Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-03-11
By James Oliver Curwood

his neck until it choked him. Hours
must have passed since the lantern had
been placed or that rock, else the oil
would not be burned out of it now,
For the first time Rowland realized
that it was becoming more and more
difficult for him to get breath. The
thing about his neck was Tightening.
slowly, ~inexorably. like a hot band of
steel, and suddenly. because of this
Tightening, he found that he had re-
covered his voice.
This damned rawhide-is pinching-
my Adams apple"
Whatever lar been about his mouth
had slipepd 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 suffering
was becoming excruciatins. Sharp
pains darted like red-hot needles
through his limbs, his back tortured
him. and his head ached as though a
knife had cleft the base of his skull.
The strength of his limbs was leaving
him. He no longer felt any sensation
in lis cramped feet. He measured the
paralysis creeping up his legs inch by
inch, driving the sharp pains before it
and then a groan of horror rose to his
lips.
The light had gone out.
AS if that dying of the little yellow
flame were the signal for his death
there came to his ears a 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 pressed
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 mar walk to his death on the
scaffold, and as the condemned had
spoken his last farewell, with the moose
about his neck, he had maryeled at
the ~clearness OF his voice, at the fear
lessness of this creature In his last
moment IN earth.
Now he understood. Inch by inch the
fuse burned toward him-a fifth of the
distance, a quarter-now a third. At
last it reached a half-was almost I'M
der his feet-Two minutes more of life,
He put his whole Strength once again
In an attempt to free his han1s. This
time the attempt was cool, steady. mas
terful-with death one hundred seconds
away. His heart gave a sudden burst
ing leap into his throat when he felt
something give. Another effnrt-and
in the powder-choked vault there rang
out a thrilling cry of triumph His
hands were free! He reached forwar I
to the fuse, and this time a moaning.
wordless sob fell from him, faint. ter
rifying. with all the horror that might
fill a human soul in its inarticulate
note. He could not reach the fuse be-
cause of the thong about his neck
He felt for his knife. He had left
it in his room. Sixty seconds more
forty-thirty. He could see the fe-y
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 a last hope he
snatched 1t forth. stretching down his
pistol arm until the muzzle of the
weapon was within a dozen inches OF
the deadly spark. At his firsf shot the
spark leaped. but did not so out. After