The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-01-10

Hobbs shot? Kings eyes sud
lenly filled with tears, a great
wave of pity and shame rushing
to his heart. Poor Hobbs! He
had led him into this; to crafty
a vainglorious within, he had done
the little Englishman to death.
The silent, cautious march
down the valley, through the Gap
and along the ridge carried them
far into the night. King knew
that they were skirting the main
roads, keeping to the almost hid
den trails of the mountaineers.
They carried no light, nor did
they speak to each other, except
in hoarse whispers. In single file
they made their way, the prisoner
between them, weary, footsore
and now desperate in the full re-
Ialization of his position. Being
gagged, he could make no appeal
to the one man who might be-
friend him-his villainous coun-
ltryman. 1t occurred to him
Igrim thought-that the astute
Marlanx had considered that very
probability, and had made it i'm
possible for him to resort to the
lcupidity of the hireling.
At last, when he could scarcely
ldrag his feet after him, they
lcame to a halt. A consultation
followed, but ne could not under
stand a word. This much he
knew: they were in the hills di-
rectly above the northern gates.
Two of the men went forward,
moving with extreme caution. In
half an hour they returned and
the march was resumed.
| Their next halt came sooner
THAN he expected. The vague,
black shadow of lightless house
loomed up before them. In a
twinkling he was hustled across
the road and into a door. Then
down. flight of stairs, through
ipitchy darkness, guided by two OF
the men, whispered word of ad-
lvice now and then from the
Yankee saving him from perilous
} lstumbles. He was jerked VI
, sharply with a command to stand
|still. A light flashed suddenly in
his face, binding him for the mo.
ment. Voices in eager, quick con.
; lversation came to his ears lone
| before his eyes could take in the
' situation.
? His Newport companion en-
= Heightened him, between puffs Of
$ the pipe he was struggling with
r Here's where we say goodbye
= young fellow. We turn you oyel
2 to these gents, whoever they are
z I'm sort of out of it when the,
c get to jabberin' among them
- selves. 1 can understand ZEN
8 when they talk slow, but, say
: lid you ever hear flock o
( Union Square sparrows chirp fast
3 Ter than them fellers is talkin
{ now? You go into the village ga.
c with these Schwabs by the sewel
= line, I guess" Truxton pricket
Y lup his ears. 1.-THE old man ha
E had a hole chopped in the sewe
G here, they tell me, and it's a snal
E to get into the city. Not yer.
= clean or neat. but it gets yoi
E there. Well, so long! They'r,
e READY. I see. They don't monke.
p long when they've got a thing t.
2 DO. I'd advise you not to be TOT
J stubborn when they get you tt
headquarters; 1t may go easie
y with you. I'm not so damned
bad, young Teller. It's just tn,
s business I'm in-and the com
}. lpany."
f King felt thrill of real regart
E for the rascal. He nodded hi
r thanks and tried to smile. TIL,
} fellow grinned and slapped hin
e on the shoulder, unobserved b,
] the Others. In another momen
t his guardianship was transferred
r he was being hurried across tn,
2 cellar toward an open doorway
= Down a few stone steps he wa!
/ led by the bearded crew, ant
: then pushed through a hole il
5 what appeared TO be a heavy bricl
wall. He realized at once where
= he was. The gurgle of running
: water, the odor of foul airs came
, up to him. 1t was the great sewer
: that ran from the hills through
! the heart of the city, flushed con.
tinuously by diverted mountain
, stream that swept down from
= above.
He was wading in cold water
over a slippery bottom, tightly
, held by two men, the third going
lahead with the lantern. Always
ahead doomed the black, opaque
} circle which never came nearer
; never grew smaller. It was the
} ever receding wall of darkness.
He did not know how long they
J traversed the chill sewer in this
: fashion. In time, however, the
t water got deeper; rats began to
} Iscurry along the sides of the circle
, or to swim frantically on in front
} of the disturbers. The smells
were sickening, overpowering
, Only excitement, curiosity, youth
,l-whatever you may care to term
it-kept him up and going. The
Everlasting glory of youth never
} ends until old age has provided
the surfeit of knowledge; the
: Istrife to see ahead, to find out
what is to be, to know,-that is