Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-09-01

The fingers of Howland's right hand
were sticky when he drew them away
from bis head. and he shivered. The
tongue Of flame ledping out Of the
night, the thunderous report, the del
nge of Ore that had filled his brain. all
bore their meaning for him now. 1t
had been q close call. SO close that
shivering chills ran up and down his
spine as he struggled little by little to
lift himself to bis knees. Els enemy's
shot had grazed his head.
It seemed an iDterminable time be-
fore he could rise and stand on bis feet
aud reach the candle. Slowly he felt
bis way along the wall until he came
to a low. heavy door barred from the
outside. and just beyond this door he
found a narrow aperture cut through
the decaying logs. 1t was q yard in
length and barely wide enough for him
to thrust through an arm. Three more
Of these narrow Sits IN his prison walls
he found before be came back again to
the door.
Near the table on which he replaced
the candle was stool. and be sat
down. Carefully he went through his
pockets. His belt aud revolver were
gone. He had been stripped Of letters
and papers. Not 80 much a. match
had been left him by bis captors.
He stopped in his search and listened.
Family there came to him the ticking
Of bis watch. He felt in his watch
pocket. 1t was empty. Again he lis
tened. This time he was sure that the
sound came from his feet. and he low
cred the candle until the light Of it
glistened on something yellow an arms
distance away. 1t was his watch. and
close beside 1t lay bis leather wallet.
What money he had carried in the
pocketbook was untouched. but his per-
sonal cards and half a dozen papers
that 1t had contained were gone.
He looked at the time. The hour
hand pointed to 4. Was it possible
that he had been unconscious for more
than six hours7 He bad left Jean on
the mountain top soon after nightfall-
1t was not later than 8 o'clock when
he had seen Meleese. Seven hours!
Again be lifted his hands to his head.
His hair was stiff and matted with
blood 1t bad CONCEALED thickly on his
cheek and neck and had soaked the
top Of bis coat He had bied great
deal. 30 much that he wondered he was
alive. and yet during those hours his
captors had given him no assistance.
had not even bound cloth about his
head.
Did they believe that the shot had
killed him. that he was already dead
when they flung him into the dungeon?
Or was this only one other instance of
the barbaric brutshness Of those who
80 mistakenly sought his life? The
fighting blood rose In him with return
ing strength. II they had left him a
weapon. even the small knife they had
taken from his pocket. he would still
make an effort to settle last score or
two. But now he was helpless.
There was. however. ray Of hope
in the possibility that they believed
him dead. II they who had flung him
into the dungeon believed this. then be
was safe for several hours. No one
would come for his body until broad
day and possibly not until the follow
ing night when grave could be dug
and he could be carried out with some
secrecy. In that time. IL he could es-
cane from bis prison, he would be well
on bis way to the Wekusko. He had
no doubt that Jean was still prisoner
on the mountain top. The dogs and
sledge were there and both rifles were
where he had concealed them. 1t would
be hard race-a running fight per-
haps-but he would win. and after
time Meleese would come to him.
away down at the little hotel on the
Saskatchewan.
He rose to his feet. his blood grow
ing warm. his eyes shining in the can
delight. The thought Of the girl as
she had come to him out In the night
put back into him all Of his old fight
ing strength. all Of his unconquerable
hope and confidence. She had follow
ed him when the dog yelped at his
heels. Us the first shots had been fired.
She had knelt beside him In the snow
az he lay bleeding at the feet Of his
enemies. He had heard her voice call
ing to him: had felt the thrilling touch
Of her arms. the terror and love Of her
lips az she thought him dying. She
had given herself to him. and she
would come to him-his lady of the
snows-if he could escape.
He went to the door and showed
against 1t with his shoulder. 1t was
immovable. Again he thrust his hand
and arm through the frst of the mar
row ventilating apertures. The wood
with which bis fingers came In contact
was rotting from moisture and age.
and he found that he could tear out
handfuls of 1t. He fell to work. dig
cling with the fierce eagerness of an
animal. At the rate the soft pulpy
wood gave way he could win his free
dom long before the earliest risers at
the post were awake.
A sound stopped him-a hollow
cough from out Of the blackness be-
yond the dungeon wall. 1t was follow
ed an instant later by CLEAN of light.
and Rowland darted quickly back to
the table. He heard the slipping of a
bolt outside the door. The door swung
open. and shaft Of light shot into the
chamber. For space Rowland was
blinded by 1t. and 1t was not until the
bearer Of the lamp had advanced half