The Whitefish pilot. [volume] (Whitefish, Mont.) 1904-current, 1910-08-04

CHAPTER XXI.
THR LOST DOLLY.
We been SO frightened" Alice
said to him. 1.-The man sa III
you wanted me. and came,
- ut once, but in the automo-
bile. felt something was wrong. aud
you know he is outsider"
docs PougeOt know about this?''
She shook tier head. '"rhe man came
for NJ. POugeOt first. They went Off
together I'm afraid it was trick.
Then about twenty minutes later the
same man came back and said NJ. Pou-
geot was with you and that he had
been sent to bring me to you. He
showed ME your ring and
"Yes. yes. understand" interrupted
Coquenil. MY poor child" he NUT
tered. Taking the candle. CoquenI
went through the arched opening into
the larger chamber and made bur-
ried inspection. The room was about
fifteen feet square and ten feet high.
with everything of stone-walls. floor
and arched ceiling. Save for the pas
sage into the smaller room there was
no sign Of an opening anywhere ex-
cept two small square holes near the
ceiling. probably ventilating shafts.
Around the four walls were logs
piled evenly to the height of nearly
elk feet. and at the archway the pile
san straight through into the sna Her
room. The logs were in two foot
lengths. and as the archway was about
four feet wide the passage between
the two rooms was half blocked wit III
wood.
COquenil walked slowly around the
between the logs. as If searching for
something. AS he went on he held the
candle lower and lower and presently
got down upon his hands and knees
nnd crept along the base of the pile
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 aud scraped the stones with his
finger nails in several places and then
held his fingers close to the. candle
light AID looked at them and smeiled
them. His fngers were black with
soOt
M. Paul. won't You speak to met"
begged the girl.
lust minute. just minute" he
answered abspntly. Then he spoke
with quick decision. I'm going to set
you 10 work." he said. "By the way,
have you any idea where WE are:"
She Looked at him III surprise. why.
don't you know
Il think we are on the Rue de Va
rennes--a big hotel back of the high
wall" 4,
THAT'S right" She said
"Ah. ne didn't take me away!' re,
dected NJ Paul. THAT is something
POugeot will scent danger and will
E,ove heaven and earth to save us.
He will get Tiguul. and I1gnoi knows
was here But can they find us?'
Suddenly he said to the girl: Il may
as well tell you our lives are in dan
ger. Hes 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 chance
vet. The fire will start in this big
,ha mber. and-l want to cut it off by
blocking the passageway. Let's seer
4e searched through his pockets. He
has taken my knife. All. this will dor
And. lifting plate from the table.
le broke it against the wall. There!
Take one of these pieces and see If
you can saw through the rope. Use
he jagged edge-like this. That cuts
t. Try over there"
Alice fell to work eagerly. and in a
ew moments they had freed a section
y the wood piled In the smaller cham.
per from the restraining ropes and
takes.
Nov. them" directed Coquenil, you
AIRY the logs to me. and I'll make a
Parricade in the passageway."
The word passageway is somewhat
Misleading. There was really a dis
ance of only three feet between the
wO chambers. this being the thickness
t. the massive stone wall that sep