The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1910-01-21

oO OhO dIIOuGlOn Not
II the bass drum were still thunder
ing through the room. But if
must soon pass BY.
It he only had something to ham
mer against the door HE remem-
bered his knife. Clenching it in
his right fist, 50 that only its end
projected, he began pounding
against the steel.
Fortescue would have felt better
had he known that Grahame was
outside. Somehow or other he
knew Ben would have cot that
door open He stopped hammer
ing for a moment.
Bang ! bang ! bang ! Some
body was pounding against the
door. The clerks heart leaped.
He had been heard, and that was
the first step toward his release.
Again he glanced at his watch.
Ten Of the precious fifteen min
utes had passed. They must be
quick. The air inside would not
last forever.
Confusedly he began to specu-
late as to how they would try to
reach him. They might drill a
hole to give him air; but before
they could penetrate the thick,
tough steel plate he would be dead.
They might blow the door with
nitroglycerin, but that would as
suredly kill him. No, he could
not get out alive unless the vault
were opened in the usual way; and
how could that be done when his
was the only brain that knew the
combination +?
Tick, tick, tick Second by sec
ond the minutes were fleeing fif-
teen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen.
He was on borrowed time now.
Already the veins on his face
were swelling. His head ached
fit to burst. There was changing
i'm his ears. If he could only live
without breathing +!
Why did not those people out
side do something p? Were they
going to let him die without an eff
fort
All at once from the door, even
now wavering before his eyes, a
succession of quick, sharp blows
echoed through the vault-tap-
tap-tap Tap-tap-tap
Over and over again they came,
until at last Fortescue's benumb-
ed brain recognized the sounds as
the old familiar dots and dashes of
the Morse telegraph code. Word
after word spelled out, until at
last sentence stood before him
"Can you hear me ?"
The clerk pulled himself togeth-
er Zen Grahamc, Of course Some
how he had been summoned back.
Perhaps his train had NOT started.
1t was often late at that season.
Remembering their telegraph days
together, he was tapping a message
through the door. Fortescue 1elt
a great relief. ....
Yet he must reply quickly. The
air was so thick he could barely
keep his eyes open. His head was
splitting. 1t was years since he
had used the code; but the old
operator never forgot his Morse.
Leaning against the door, he drop
ped back with the butt Of his knife +:
"Yes-tap-tap, tap-tap; tap ;
tap-tap-tap.
Again a message tapped through
the resounding steel
"What is the combination 20
Staggering, fighting off insensi-
bility, the imprisoned clerk began
to reply. So dulled was his brain
that he almost feared he might for
get the numbers before he could
finish. He was careful to make
each blow loud and clear, for he
knew he was spelling out either his
reprieve or his death warrant. a
single mistake, and all was lost
he could not keep conscious long
enough to tap the message through
more than once.
Dot by dot, dash after dash, he
licked off the words
cleft to twenty-five; right three
times to seventy-fve; left twice to
fifty; right slowly, till dial stops. y
At the last stroke Fortescue :
will gave way. His knife dropped
to the cement, his muscles relaxed,
and he collapsed utterly. Yet
through the black mist which
seemed to close round him he could
hear the clicking Of the tumblers
Fingers a few inches outside were
turning the T-handle. Would they
get the combination right ?
Just as his senses were forsaking
him with tremendous clang the
bolts shot back, and the door
sprang open.
Somebody was sponging Fortes-
cues temples with cold water when
he came to himself on his own coun-
ter. After a moment Of bewilder.
ment he remembered and raised
n ~ -