White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1914-12-06

Jones, who had followed the count
ess for something over an hour and
a half, Rugged a doorway. What
now? he wondered. The countess
knew. the man. That was evidence
enough for the astute butler. Blu
what meant the pantomime and the
subsequent hurry He soon learned
The man Gregg went his way. and
then Jim turned the corner. Jones
cast a wistful glance at the vanish
Ing cab of the Russian. and decided
to shadow the shadower = In other
words, follow the reporter, to see
that nothing serious befell him.
The lurer finally paused at a door.
opened it with a key, and swung 1t
behind him, very careful, however.
not to spring the latch. Naturally Jim
vas nightly pleased when he found
the door could be opened. When
Jones. not far behind, saw him open
the door, he started TO call out a
warning. but thought the better of 1t.
If Norton was walking into a trap
it was far better that he, Jones,
should remain outside of 1t. If Jim
did not appear after a certain length
of time, he would start an investi-
CATION on his own account.
No sooner was Jim in the hall
way han he was set upon and over
powered. They had In this house
what was known as the punishment
ROOM" Here traitors paid the
reckoning and we're never more
heard of. Into this room Jim was
unceremoniously dropped when
Braine found that he could get no
information from the resolute re-
porter.
The room did not look sinister.
but for all that 1t possessed the facu1-
ty of growing smaller and smaller.
slowly or swiftly. as the mar above
at the lever willed. When Jim was
apprised of this fact. he ran madly
about In search of some mode of es-
cape. knowing full well In his heart
that he should not find one.
Presently the machinery began to
work. and Norton's tongue grew dry
with terror. They had him this time
there was not the least doubt of 1t.
And they had led him there by the
nose into the bargain.
Twenty minutes passed, and Jones
concluded 1t was time for him to act.
He wen forward to try the door. but
this time it was locked. Jones. how
ever. was not without resource. The
house next door was vacant. and he
found a way into this, finally reach
ing the roof. From this he jumped
to the other roof. found the scuttle
open, and crept down the stairs,
flight after flight. till the whir of a
motor arrested him.
Conspirators are often overeager,
too. So intent were the rescals upon.
the business at hand that they did not
note the door open slowly. 1t did
not take the butler more than a mo-
ment to realize that his friend and
ally was near certain death. With an
Braine a push which ZEN him down
to join the victim. and pitched into
the other two. 1t was a battle royal
while 1t lasted. Jones knocked
down one of them, yelled to Norton,
and kicked the rope he saw down into
the pit. One end of this rope wal at
taehed to a ring In the wall. And up
this rope Norton swarmed after he
had disposed of Braine. The tide OF
battle then swung about in favor of
the butler, and shortly the fake re-
porter and his companions were made
to join their chief.
Jones stopped the machinery. He
could not bring himself to let his
enemies die SO horribly. Later he
knew he would regret this sentiment.
When the police came. summoned
by some outsider who had heard the
racket of the conflict. there was no
one to be found in the pit. Nor was
there any visible sign of an exit.
There was one, however, built
against such an hour and known only
to the chiefs of the Black Hundred.
And still the golden tinted bank
notes reposed TRANQUILITY In their
hiding place.,
fTn M 0oo.;.