The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1912-11-14

pocket. where he carried penknife
It took. him a long time to saw through |
the rawhide thong about his neck. |
After that he cut the rope that bound |
his ankles
He made an effort to rise. but no |
sooner had he gained his feet than
his paralyzed limbs gave way under
him and he dropped in a heap on the
floor Very slowly the blood began
finding its way through his choked
veins again. and with the change there
came over him a feeling Of infinite
restfulness He stretched himself out,
with his face turned to the black wall
above. realizing only that he was
saved. that he had Outwitted his mys-
terious enemies again and that he was
comfortable. He made no effort to
think-to scheme out his further de-
liverance. He was with the powder
and the dynamite. and the powder and
dynamite could not be exploded until
human hands came to attach new
fuse Macdonald would attend to
that very soon. so he went of into
doze that was almost sleep, In his
half consciousness there came to him
but one sound-that dreadful ticking
of his watch, He seemed to have lis
tened to it for hours when there arose
another sound-the ticking of another
watch
He sat up. startled. wondering. and
then he laughed happily as he heard
the sound more distinctly. 1t was the
beating of picks on the rock outside.
Already MacDonald's men were at
work clearing the mouth Of the coyote.
In half an hour he would be out in
the big, breathing world again.
The thought brought him to his feet.
The numbness was gone from his
limbs and he could walk about. His
first move was to strike a match and
| look at his watch.
"Half past 1Ov"
He spoke the words aloud. thinking
of Meleese. In an hour and half he
was to meet her on the trail. Would
he be released in time to keep the
tryst? How should he explain his i'm
prisonment in the coyote so that he
could leave Macdonald without further
loss of time? As the sound Of the
picks came nearer his brain began
working faster If he could only evade
explanations until morning and then
reveal the whole dastardly business to
Macdonald. There would be time then
for those explanations. for the running
down Of his murderous assailants, and
meanwhile he would be able to keeI
his appointment with Meleese.
He was not long in finding way ir
which this scheme could be worked
and, gathering up the severed ropes
and rawhide. he concealed them be
tween two of the powder sacks 20 tina
those who entered the coyote woutt
discover no signs of his terrible i'm
prisonment Close to the mouth of tht
tunnel there, was black rent i'll th'
wall Of rock made by a bursting charg'
Of dynamite in which he could concea
himself When the men were bus.
examining the broken fuse he woul,
step out and join them. 1t would lOOl
as though he had crawled through tn
tunnel after them.
Half an hour later mass OF rocl
rolled down close to his feet. and
few moments after he saw a shadow
human form crawling through the ho!
it had left. A second followed. an
then a third and the first voice b
heard was that of Macdonald.
"Give us the lantern. Bucky." he cal
ed back, and gleam of light shot int
the black chamber. The men wake
cautiously toward the fuse. and How
land saw the little superintendent ia
on his knees. AS quietly as ca
T Howland worked himself to the eI
trance and made a clatter among th
: rocks 1t was he who responded to th
voice
!. whats up. MacDonald?"
Ee coolly joined the little groul
. Macdonald looked up. and when /
i saw the new chief bending over hi
his eyes stared in unbounded wonder.
"How;and" he gasped.
1t was all he said. but in that OF
word and in the strange excitement
the superintendent face Howlar
read that which made him turn quic
~ to the men. giving them his fir
command as general in chief Of Il
road that was going to the bay.
"Get out of the coyote. boys"
said. 1--WE won't do anything mo
until morning"
To Macdonald as the men went o
ahead Of them he added in low voic
"Guard the entrance to this tunn
with half dozen Of your best men
night, Macdonald. know thin
which will lead me to Investigate tt
tomorrow. I'm going to leave you
soon as get outside. Spread the
port that 1t was simply bad fu:
Understands
He crawled out ahead of the super
tendent. and before Macdonald b
emerged from the coyote he had
70 ready lost himself in the starlit glo<
Of the night and was Fastening to
ss tryst with the beautiful girl, who.
d believed. would reveal to him at lei
6, a part Of one of the strangest and me
r diabolical plots that had ever origins
ht ed in the brain of man.
CHAPTER VIII.