New Ulm review., 1914-12-30
oopyrisht. ia,A by Louis Joseph vanee

Copyright, lelA b
WIN lnunlle pains he had con.
trived to bridge the distance by half,
or possibly not quite so much, when
dark body put the sunlight of the
open doorway into temporary eclipse.
Another followed it. Boots clumped
heavily on the flooring. The laugh
sounded again. apparently in tronic ap-
probation of Mr.. Barcus' efforts. Two
pairs of hands seized him, one be-
meath the shoulders, the other be.
meath the knees, and he was lugged
laboriously out into the sunlight, car
ried considerable distance, and de-
posted unceremoniously within few
feet of the mouth of the abandoned
mine just at the moment when he had
satisfied himself that the purpose
of his captors was simply to throw
him into the black we'll. .....'
He wasted a look of appeal on the
frozen mask of villainy that was Mar
rophat's (who bore the burden of Bar
Gus head and shoulders) and got
AouSuCu az lO1 oil Ills pd1uS.
Then he was left to himself once
more, but only for a few moments;
the interval ended when the two ap-
peared again, this time bringing Rose
IN similar fashion.
Not until she had been put down be-
side him did he discover that Alan
was likewise captive-trussed to q
tree at some distance.
The remaining arrangements of
their captors were swiftly and deftly
consummated, though their design re-
mained obscure to Mr.. Barcus until
he, after Rose, was dumped like bale
into a huge bucket, and therein by
means Of rope and windlass lowered
to the bottom of the shaft-a descent,
he estimated shrewdly, of something
like hundred feet.
A hideous screeching followed, the
protests of rusty and greaseless ma
chinery. Twisting his neck, Barcus
saw the dim opening of the shaft
slowly closing, as if curtain were
being drawn down over it. Jimmy
was closing the bulkhead door, leav-
ing them definitely prisoners, beyond
human aid, there in that everlasting
black hole.
With a final squeal and thump the
7 bulkhead settled into place. A con-
fusion of remote sounds thereafter in.
dicated that Jimmy with, perhaps,
Marrophat's assistance) was making
the bulkhead fast beyond question
wedging and blocking it with timbers.
These ceased-and the silence was
broken by Alan's voice.
"Barcus!"
The latter grunted soulfully by way
OF answer: he could do no more.
1--WE worked my gag loose" Alan
pursued in hurried whisper, "but my
hands are tied behind my back. Are
yours? Grunt once for VS.
Dutifuliy Bracus grunted a solitary
grunt.
"Then roll over on your face and
give me a chance to work them free
that way, given time -
"Time!" was the mirthless thought
OF Barcus. Haven't we got all eter.
nity?" = .--.' u"
For all that, he wasted no time
whatever in obeying Alan's suggestion
then lay for upward of ten minutes
with his face in the mold of the tunnel
while Alan cheWcd and spat and
chewed and spat and chewed again at
the ropes round the wrists of his
friend. n"
If it were In truth no more than ten
minutes 1t seemed upward of an hour
before the bonds grew slack and Bar
Gus with an effort that cost him much
OF the skin on one wrist worried a
hand free, then loosed the other, re-
moved and spat out his gag, and set
hastily about freeing his friend. That
TOOK but few instants-little more
than was needed to rid Rose of her
bonds.
That much accomplished, pause
OF profound CONSERVATION followed.
The darkness was absolute in the tun-
mel, Jimmy having taken the candle
away with him; and it's silence was
rendered uncanny by the sobs and muir
murs of the lovers, that sounded some
how fearfully remote and inhuman to
Barcus-whc had turned Immediately
to the bulkhead and was, without the
slightest hope, cropping about it's joints
and crevices in search of some way
Of forcing it.
Barcus-old mani" i:
"Yes?" -.
Have you any idea"
Devil one!"
A pause
Did you notice what that black.
guard had fixed up?"
What do you mean?"
Why-at the bottom of the shaft