The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1912-05-17

iN uS 00uS 81 A40A
O'Clock. It was Z when be left his
cabin. How long had he been uncon-
scious1 Was 1t time now-nowf Was
Mac Donald's finger already reaching
out to that. little white button which
would send him into eternityI
He struggled again. crashing furious
y at the thing which covered his
mouth. tearing the nesh Of bis wrists
as he twisted at the ropes which bound
him, choking himself with his efforts
to loosen the thong about bis neck.
Exhausted again. he sank back. pant
Ing. half dead A. be lay with closed
eyes q little Of his reason asserted t.
self. After all was he such q coward
- to 60 madf
Tick. tick. ticki
His watch was beating ct Q furious
rate. Was something wrong with IT.
Was It going too fast1 He tried to
count the seconds. but they raced away
from him. When he looked again bis
gaze fell on the little yellow tongue Of
dame in the lantern globe. 1t was not
the steady. unwinking eye Of few
minutes before. There was q sputter-
ing weakness about 1t now. and a. 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
1t did not come to him. Then be
Strengthened himself with q Jerk that
frightened the thong about his neck I'M
til 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 a hot band Of
steel. and suddenly. because of this
Tightening. 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
ed 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 suf-
fering was becoming excruciating.
Sharp pains darted like redhot needles
through his limbs. his back tortured
him. and his head ached as thought a
knife had cleft the base of his skull.
Nh0 etrn - 30 III
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 1t. 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 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 scanold.
and as the condemned had spoken his
last farewell. with the moose about his
neck, he had marveied at the clearness
Of his voice. at the fearlessness of this
creature in bis last moment on 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
under his feet. Two minutes more Of
life. He put his whole strength once
again in an attempt to free his hands.
This time his attempt was cool. steady.
masterful. with death 100 seconds
away. His heart gave a sudden burst
Ing leap into his throat when he felt
something give. Another effort. and
In the powder chot ed vault there rang
out thrilling cry of triumph. His
hands were free! He reached forward
to the fuse. and this time q moaning,
wordless sob fell from him. faint. ter
rifying. with all the horror that might
fill a human soul in its inarticulate