The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1911-07-27

would send him into eternity?
He struggled again, gnashing furious
/ Iy at tho thing which covered his
mouth tearing The flesh of his wrists
/ as he twisted at the ropes which bound
/ him, choking himself with his efforts
/ to loosen the thong about his neck.
| Exhausted again he sank back. pant
1 Ing. half dead AS he lay with closed
eyes little Of his reason asserted IT.
1 self After all was he such coward
as TO go mad?
Tick, tick. tick!
His watch was beating at furious
rate. Was something wrong with il?
Was II going too fast? He tried to
count the seconds. but they raced away
frOm him. When he looked again his
gaze fell on the little yellow tongue Of
hame In the lantern globe. II was not
the steady, unwinking eye OF few
minutes before. There was sputter-
ing weakness about 1t now, and as he
watched the light grew fainter and
fainter The flame was going out A
few minutes more and he would be in
darkness At first the significance Of
Il did not come to him. Then he
Strengthened himself with n jerk that
frightened the thong about his neck I'M
I'll 1t choked him. Hours must have
passed since the lantern had been plac-
ed on that rock. else the oil would not
be burned out Of 1t now.
For the first time Rowland realized
that 1t was becoming more and more
difficult for him to get breath. The
thing about his neck was tightening
slowly, inexOrably, like hot band OF
steel, and suddenly. because OF this
tightening. he found that he had re-
covered his voice.
This rawhide is plnching my Ad-
ans apple
Whatever had been about his mouth
had slipped down. and his words sound
ed hollow and choking in the rock
bound chamber. He tried to raise his
voice in a shout. though he knew how
futile his loudest shrieks would be.
The effort ChOked him more His suf-
fering was becoming eXcruciating.
Sharp pains darted like redhOt needles
through his limbs, his back tortured
him, and his head ached as thought
knife had cleft the base of his skull.
TIE strength OF his limbs was leav-
ing him He no longer felt any sensa-
ton In his cramped feet. He meas
ured the paralysis creeping up his legs
inch by inch. driving the sharp pains
before It. aud then groan of horror
rose to his lips.
The light had gone out.
As II that dying of the little yellow
fame were the signal for his death,
there came 10 his ears n sharp kissing
sound; Il spark lPaped up into the
blackness before his eyes. and slow,
creeping glow came toward him over
the rock nc his feet.
The hour, the minute. the second.
had come, and Macdonald had press
ed the little white button that was to
send him into eternity. He did not
cry out now He knew that the end was
very near, and in its nearness he found
new strength Once he had seen a
man walk to his death on the SCaifOld,
ind as the condemned had spoken his
last farewell with the moose about his
neck. he had marvcied at the clearness
of his voice, AT the fearlessness Of this
creature in his last moment on earth.
Now he understood Inch by inch
che ruse burned toward hlm-a fifth
OF the distance, a quarter, now a third
At last It reached a haIf-was almost
under his feet Two minutes more of
life He put his whole strength once
again In an attempt 10 free his hands.
This time his attempt was cool, steady,
with death 100 seconds
away His heart gave a sudden burst
ing leap into his throat when he felt
give. Another effort and
I'm the powder chokCd vault there rang
out thrilling cry Of triumph. His
hands were free, He reached forward (.
10 the fuse. and this time a moaning, /.
wordless sob fell from him, faint ter I
rifying, with all the horror that might /
dill human soul In its iuartiCulate /
note. He could not reach the fuse be- /
cause OF the thong about his neck.
ne ltll ANA us NAtANt AAN LAs'N lNAL - ]
In his room. Sixty seconds more .
forty thirty He could see the fiery |
End OF the fuse almost at his feet sud /
denly his cropping fingers came in con-
tact with the cold steel OF his pocket /
revolver. and with n last hope he |
snatched II forth. stretching down his
pistol arm until the muSzle Of the
was within dozen inches Of
the deadly spark. Al his first shot the
spark leaped, but did no; so out After
the second there was no longer the
fiery. creeping thing on the floor. and
crushing his head back against the
sacks. Rowland sat for many minutes
rs If death bad In reality come TO him
IN the moment OF his delivegance
After a time. with tedious slowneSs,
be worked a hand into his trousers |