The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-06-03
THE MINNEAPOLIS JOURNAL.

into the room. He halfway across it while
Lamont was still speaking. Then, from the
the angle behind the door, now fully exposed to
the rays of the lsntern.
Inc man wh1rled about in alarm just as Alan
sprang. In consequence the Englishmans
mi mighty III fist whizzed past his head, missing it
The taller, recovering from his amaze, whipped
Put One ds tne revo.yers he Wore in his belt
his hand before he could fire. and Wifi, one h hsnd
eiapped across the fellows bearded lips, wound
his other about the stalwart body so as
10 prevent Tor the instant the drawing of the
second pistol. 1870 -
Alan's first blow had missed clean; but his
blow with all a trained boxers swift deaterity,
he sent a straight left-hander flush on the angle
lantern and COLLAPSED into a senseless heap on
the floor, while Alan. with no further delay,
rushed toward the jaler 80
The fall of the lantern extinguished the light
me cell was again plunged In dense blackness,
thru which could be heard the painting and
Barely second of time had elapsed since first
Jack had seized the man, but that second had
Strength and shake on his ess gsantI gie,
sn !id to draw Viii his ;! pistol s.
Drummond, guided by his friends voice, dart
ed forward thru the darkness caught his foot
against the spraying body of the lantern bearer
anu ieli heavily, his arms thrown out in an
instructive I'M gesture, of self-preservation Even
the trigger and his pistol-contract made and
out OF order, like many of the weapons Of
common soldiers in Russians frontier POSTPAID
missed fire. .@ - - s
TO that luckiest of mishaps, the failure of
a defective cartridge to explode the friends
owed their mementary safety.
AS Alan pitched forward one of his outfune
arms arms struck against an obstacle. 1t was
straps which his fingers touched in the impact
ne o kneW Fod it Was the ialer and not Lamont.
old football tactics coming to memory Alan
chung to the man his arm had Glanced upon
ana pore him along to the ground; Jack, who
had pressed forward in the darkness, being car
r1ed down as we'll by the others fall.
Taller, prince and Englishman thus strug-
g:ed on the stone floor in one indistinguishahle
n neap. 1T was no ordinary combat of two to
one. 1or neither Of the prisoners could say
which was the jailer and which his friend
Inc Jailer. troubled by no such doubts, laid
from CRYING out the fact that his heavy fur
cap had. in the fall, become jamrued dow n over
1 nts lace as tar as the chin and could not for
the moment be dislodged.
he reached for and drew his sword-bay onet
INA hn numg at es his side for his second pistol
blindly about him. Once, twice his blade met
resistance and struck into flesh.
Jack painted Alan, "the beasts stabhing.
: 9et yourself loose and find the electric Light
As he spoke, Alans hand fond the jailer's
throat. He knew it was not Alan's from the
dened by the pressure, stabbed with fresh fury:
most of his blows, fortunately, going wild in
:
Ala m free hand reached for and located the
arm that was welding the bayonct. and for q
moment the two wrestled desperately for its
Then key clicked. and the room was flooded
will. incandescent light, just as Alan. reieas-
ing his grip on the Russians throat. dealt him
OF his practiced muscles. The jailer relaxed
his tense limbs and lay still, while Alan bleed
WorR he ganteS 10 Ms noson
to land knockout from. But caught him just
right He'll trouble us no more for few min
your" ~ - 'O'''N
...oonly scratch along my cheek. And youT'
shoulder, think Neither Of them bad, thanks Rs
to the lack of aim in the dark. Close call, that!
Nov Nov to tie them up. Not movement from
You must have come close to killing them
with those sledse hammer blows of yours!''
turbahle pugilist they'll be all right in half
an hour It's knowing where to hit ,. II there
wear the clothes of these beasts. Let us take
only the bunch Of keys and the revolvers.''
Securing these the two stepped out into the
passage, locked and bolted the door; and then
Jack, who knew his way, proceeded along the
passage to the stairway. leaped nimbly up the:
steps, bolted the door leading to the military
+ quarters, then descended and bolted the bottom
do oKow for the clerk and then for the gov
The clerks room connected with the armory,
which was reached by passing thru the apart art
ment that held turbine ana dynamo, which tney
found purring away merrily.
Covering the frightened clerk with four re-
volvers Jack told him in Russian that If he
made sound it would be his last. They took
him. opened cell No. 3, which was empty, and
thrust him in. i
Jangling the keys, the two entered the gov
ernor's ROOM The ancient man looked up, but
not a muscle of his face changed; even his
fshy eyes showed no signs OF emotion or sur
prise.
Governor said Jack with Difference, t'altho
you are under the muzzles of quartet of re-
you must not leave your place until you accom-
;pany US down to the boat, when: | shall hand
the Keys. over to. YOU; and. in cell. you
VIII find jailer and man Yfttf worse;
for but in the ring