Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1911-07-11

uCtV Will thC AhhS~th - 0eoAAA6 $1,000
in the face. But where was be? He
shifted his eyes. straining to pene-
trate the gloom. Ahead Of him just
beyond the light there was q black
wall. He could not move his head.
but he saw where that same wall
closed IN on the left. He turned his
gaze upward. and 1t ended with that
same imprisoning barrier Of rock.
Then he looked down, and the cry Of
horror that rose In his throat died in
a muffied groan. The light fell dimly
on a sack-two Of them7three-a
tightly packed wall Of them.
He knew now what had happened.
He was imprisoned IN the coyote. and
the sacks about him were filed with
powder. He was sitting on something
hard-a box-fifty pounds Of dynamite.
The cold sweat stood out in beads on
his face. glistening In the lantern glow.
From between his feet thin. white.
ghostly line ran out until 1t lost itself
In the blackness under the lantern. II
was the fuse. leading to the box Of dy.
Mantle on which he was sitting.
Madly he struggled at the thongs
that bound him until he sank exhaust.
ed against the row Of powder sacks at
his back. Like words Of fire the last
warning Of Meleese burned in his
brain. you must 20 tomorrow-tomor-
row-or they will kill your And this
was the way in which he was to die.
There famed before his eyes the terri.
BILE spectacle which ne had witnessed
few hours before-the holocaust of fire
and smoke and thunder that had dis
rupted mountain. chaos Of writh-
Ing. twisting fury. and in that momen.
his heart seemed to cease its beating
He closed his eyes and tried to calm
himself. Was 1t possible that there
lived men so fiendish as to condemn
him to this sort Of deathP Why had
not his enemies killed him out among
the rocks? That would have been
easier, quicker, less troublesome. Why
did they wish to torture him? What
terrible thing had he done? Wes he
mad, mad. and this all terrible night
mare. a raving and unreal contorton
of things In his brain? In this hour Of
death question after question raced
through his head. and he answered no
one Of them. He sat still for q time,
scarcely breathing. There was no
sound save the beating Of his OVID
heart Then there came another, al
most unheard at first, faint, thrilling.
Tick, tick, tick!
1t was the beating Of bis watch. A
spasm Of horror seized him.
What time was 1T
The coyote was 10 be fired at o
o'clock. Ii was when be left his
cabin. How long had he been uncon-
scious? Was 1t time now-now? Was
Mac Donald's finger already reaching
out to that little white button which
would send him into eternity?
He struggled again. gnashing furio,A-
ly mt the thing which covered his
mouth. tearing the flesh Of his wrists
as he twisted ut the ropes which bound
him, choking himself with his efforts
to loosen the thong about his neck.
Exhausted again. he sank back. pant
Ing, half dead. As he lay with closed
eyes q little of his reason asserted It.
self. After all was he such coward
as to go madl
Tick. tick. tick!
His watch was beating Mt furious
rate. Was something wrong with it!
Was 1t 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
flame IN the lantern globe. 1t was not
the steady. unwinking eye OF few
minutes before. There was sputter-
Ing weakness about It now. and as he
the light grew fainter and
fainter. The fame was going out. \
few minutes more and he would be In
darkness. At first the significance OF
It did not come to him. Then he
himself with n jerk that
tightened the thong about his neck un-'
III 1t choked him. Hours must have
passed since the lantern had been plac-
I'd 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 or
steel, and suddenly. because OF this
he found that he had re-
covered his voice.
This rawhide Is pinching my Ad'
ANS APPLE
Whatever had been about his mouth
had slipped down. and his words sound
I'd hollow and choking in the rock
bound chamber. He tried to raise his
voice In shout. though he knew how
futile his loudest shrieks would be.
The effort choked him more. His SUI.
sering was becoming excruciating.
Sharp pains darted like redhot needles
his limbs. his back tortured
him, and his head ached as thought a
knife had cleft the base Of his skull.
The strength Of his limbs was leav-
ng 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 II. and then a groan OF horror
rose to his lips.
The light had gone out.
As II that dying Of the little yellow
aame were the signal for his death.
there came to his ears sharp kissing
sound; a spark leaped up into the
blackness before his eyes. and a slow.
creeping glow came toward him over
the rock at his feet.
The hour, the minute, the second.
had come. and Macdonald had press
I'd the little white button that was to
Tend him into eternity. He did not