Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-07-08


xso's ~ desperatsly. The entsaAoe
lsaAlag forth late The oavecellar must
b clossd. or the smoke olosA would
mover = 20 Aease and suAocating. To
opsa Il might reQuirs strength. the
blows q ~ gun stock. II retained
power 10 burst my way through must
hurry. Already I felt my head reel
disxily. my open lips gulping for air.
[ crept forward rscklessly in the dark,
bruising my body against the sides OF
The tunnel, actually feeling the thick.
snin9 smoke swirl about me In dsaso
clouds. I sasped for breath. and drew
Q bit Of cloth about nose and mouth In
slight protection. ! was panicStrick.
On. overcome BY sudden horror, yet
some nature within compelled me to
struggle on. suddenly came to a body
lying lengthwise Of the passage. the
head to the south. This new discovery
was . shock, yet seemed to Affect me
little. was too intent on my own %.
cape 70 be halted by dead man; to
even think what It meant, or how the
fellow came to b there. To me. at
that instsnt, he was but an obstacle.
blocking my progress.
crawled over him. as though he
was NO more than stone In the path,
yet as one hand came down in the
dark on the upturned face, l expert.
enced q sudden thrill-the flesh was
warm, the man lived. Barely had my
numbed mind graspsd this helplessly.
when my rife barrel. thrust before me.
struck the end Of the passage, the faint
sound Of contact signifying wood. Not
three feet extended between the mans
head and this barrier which blocked
u from the outside air. Desperate,
half craSed indeed, not only by my
Of those bodies behind In the dark tun-
mel. found scant knee-room in the
small space, and fumbled madly about
for some latch. The surface was Of
wood, roughly faced, but smooth, save
for what might be a handle in the mid
die, mere strip, bevelled to give fin
gerhold. pulled at this in vain; then
pushed with my shoulder against the
oak. but the wood held Arm. Weak as
I was. and In 20 crumpled a position.
could bring to bear but small strength.
To batter the door down was the only
hope left; no matter what noise re.
suited, or the possibility of capture by
the savages. could not lie there and
choke to death in that place Of horror.
Better any danger than such a fate.
drew back and struck. the power Of
fear giving strength TO my arms. Again
and again drove the iron-bound rife
stock against the hard oak. left the
center and attacked the sides, feeling
the wood give slightly. Encouraged
by this redoubled my efforts. central
izing my blows on one spot, until Ger.
tain the tightly jammed door was be-
Ing driven from the groove. It was
hot and stifing: the perspiration
streamed from me: the smoke was suf.
locating. deadly. sasped and choked,
my head swan with dizziness. / felt
my strength ebbing Away: despair
clutched me. Yet st1uck-no longer
with clear intent, bat automatically,
driving the heavy gun butt against the
slowly yielding wood, with every pound
Of strength I had lsft. It seemed a. II
had struck my last blow-I. believe
now had; believe my body fell with
It'll cannot remember clearly-only !
know the wood gavS way, ana foil
forward into light and air. my face
without, my body still in the tunnel.
Merciful mother! How l gulped in
those drst refreshing breaths; how the
clogged lungs rejoiced. It seemed a.
II could never get enough. I could
hardly detect objects. although lift
ed my head, and sought to gaze about.
for my eyes were blinded by 10 sud-
denly emerging into the bright light
after those hours Of darkness. Clouds
Of smoke swept over me, and poured
out through the open door of the cell
Tar. AZ strength and purpose came