The diamond drill., 1907-11-30
HIS LAST ESCAPE

man saving sayageiy at his iron bars
In the second tier.
He stops to squeeze q sponge u oil
upon the giittering saw. 4
lie has sawed two above. two below
and two on the left on previous nights
and secreted his work with bits Of SOIL
ed bread rubbed into the filings. Nov
he has cut one and is at work upon 7
last. i ~ sp
The window IL far above the door,
and he stands upon stool
He suddenly stops as a Hash comes
upon him He sinks back out OF sight
and buries his face with his hands.
An Instant passes. He recovers. He
rcappcars at the CRATE. seixes Il In HIS
enormous hands and wrenches Il mad
ly. 1t yields, breaks. and he staggers
back with II In his hand and falls upon
the floor, stunned and bleeding.
Although n murderer, he prays to
some power which he blasphemousiy
calls his God and leaps to his feet and
grasps bunchy. tattered coll OF strip
ped bcdclothing. affixes 1t 10 q stump
Of a remaining bar and plunges out
ward and downward by the wall.
II Is the work of a minute. His
palms are scorched, but he forgets
them, reaches the end OF his rope,
trembles. shuts his eyes and-drops.
II In but few feet. He dashes for
the outer wall. A shed is one round
OF his ladder, a bakery Is another. He
crawls across upon his stomach, gains
the farthermost edge and throws him
self downward In the midst OF hor-
rid burst Of sound, glare OF light and
10000 shouts OF alarm.
Nothing stings him. No shot has
struck him Of the six hurled at him.
He plunges through the water to his
lips. gains road and tears along.
whistles shrflly with his remaining
breath. Is rushed upon by two men In
coats and mufiiers, is seized, thrown
into a wagon and whIrIed away.
His name Is Richard Starkweather. n
man so fierce that they have caught
and Gagged him for his crimes a dozen
times. but dozen times he has es-
capped.
Two friends have communicated
with him IN some mysterious way and
supplied him with the necessary imple-
ments, and these same friends now are
driving him Off TO safety.
He does not know where they drive.
for he has nearly tainted. They know.
however. and rush onward and into
forest. where there Is hunters hut.
Into this they carry him and hide
him. They battle him tenderfy and
care for him like women. Two days
pass. He II well. though weak and nerv-
Gus. On each day ono OF the men goes
away and comes back laughing at tho.
tumult Starkweathers escape
made and bringing food with him. I'd
They say $1,000 reward is offered by
the state for his body, and they laugh
all the more. and Starkweather joins
them heartily.
On the third day he lies partly COW
cred with moss within the hut, with
his eyes closed. trying 10 sleep or his
nervousness. One OF the men comes
back from the town and after looking
at him moment goes outside 10 talk
with the other. while he listens curl
ously.
And then they continue. AS he hears
what they say his eyes open wide.
they stare out OF his head He strains
his ears; his breath forces itself from
him. He hears feet running. and he
lies down again and Is calm and quiet
They look I'm upon him again and
again say 10 each other -Hc IN asleep"
An hour after they awake him TO say
that there Is danger. and they must go.
tomorrow at night and hide elsewhere.
He smiles gratefully. Tomorrow comes
Might comes. He hides an iron bar I'm.
his shirt. and they get into the wagon
cautiously. one on each side OF him,
and drive of. They come 10 road
which forks. They take the right. He.
puts his hand into his breast and says:
Take the leftr'
They stare at him and keep on. He
orders them again
''Take the left or haltr'
They suddenly seem to comply. They
turn the horse sharp 10 the left, the
fore wheel gets under the body OF the
wagon. and Il is hurled over and falls.
with n crash. A shrill whistle bursts
upon the night. and flfty men and fifty
lights are on the road at once.
There Is n great shout, n sharp cry. q
scufiie. with desperate blows. and they
have him fast He rs cut and bleeding.
Ills two bctrayers stand before him
and all the rest about him. lie giares
at them and gnsps. Hts mouth Is
filed with dust. and he can say moth
ing at first, but finally bursts out like
a Wild animal.
look here. men, he shouts. nod
ding st the two before him. II heard
them plan 10 turn me over 10 you.
heard them plan out TIE blood money
between them. They have played me
false. They are betrayers when they
pretended TO be friends. They helped
me out OF jail In order 10 surrender -
again.
He Is I'm a horrible fury. lie bos, -
from his captors with his herculean
strength and with the iron bar falls
upon the two like thunderbolt. Two