Rocky Ford enterprise., 1907-01-18

caverns We Will have reached the end
OF the trail. and the end Of"
"Our Journey" La Prade shuddered.
mo. not that" said Deneau. I'VE are
here to take. not to be taken. to seize.
not to be seized
"Ah. I had as soon enter Hades n
enter that cave"
"And yet. We must enter It. and
without delay"
SHOULD We surprise u force with.
-in."
II do not believe We shall. ! am
sure that II L. used as sort of stor-
age for plunder. . secret refuge for
the plotters-but We can safely As
sumo It In not used a. q dwelling.
and. II guarded at all. the guard II
small"
"And your plans are:"
TO enter those caverus prepared
for tho worst. that is. prepared to
nEht our way II met by resistance. but
hoping We shall ind the road clear.
which ! believe will be the cnse-for
having such absolute protection a. the
cave affords them. NJ they think II
impenstrable. Inaccessible. and sepa-
rated from the world by q barrier
which can bc removed only by Tho
Invisible Hand itself. and one other
and that other is mine. have the
secret to the entrance. and can. by the
movement OF my hand. cause the stone
wall to fall apart and open the way
to the tunnels or caverns beyond"
His eyes blaxcd. his hand smotc the
air. and his words were marked by n
triumphant infection. He told La
Prade the secret OF Dead Mans Cave.
This In most remarkable case"
said In Pradc. his eyes staring
through the small pancx toward the
black outline Of the mountain beyond.
different In every detail from any
other job that has come under my OBJ.
servation. I distrust II. can hardly
reconcile the motive to the measure"
And yct." replied Dcncau. what
better place could be found to conceal
from the law and from the world n
treasure than those underground caves
what better place to hatch . great
conspiracy? In the Northern States.
In tho Northwestern and Eastern
States. the eye Of tho law is ever up.
on the nihilists and the anarchists
In New York. Chicago and Boston:
hut here among the mountains. In a
cavern known only to themselves. and
accessible only to their members. why
II is an ideal rendezvous. n typical
place for hidden treasure"
But they are not nihiiists-not an.
archists-not pirates?" asked In
Prade.
mo. they are not nihilIsts. anarch-
lists. or pirates. but a band Of men.
do not know their number. high In
rank. unlimited in funds. desperate In
purpose. preparing to deal blow.
When this blow will fall. or with what
result. unless II can be averted. I can.
not say. but unless we succeed In our
purpose. feel sure that some day
the world will stand appalled, at the
work OF The Invisible Hand and
firmly believe that the future OF the
Russian Empire is In our hands: two
Frenchmen against The Invisible
Hand two Frenchmen. upon whose
deeds depend the throne of the Great
White Gar. ha! ha! ha! what do you
think OF II. my brave sleuth; are we
to save Russia and dictate terms to
that trembling, shivering coward of an
Autocrat lurking in the shadows Of
Peterhoff. or shall we pause at the
very mouth Of Dead Mans Cave, gaze
into the mysterious darkness. and flee
for our lives from the scene?"
Point out the way, and should
come to the Gates Of Hell, will en-
ter" cried La Prade.
Deneau smiled triumphantly. He
knew how to reach the heart Of his
confederate. He knew that La Prade
loved danger better than his own
heart. and that once he faced the enc
my, nothing but death itself would see
his back-and thus the compact was
sealed.