Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1906-08-03

and had six motions, indicating one to
six. The middle one denoted tens, ten
to sixty. The lower one marked hun
dreds, from one hundred to six hundred.
The lower and upper arms whired
out. That meant three hundred and six.
A ball ran up to the top of the post.
That meant one thousand.
Number 1906, or, being interpreted,
prisoners Absconded."
There's a bolt" said Jones, the sig
mailman.
The semaphore signaled again
Number 1411."
with arms!" Jones said. translating
as he read. Come here, Harry here's
a go"'
But Harry did not reply, and, looking
down, the watchman saw dark figure
suddenly fill the doorway. The boasted
semaphore had failed this time, at all
events. The "bolters" had arrived as
soon as the signal!
| The man sprang at his carbine, but the
intruder had already possessed himself
of it. ITS no use making fuss,
Jones! There are eight of us. Oblige
me by attending to your signals"
Jones knew the voice. 1t 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
them, was about to acknowledge the
message, when Rex stopped him. Send
this message" he said. "Not seen, Sig
nal sent to Eaglehawkw
Jones paused irresolutely. He was
himself a convict. and dreaded the iney.
liable cat that he knew would follow
'nls raise message. "If they finds me
out" he said. Rex cooked the car
blne with so decided a meaning in his
Dlack eyes that Jones banished his hesi-
tatlon at once and began to signal Gag
eriy' There came up clinking of metal
and a murmur from below. whats
keeping yer, Dandy?"
"All right. Get those irons off and
then we'll talk boys. I'm putting salt
on old Burgess tail" The rough lest
was received with roar, and Jonas
looking momentarily down from his win.
DOW on the staging, saw, in the waning
llsht' group of men freeing themselves
from their irons with a hammer taken
from the guard house; while two. nj.
ready freed, were casting buckets Of
water on the beacon woodplle. The sen.
try was lying bound at a little dis
tance.
Now" said the leader of this SIR
prise party, signal to Woody Island ;
Jones perforce obeyed. Say, An es
cape at the mines! Watch One-tre,
Point! Send on to Eaglehawk. Quick
now"
Jones' comprehending the force O.
thls maneuver, which would have IN,
erect OF distracting attention from tb,
Neck, executed the order with a grin
said he. '"eA'
John Rex acknowledged the commit
ment by uncocking the carbine. "Holf
out your hands! Jenny vetch. Com,
up' and tie our friend Jones. Gabbett
nave you got the axes" There's only
one,' said Gabbett. Then bring tbot
and any tucker you can lay your hand.
on. Have you tied him? On we cd
theh' And in the space of five min
utes from the time when unsuspectins
Harry had been silently clutched by two
FORMS who rushed upon him out of tbe
snadow OF the huts, the Signal Hill sta.
tion was deserted
AT the settlement Burgess was foam.
ing Nine men to seize the Long Bav
boat, and get half an hours start of tho
alarm signal was an unprecedented
achievement What could Wardar
Iroke have been about? Warder Troke
however, found eight hours afterward
olsarmed, 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
ne nad taken to Stewards Bay would
rush him; and, before he could draw
pistol, truss him like chicken? The
worst OF the gang, Rufus Dawes. had
volunteered for the hated duties of nile
driving, and Troke had felt himself So
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 sema phore.
that the alarm had been given at Eagle.
hawk lsthmus. promised himself the re-
capture of the gang before many hours {.
ana giving orders to keep the communi.
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
Burges. Fire the beacon-and saddle
my horse" The beacon was fired. All
right at Mount Arthur, Mount Com
munication, and the coal mines To the
westward, the line was clear. But at
signal Hill was no answering light. Bur
I'm m yr;tI,