El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-02-16
The Herald's
Daily Short Stery

come; he could not cease 10 trelipio
low, piteous groan OF anguish
capped his lips.
The warder stood looking in at the
figure on the bunk
George is havin' bad dreams ne
muttered half inaudibly.
He started to move away; theh' as
though swayed by some subtle trend on
thought he came back to the cell door,
standing there in silence; but this time
with one hand raised and resting 1gnt-
ly against one Of the bars-the shght-
est shake would have betrayed instant
ly it's severed state.
Portland George stopped quaking.
From beneath his half closed lids, he
watched the figue at his cell door.
paroxysm of agonized despair surged
within him, alternating ever with faint
faItering hope. Was it to be all Tor
uaught-those long hours to toll in the
night,
He did not begrudge the work upon
the stubborn bars; it was this present
peril Of all his hopes and carefully
thought out plans, should that silent
figue at the cell door chance to rest a
portion of his weight against the bar!
He was cool and collected enough now,
yet sullen and rebellious, lest luck
should fOrsake him at what seemed the
very moment of success.
A
and passed on down the corridor. To
Portland George, it had seemed an age
those few moments that the warder
had stood there with his hand against
the bar He jumped from the bunk All
the mental and physical furry had LET
him; he was cool and calm as he hur-
ried in his clothes, as though in re-
Spouse to the usual early morning sig
nal. He did not put on mis- shoes: his
I n, h. h.
solutely noiseless, If he hoped to sue
coed in his plans Then, too, he needed
one of those heavy shoes for another
purpose-if he succeeded inZcreeping
up stealthily behind the warder
With all haste possible, Portland
| George wrenched loose the lower ends
of the three bars; to squirm through
the opening thus formed was but the
work of a moment; then. war5ly as a
beast of prey, he glided along, close
Ito the wall. after the retre2ting form
of the Warder. Silently, swift a fleet
ing shadow. he bore down upon the
man ahead, who. all unconscious
of the cringing, darting peril be-
| hind him, had removed his cap, letting
| the cool breeze play about his heated
| brow as he swung leisureiy along.
A few seconds. and Portland George
/ was close upon his victim. The warder,
somehow, seemed to feel the presence
| of danger near him; he paused sud
denly. and was about to turn, when the
convict. rising to his full height, and
| bringing his powerful muscles into
| play. brought the heavy shoe crashing
| down upon the unprotected head Of
! the man before him.
J With low, stifled moan, the warder
sank limp. and unconscious, to the
! floor of the corridor. Portland George
! bent over him, removed the revolver
! and keys from the prostrate form; and
| then, with scarcely a second glance at
the white face stretched out before
! him, hurried away down the long cor
| ridor of cells.
| 1t was before cell IS that Portland
| George stopped at length, stealthily in
serted key in the lock, and entered.
| From the light which filtered in from
the corridor, he could make out quite
| clearly the outlines of the figure on
the hunk-and the long, pale face OF
! Bud McGiu- Even now the thin lips
seemed parted in a smile, half sheer
| ing, half supercilious-as though in
MS dreams, he was going over the
taunts and jibes which on the NOR
row, the day of his freedom-he would
oestow upon his former pal, If the op-
portunity afforded
Portland George drew close to the
bunk; he bent over 1t, with hands out
| er. At that instant Bud McGin opened
| his eyes
L realization of the intruder's iden-
tty and purpose came with a rush
upon the inmate of cell 49, There was
no mistaking the purport of the CLEAN
In those wild eyes above him; an over
WheImfng terror seized upon him.
Portland George" he gasped, you
I-you-you here
The grim figure above lowered
| closer
Yes. it's me-" purred Portland
sweetly- Your OF pal, George. tor
you I'd get you-and now, by Cod"
The other begin pleading.
"George-George, don't kill me.
George, you wouldn't kill your OF -
The whine suddenly ceased with a
gasping rattle; the fingers of the 9TH
er had closed about his neck.
| II was all over in q moment.
me limp, lifeless form on the bunk
lay back, as though in dreamless sleep;
only the eyes. wide open. terror strick-
en-, seemed pleading still for mercy.
portland George paused not to. gloat
| over his victim; that would come later
through all the long, Is years ahead
Of him. Taking Buds suspenders. he
fastened one end around the victims
neck. then tied the other end securely
TO the bed post. leaving the body sus-
pended, showing every indication OF
self destruction. Then he left the cell
hurriedly closing and locking the door
behind him and made his way back
TO where the form Of the warder still
lay outsCretched il the corridor.
This time he took more notice of the
/ BODY, noting with satisfaction that the
! warder was breathing regularly, and
! would doubtless soon regain con-
seriousness. He restored the keys and
the revolver, just as he had found them;
| then FASTENED back to his own cell
| Crawling through the bars, he replaced
them carefully and as securely as pos
sible, again filling the cuts with black
| wax. He knew it was only a question
of time, and the severed bars would
be discovered: but the discovery he
| sought to delay until no connection
would be suggested with the events of
| this particular morning.
Back safely in his cell again, he FELL
to wondering what the warder would