Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1909-10-07

bird stricken awning, somo four
floors below, but at once resumed its
downward swoop.
Down, down! After 'em!" Hickey
believed. Il dropped one, by God!
T'other can't"
How many in the carr" interrupted
Maitland, opening the lever with
firm and careful hand.
only two. same's us. hit tn Teller
| what was runnin' it,"
steady" cautioned Maitland, de.
creasing the speed, as the car ap.
preached the lower floor.
Tit other had beaten them down;
but its arrival at the street level was
| greeted by short chorus of mad yells,
brief fusillade of shots-perhaps
five in all-and the clang of the gate
Then, like ball rebounding, the cage
swung upwards again, hurting at full
| speed.
Evidently Anisty had been received
In force which he had not bargained
| for
Maitland instinctively reversed the
lever and sent his own car upward
again, slowly, waiting for the other to
overtake it. Peering down through
the iron lattice-work he could indis.
tinctly observe the growing cube of
light, with a dark shape lying huddled
in one corner of the floor A second
I figure, rapidly taking shape as Anisty's,
stood by the controller, braced against
the side of the car, one hand on the
lever, the other posing a shining
thing, the flesh-colored oval of his face
turned upwards in a supposititious at.
tempt to discern the location of the
dark car.
Hickey, by firing prematurely, lent
him adventurous aid. The criminal re-
piled with spirit, aiming at the fash,
his bullet scattering against the back
wall of the shaft. Hickey's next bullet
rang with a bell-like note against the
metal-work, Anisty's presumably went
wide-though Maitland could have
sworn he felt the cold kiss of its
breath upon his cheek. And the lighted
cage rocked past and up.
Maitland needed no admonition to
pursue; his blood was up, his heart
singing with the lust of the man-hunt.
Yet Anisty was rapidly leaving them,
his car soaring at an appalling pace.
Towards the top he evidently made
some attempt to slow up, but either
he was ignorant of the management of
the lever, or else the thing had got
beyond control. The cage rammed
the buffers with a crash that echoed
through the sounding halls like peal
of thunder-claps; it was instantane-
ously plunged into darkness. There
followed a splintering and rending
sound, and Maitland, heart in mouth,
could make out dimly dark, falling
shadow in the further shaft. Yet ere
it had descended score of feet the
safety-clutch acted and, with a third
tremendous jar, shaking the building,
the car halted.
Hickey and Maitland were then some
five floors below. stop 'er at 49," or.
dered the detective. There was lit
of exultancy in his voice. I'VE got
him now, all right, all right. He'll try
to get down by-There!" Overhead
the crash of gate forced open was
followed by scurry of footsteps over
the thing. stop 'er and we'll head
him off. So now-eeeasy!"
Maitland shut off the power as the
car reached the nineteenth floor.
Hickey opened the gate and jumped
out. Shut that" he commanded,
sharply, as Maitland followed him,
lin case he gets past u.s."
He paused moment in thought,
heavy head on bull-neck dropping for
ward as he stared toward the rear of
the building. He was fearless and re-
sourceful, for all his many deficiencies.
Maitland found time, quantity enough,
to regard him with detached curiosity,
a rare animal, illustrating all that was
best and worst in his order Endowed
with exceptional courage, his ad
dress in emergencies seemed alto
gether admirable.
"Yeh guard them stairs" he decided,
suddenly. I'll run through this hall,
nd see what's doing. Don't hesitate
to shoot if he tries to jump yeh." And
was gone, dumping briskly down the
corridor to the rear.
y CTo BE CoNTINUED.)