The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1914-10-27
/. tEat nothing serious befell hlm

| sec fhat nothing serious befell him
Sometimes Norton was. overcager;
several times during his tilts with the
Black Hundred he had gone outside
the boundary OF caution-and paid for
IL. lie did this very thing today, and
but for Jones he might have Jared eS-
| ,remely ILL.,
Braine swore that this time Norton
should suffer. He would wiring the
| truth out OF the reporter, the trGth as
| far as he knew it. Braine was positive
| that Norton knew one or the other Of
TWO things: Hargreave's whereabouts
and whether or not the mysterious box
contained the million.
l. The lurer finally paused at u door,
opened 1t with key, and swung 1t
behind him. very careful. however, not
TO spring the latch. Naturally Jim was
nightly pleased when he found the
iOor could be opened. When Jones, not
ar behind, saw him open the door, he
started TO call out warning, but
thought the better of It'll If Norton was
walking into trap far better that he,
zones, should remain outside of it. If
Jim did not appear after certain
length of time, he would start an in
yestigation on his own account.
No sooner was Jim in his hallway
iicll WOO OCT uPOn
ed. 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 drop
ped when Braine found that he could
get no information from the rcsolute
repOrter.as-s,,r:i.ss .-.
The room did not look sinister, but
for all that II possessed the faculty of
growing smaller and smaller, slowly
or swiftly, as the man above at the
lever willed. When Jim was apprised
Of this fact, he ran madly about In
search of some mode of escape, know
ng 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;
here was not the least doubt of it.
And they had led him there by the nose
nto the bargain.
Twenty minutes passed. and Jones
concluded 1t WAS time for him to act
He went forward To try the door, but
his time it was locked. Jones, how
,ver, was not without resource. The
house next door was vacant, and he
'ound n way into this, finally reach
ing the roof. From this he Jumped TO
he other roof, found the scuttle open.
md crept down the stairs, flight after
flight till the whirr OF motor arrested
rim.
Conspirators are often -overeager,
too So intent were the rascals upon
the business at hand that they did not
notice the door open slowly. 1t did not
lake the butler more than a moment
% realize that his friend and ally was
aear certain death. With an oath he
sprang into the room, gave Braine q
push which sent him down to Join the
victim, and pitched into the other two.
It. 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 was attached to ring in the
wall. And up this rope Norton swarm
ed after, he had disposed of Braine.
Tho tide nf hattie then awning ahnnt in
'avor of the butler, and shortly the
fake reporter and his companion were
made to join their CHIEF. ..
Jones stopped the machinery. He
could not bring hiniseif TO lei mis- enc
mics 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 knows only.
to the chiefs OF the Black Hundred.
And still the golden tinted bank
notes reposed TRANQUILITY in their hid
ing place
ITG De CoMTIMIIEnl