The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-07-19

ventilator which he had found, and
| through which we felt rush of air.
Here is our air supply. What is to
prevent our host from charging it with
chloroform or common Illuminating gas,
or for that matter from shutting it off
altogether. which would be slower, but
just as effective?"
| Clarke must have felt me shudder.
for he said:
Don't let it worry you, Sexton. DIR.
Withersbee has an object i'm keeping at
least one of US alive, and he cannot dis
pose of one that way and not ALL
| Then ensued long and killing wait,
during which two new enemies hunger
and thirst, warned us that they had en-
listed on the doctors side. Clarke took
no part in our desultory conversation,
and | knew that his active brain was
busy with the aspects of our apparent
| ly desperate situation.
| The hours dragged on until Clarke,
after passing his finger over the dial
of his watch. which he had set by mine.
announced that it was 10 o'clock
The time for action has come" he
said Il am going to make a trial
| upon which | confess rests our only
hope Q" ever seeing daylight again
Take your stations on each side of the
door. Sexton, give Dudley the match:
his hand is steadier than your. Eeev
absolute silence. If the door opens and
man comes through. seize him. Dud-
ley VIII secure the dark lantern which
hangs at his girdle and light il. YOU
Sexton, get your hands on his throat
and strange him if | give the word
Now leave the rest to me-
Dudley and l took our stations
heard Clarke place himself in front of
the door. Then. in a voice the inten-
sity of which thrilled me, l heard him
repeating:
"Come-come-come will it,"
over and over | heard the monoto-
nous hiss of the interminabe refrain.
| felt my limbs growing rigid and
struggled and fought against the subtle
influence which was creeping over me-
At last. after a wait which seemed
an eternity, l heard a soft football out
side of the door. Then iron bars clanked
and grated. l heard the hinges creak
and the door swing slowly open. A
dark form framed i'm the doorway was
outlined through the gloom. Then II
stepped into our midst. My hands shot
to his throat, which was cold and
clammy as that of a corpse. There was
no resistance. 1 heard Dudley wrench
ing the lantern from his belt. At
Clarke's command / released him. Dud-
ley was about to strike the light when
Clarke shouted: Quick Dudley; thj
door" IL was swinging slowly shut
and in second our prison would have
held four victims. First Dudley's foot
then his powerful frame stopped II
and swung il back. / heard the match
strike and then the rays of the Ian
tern flashed into the face of our pris-
oner.
1t was the attendant who had ad-
mitted us to the asylum, but with such
a stare of abject terror in his face
that | scarcely recognized him.
Clarkes voice broke the silence Ad-
dressing our captive he said in the
same low. tense voice:
oliver Dixie, you are completely I'M
der my Will"
The attendant nodded. his lusterless
eyes fixed on Clarke's dark and earn
est face.
There is another outlet from this
place beside the asylum. is there not?'
Again the attendant nodded.
You will lead us through it,
The face of the attendant was con-
torted with terror. and / thought he
tried to shake his head, but Clarke's
powerful will gained the mastery
The attendant turned. and with
Clarke's hand on his shoulder, entered
the passage. I followed. and Dudley
with the lantern, brought up the rear
At last we came to a transverse gal
lery which cut the one we were in at
right angles. Our guide turned to the
right. Soon we found ourselves in a
labyrinth of passages al cut out of
the solid rock. Our guide threaded
first one and left us as we came to the
intersections.