
soup when the result of John Rex's
ingenuity became manifest. The sem.
aphore at Signal Hill had stopped work.
ing.
Perhaps the fools can't see," said
Burgess. Fire the beacon-and saddle
my horse" The beacon was fred. All
right at Mount Arthur, Mount Com.
munication and the coal mines. To the
westward, the line was clear. But at
Signal Fill was no answering light Bur.
CESS stamped with rage. Get me my
boats crew ready; and tell the mines
to signal to Woody Island" As he
stood on the jetty, breathless messen.
ger brought the reply. "A boats crew
to One-tree Point! Five men sent from
Eaglehawk in obedience to ordersv
Burgess understood it at once. The
fellows had decoyed the Eagleha wk
guard. "Give way, men, And the
boat shooting into the darkness, made
for Long Bay. II won't be far behind
EN-" said the commandant, "at any