The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-08

IL uOWH dEdlu.
Fearfully he crept to the door and
tried It. 1t yielded easily and he
peered through the crack.
Then he stopped with gasp. He
was looking into the room with the
books. At the table. facing him. the
giant lay back in chair his head
lolling against the wall. his wide
eyes staring, his Jaw hanging fool.
ishly. In the middle of his shirt.
over his heart, stood the hilt of
knife; from II a dark streak ran
down. Drop, Drop. 1t FLASHED upon
the floor.
Horrorstricken, with popping eyes,
Ford stared for a moment. Then the
need for flight came strong upon
him. But the way to the other door
lay past the giant. and II took all
Ford's courage to dare the passage.
At last he nerved himself to the
effort. Inch by inch he pushed the
door open; inch by inch he insinu
ated himself through 1t; inch by inch
he crept across the floor. He grasped
the knob of the other door, opened
it then jerked It shut just in time
to avoid the furious leap Of the great
dog. The way Of escape was barred.
Abruptly Ford understood The
giant had sought TO murder him for
the money. The horrible dwarf had
murdered the giant for the same vel.
low reason. Then he had released
Ford and had fled with the notes,
leaving the dog to keep him prisoner
till the officers Of justice should come
to charge him with the murder. He
crept to the giants side and plucked
out the knife; then, deliberately, he
walked to the door and threw 1t wide.
AS the dog launched for his throat he
struck straight and hard.
Perhaps it was chance. Perhaps
1t was fate. Perhaps 1t was merely
the cold rage that possessed him.
Whatever II was, the knife went
home and the dog dropped at his
feet.
Without even glancing at the body
Ford stepped across 1t, and strobe to
the outer door. 1t was not locked.
He opened 1t and stepped into the
air.
Before him the road stretched
away and he followed it. 1t led back
to the railroad. He knew it. but he
did not care. Stepping high, he
STROBE forward.
Soon the track appeared. stretch.
ing across his way. Then. with a
rush and a roar. Passenger train
sped by. AS the clangor died away
another rafting sounded from the
same direction. and freight train
that had been waiting on the blind
switch, began to back down toward
him. AS he turned to ii hopefully.
q figure rose before him.
1t was the dwarf. Apparently the
latter also wished to flee by train.
An hour before Ford would have
fled But that was an hour before.
lie had been through hell since. In
stantly. without hesitation. he flung
himself upon the man. Give me- my
money" he roared. as the two went
down upon the rails,
The struggle lasted for an instant
only. Somehow Ford's clutching
fingers found the roll of bills and
fastened upon them. Then the grind.
ing of metal upon metal rang in his
ears; a black bulk upheaved itself
above him: the hunchback shricked
and loosed his grip; and with a
mighty effort, Ford reached up and
caught thin cold rod of steel and
chung to it. AS h. dragged free he
saw the dwarf's cOntortod eyeballs
glare up at him AS the resistless
wheels took their toll.
Tightly he kept his hold. For the
moment he dared not let go. And
oven when the ears inlt Ell cl,ar of the