Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1910-08-18

LII SlCpI diOuS LIZ UdSS VI lue pie.
What are you doing?" asked Alice.
watching him in wonder from the arch
way.
Without replying, the detective rose
to his feet and. holding the candle high
above his head. examined the walls
above the wood pile. Then he reached
up and scraped the stones with his
finger nails in several places and then
held his fingers close to the candle
light and looked at them and smelled
them. His fingers were black with
SCOT.
IN. Paul. won't you speak to me?"
begged the girl.
Just a minute. just a m1nute." ne
answered absently. Then he spoke
with quick decision. Pm going to set
you to work." he said. by the way,
have you any idea where we are?"
She looked at him in surprise. "Why,
don't you know"
II think we are on the Rue de Va
rennes-a big hotel back of the high
wall"
That's right" she said.
"Ah. he didn't take me away!" re-
fected NJ. Paul. '"That is something.
Pougeot will scent danger and will
move heaven and earth to save us.
He will get Tignol, and Tignol knows
l was here. But can they find u.s."
Suddenly he said to the girl: Il may
as well tell you u lives are in dan
ger. He's going to set fire to this
wood and'-
OH" she cried, her eyes starting
with terror.
"See here" he said sharply. you've
got to help me. We have a chance
yet. The fire will start in this big
chamber, and-I want to cut it off by
blocking the passageway. Let's seer
He searched through his pockets. HE
has taken my knife. All, this will dor
And. lifting a plate from the table,
he broke it against the wall. '"There!
Take one Of these pieces and see ii
you "a saw through the rope. Use
the jagged edge-like this. That cuts
it. Try yer there"
Alice fell to work eagerly, and in a
few moments they had freed a section
of the wood piled in the smaller cham.
Der from the restraining ropes and
stakes.
Nov, then." directed Coquenil, you
carry the logs to me, and I'll make a
barricade in the passageway."
The word passageway is somewhat
misleading. There was really a dis.
lance Of only three feet between the
two chambers, this being the thickness
of the massive stone wall that sep
arated them. Half of this opening
was already filed by the wood pile, and
Coquenil proceeded to fill up the other
half, laying logs on the floor length.
wise in the open part Of the passage
from chamber to chamber and then
laying other logs on top of these, and
SO on as rapidly as the girl brought
wood.
They worked with all speed. Soon
the passageway was solidly walled
with closely fitted logs to the height OF
six feet. Above this, in the arched
PdACs SOduCuAl "OAhCu uIOIS SlOW1y,
selecting logs Of such shape and size
as would fill the curve with the fewest
number Of cracks between them
There was danger in cracks between
the obstructing logs. for cracks meant
a draft, and a draft meant the spread
ing of the fire.
"Now," said M. Paul, surveying the
| I1oo1ya1 no G. r 1ryo " st+hot Sc %ho 1,oo1
we can do-with wood. We must stoI
these cracks with something else
What did you wear?" He glanced al
the chair where Alice had thrown hel
things. "a White cloak and a straw
hat with a white veil and a black vel
vet ribbon. Tear off the ribbon and
we can't stand on ceremony. Here are
my coat and vest. Rip them into strips
and Great God! There's the smoke
now"
As he spoke a thin grayish feather
curled out between two of the upper
logs and foated away: another came
below it. Somewhere De Heidelmann'
Bruck had pressed an electric button
and under the logs deadly sparks had
jumped in the waiting finder. They
were prisoners in a huge, slowly heat
ing oven stacked with tons Of dry
wood.
I'VE must stop this" he cried, and
tearing the shirt from his shoulders
he ripped it into fragments and wedgi
ed these tight between the logs.
"We must have more CLOTH" he said
gravely. "It's our only chance, little
friend. I'll put out the candle! There
Let me haye-whatever you can and
be quick"
Again he worked with frantic hate
stufing in the last shreds and rags
that could be spared from their bodies
whenever a dull glow from the other
side revealed a crock in the barricade.
"There," he painted; "that's the bes'
WE can do Now it'e I'M to GOdl he