The Dolores star., 1912-06-21

out msaaias. Ths can1ls ~ busoo1
dovn until barely - Inch rsaalne4
cMApTea XVI.
rhs NemalNs q Tsa0s1y.
u must have tesa the sAeck q No.
rsalisiag suddenly bow shost Q timo
rsnainsd 10 which I shoul1 havs lloAe
which restored NJ senses. ! hnsv !
stared u the din yellow flicker 1ully
at arst, and then with . swim RETURN
Ing consciousness which spurrsd ~
brain Into activity. In that instant ]
hated. desplsed myself. rsbsl1ed q ~
weakness. Faith IN Clairs Mortimer
came back 10 me In hood a regret.
n she had failed. Il was through -
fault Of hers, and I was no coward -
lie there and rot without mailing .
stern fight for life. when ! wss foun6.
those who came upon ny body woalA
know that died struggling. died - .
man should. facing fate with smile.
with hands Stripped IN The coateet.
The resolution served-it was . spar
to my pride. Instantly driving away
every haunting shadow OF evil. Yet
where should turnf To what end
should devote my energies! Il wss
useless to climb those stairs agala.
but there must be . way out.
gripped the old musket 90 the only
instrument Al hand. and began testing
the wallis. Three sides ! raped. ~
ceiving the same dead. dull response.
] was In the darkest corner now. b.
yond the stairs. still hopelessly beat
Ing the gun barrel against the stooe.
The dim light revealed no change n
the wall formation, the sans irregu-
lar expanse u hubble sst IN solid NOR
tar. hardened b. century q sxpossre
TO the dry atmosphere. Thea to ~
Idle. listless blow thsre cane . holoOW,
wooden sound. that caused ~ heart
to leap Into the throat. tried agnin.
foot 10 The left. conAdeat ~ easo
had played ne FALSE. but this tine
there could be no doubt-thers was a
opening here hack of . wooden bars
rier.
Half erased By this GOOD fortuns, I
caught up The inch u candDs. an1 hsjd
Il before the wall. The lin mghe
scarcely served ~ a ail. - in0or
niously haA. the door besn painted u
resemblance 10 TIE nogtaro1 steoe.
was coapsllsd - soun1 aonln. lDcA ~
tncA. VIII tAe - l9eEla 1GonD y
fvsuof oulgEu6o a sd - -
a the epsaing. Thea couD1 traeo ~
slight crack where IL WOOD vas q.
ted. nor cosld ] have deas this bus To-
the waspiag a. board. VIVA With ~.
prehension lest ~ HIGHT isil bsesss
the necessary vorA could b accsm,
plishsd. drew out Tho slngls-slsls1
knife from ny pocket. and began w.
sning this crack. revsrishly -
worked. this was slow Of accomplish
ment. yet silver By silver the slight
aperture grew. until ! wedged IN ths
gun barrel. and pried out the plank.
The rush a air sxtinguishsA the
candle. yet cared nothing. for ths cir
was frssh and pare. pronising . clear
psssass.
God. this was lucki with nsv cour
age throbbins through NJ vsins ]
groped my way back 10 III tabls after
flint and steel. and rslit the caadls
fragment. shadowing the Aans With
both palms a. returned 10 whsrs the
plank had been pressed asids. Hew.
ever. ] found such prscautioa unnsc'
essary. - there vas no psrcsptibDs
draft through The passage now IL
opening was clear for the circulatio1
of cir. Thers had bssn two planks-.
thick and oe hard wood-compoelno
the sntrsnce TO the tunnsl. but fosnl
Il impossibls to dislodgs Tie secesd,
and was compelled 70 eQuesoe NJ
way through the narrow twelveiac1
opening This was . 1l0cult task. -
was . man a soDs wslght. ut oocs
accomplished ! soan1 myself II . 60
trsctsd passassway. not % ssessl
three feet h Width. asA perhaps Avs
from Aoor 10 root. Here II vas Agar
emily % we'll preserved ~ when Arsl
constructed. probably hundred yearG
or more ago. ths side walls faced With
stone. the root supported b. roughly
hswn oak beams. I was conviacsl
/ turSv W. ~ BteoS WUs8mS - 041NA
resting upca these. as1 he tuassl,
which followed without A0culty. q
the discovery q any sssieus ohslsus
ti0n. for Afty test. inclined steadily
upward. until. ID ny tslgneat. Il nssl
have CONE within . very lsw ~ q
The surfaces. BsFs there occurred Z
sharp turn 10 The hight. md the exea,
walton advanced almost upea . levsl
sro b coatiause..
0seey TheoOAG
We i've y % asseollng eeale vAsG
~ livs hapslly. - Ting tsa1lag \
aselhsr b - eo1lees oesioa-1eoegl
ooeaslno ~ oesmA
4 hesoe = - he0s ua1oso = -
tA1ne ~ 81 ~ ~ ~ nlnl =
vsn = ~ ~ bs1y.-11asussst ~
1