Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1911-06-22

ana should by right have presented to
his vision a blank expanse of dark
glass. But, oddly enough, even while
thinking of his lawyers warning, he
had fancied. "Ah!" said
Maitland, softly.
A disk of white light, perhaps foot
or IS inches in diameter, had fitted
swiftly across the glass and vanished.
"Ah, ali! The devil, the DEVIL"
murmured the young man, uncon-
sciously.
The light appeared again, dancing
athwart the inner wall of the room,
and was lost as abruptly as before. On
impulse Maitland buttoned his top
coat across his chest, turning up the
collar to hide his linen, darted stealthily
yard or two to one side, and with
one noiseless bound reached the floor
of the veranda. A breath later he
stood by the front door, where, at
first glance, he discovered the means
OF entrance used by the midnight ma
rauder; the doors stood ajar, black
interval showing between them.
So that, then, was the way! eau
tiously Maitland put hand upon the
knob and pushed.
A sharp, penetrating squeak brought
him to an abrupt standstill, heart ham,
mering shamefully again. Gathering
himself to spring, if need be, he crept
back toward the library windows, and
accommodating cautiously determined
the fact that the bolts had just been
withdrawn on the inside of one win
dow frame, which was swinging wide.
IT'S wise crook that provides his
own quick exit" considered Maitland.
The sagacious one was not, appar-
emily, leaving at that moment. On the
contrary, having made all things ready
for a hurried flight upon the first
alarm, the intruder turned back, as
was clearly indicated by the motion of
the light within. The clink of steel
touching steel became audible: and
Maitland nodded. Bannerman was in
deed justified; at that very moment
the safe was being attacked.
Maitland returned noiselessly to the
door. His mouth had settled into
hard, unyielding, thin line; and dan
gerous light fiickered in his eyes.
Temporarily the idler had stepped
aside, giving place to the real man
that was Maitland-the man ready to
fight for his own, naked hands against
firearms, if it need be- True, he had
but to step into the gunroom to find
weapons in plenty; but these must be
precious moments wasted in the pro-
cess-moments in which the burglar
might gain access to and make off
with his booty.
Maitland had no notion whatever of
permitting anything of the sort to
occur. He counted upon taking his
enemy unawares, difficult as he be-
lieved such a feat would be, in the
case of professional craftsman.
Down the hallway he CROPPED his way
to the library door, his fingers at
length encountering it's panels; it was
closed, doubtless secured upon the in
side; the slightest movement of the
handle was calculated to alarm the
housebreaker. Maitland paused DELHI
Grating another and better plan, hav-
ing in mind a short passageway con-
Meeting library and smoking room. In
the library itself a heavy tapestry cur
tanned its opening, while an equally
heavy portiere took the place of door
at the other end. In the natural order
of things a burglar would overlook
this.
Inch by inch the young man edged
into the smoking room, the door to
which providentially stood Enclosed.
Once within, it was but a moments
work to feel his way to the velvet
folds and draw them aside, fortunately
without rafting the brass rings from
which the curtain depended. And then
Maitland was in the passage, acutely
on the alert, recognizing from the con-
| tinued click of metal that his antagon-
ist-to-be was still at his difficult task.
Inch by inch-there was the tapestry!
Very gently the householder pushed it
aside.
An insidious aroma of scorching var
nish (the dark lantern) penetrated the
passage while he stood on it's thresh-
old, feeling for the electric light
switch. unhappily he missed this at
the first cast, and-heard from within
a quick, deep hiss of breath. Some.
thing had put the burglar on guard.
Another instant wasted, and II
would be too late. The young man
had to chance it. And he did, without
further hesitation stepping boldly into
the danger zone, at the same time
making one final, desperate pass at the
spot where the switch should have
been-and missing it. On the instant
there came click of different cali.