Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1911-07-21

detective. Hes got tn night car. F
| takes the stairs, he comes down by
tn shaft, nd how'm | tub trust this
here mutt?" He indicated his associ.
ate but humber custodian of the peace
with disgusted gesture.
Perhaps one of the other cars will
run" Maitland suggested.
"Ah, they're all dead ones" Hickey
disagreed with disdain as the young
man moved down the row of gates, try.
ing one after another. "Yeh're only
wastin'-"
He broke Off with a snort as Matt.
land, somewhat to his own surprise
managing to move the gate of the
third shaft from the night elevator,
stepped into the darkened car and
groped for the controller Presently
his fingers encountered 1t, and he
moved 1t cautiously to one side. A
vicious blue spark leaped Kissing from
the controller-box and the cage
bounded up a dozen feet, and was only
restrained from its ambition to soar
skywards by an instantaneous release
of the lever.
By discreet manipulation Maitland
worked the car down to the street
floor again, and Hickey, with a grunt
that might be interpreted as an apol.
ogy for his incredulity, jumped in
Let 'er RIP" he cried, exultantly.
Fan them folks out intuh tn street.
Bergen, nd watch ow-ut!"
Maitland was pressing the lever
slowly wide Of its catch, and the
lighted lobby dropped out of sight
while the detective was still shouting
admonitions to the police below. Grad.
ually gaining momentum the car began
to shoot smoothly up into the black
ness, safety chains clanking beneath
the floor. Hickey fumbled for the
electric light switch but, finding it, i'm
mediately shut the glare off again and
left the car in darkness.
Safer" he explained, sententious.
"Anisty II shoot, nd they says he
shoots straight"
Floor after floor in ghostly strata
slipped silently down before their
eyes. Halfway to the top, approx
mately, Hickey's voice rang sharply
in the volunteer operators ear.
Stop 'er! Hold er steady. T'other's
comm down"
Maitland obeyed, managing the car
with greater ease and less jerkily as
he began to understand the principle
of the lever The cage paused in the
black shaft, and he looked upward.
Down the third shaft over, the other
cage was dropping like a plummet,
block of golden light walled in by
black filigree-work and bisected verti-
cally by the black line of the guide.
rail.
stop that there carl"
Hickeys stentorian command had
no effect; the block of light continued
to fall with unabated speed.
The detective wasted no more
breath. AS the other car swept past
Maitland was shocked by report and
flash beside him. Hickey was using
his revolver.
The detOnation was answered by
cry, scream of pain, from the lighted
cage. 1t paused on the instant, like
bird stricken a-wing, some four
floors below, but at once resumed its
downward swoop.
Down, down! After 'em!" Hickey
beloved. Il dropped one, by God!
T'other can't"
How many in the carr" interrupted
Maitland, opening the lever with a
firm and careful hand.
"Only two, same's us. hit tn feller
what was runnin' it"
Steady" cautioned Maitland, de.
creasing the speed, as the car ap-
preached the lower floor.
Tht other had beaten them down;
but its arrival at the street level was
greeted by short chorus of mad yells,
a brief fusillade of shots-perhaps
five in all-and the clang Of the gate
Then, like ball rebounding, the cage
swung upwards again, hurtling at full
speed.
Evidently Anisty had been received
in force which he had not bargained
for.
Maitland instinctively reversed the