Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1915-03-06

listening. We listened also. There
certainly was most peculiar noise
inside that tank.
Was it muflled scream?
Kennedy reached down and picked
up rock, hitting the tank with re-
sounding blow. AS the echo died
down, he listened again.
Yes, there was sound-a scream,
perhaps woman's voice, faint, but
unmistakable.
looked at his face inquiringly.
Without word | read in 1t the con-
irmation of the thought that had
flashed into my mind.
Elaine Dodge was inside!
First had come the limousine, with
Its three bandits, to the spot fixed on
as a rendezvous. Later had come the
taxicab. AS it hove into sight, the
three well-dressed crooks had drawn
reyolvers, thinking perhaps the plan
for getting rid of Kennedy might pos
sibly have miscarried. But the taxi
cab driver and the roughfaced fellow
had reassured them with the sign OF
the Clutching Hand, and the revolvers
were lowered.
As they parleyed hastily. the
roughneck and the fake chauffeur
lifted Elaine out of the taxi. She was
bound and gagged.
"Well, now we've got her, what shall
we do with herr" asked one.
TITS got to be quick. There's an
other cab put in the driver.
1.-THE deuce with that"
"The deuce with nothing" he re-
turned. THAT fellow Kennedy's a
clever one. He may come to. II he
does, he won't miss us. Quick, now!'
&c.," cried the third. See that old
boiler down there at the edge of the
water? Why not put her in there
No one'll ever think to look In such
a place"
With a hasty expression of approval,
the roughneck picked Elaine up bodily,
still struggling vainly, and together
they carried her. bound and gagged,
to the tank The opening, which was
toward the water, was small, but they
managed, roughly, to thrust her In.
A moment later and they had rolled
UP a huge bowlder against the small
entrance, bracing 1t so that 1t would
be impossible for her to get out from
the inside Then they do off hast
lily.
Frantically Elaine aanP ge> to
loosen the gag She screamed -er
voice seemed to be bound around b"
the iron wall as she was herself. She
shuddered The water was rising
had reached her chest, and was still
rising, slowly. inexorably.
What was that? Silence? Or was
someone outside?
Coolly, in spite of the emergency,
Kennedy took in the perilous situa-
tion.
The lower end Of the boiler, which
was on o slant on the rapidly shelving
beach, was now completely under wa
ter and impossible to get at. Besides.
the opening was small too small
Kennedy gazed about frantically
and his eye caught the sign on thi'
factory:
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. ..."........ ......
oXYACETYLENE WELDING co.
'.,... .......,....,.
Come, Walter" he cried, running
up the shore.
A moment later, breathless. we
reached the doorway. It was, oil
course, locked Kennedy whipped out
his revolver and several well-directed
Shots through the keyhole smashed
the lock. We put our shoulders TO 1t
and swung the door open, entering
the factory.
Beside a work semen . lolg
cylinders, studded with bolts.
That's what I'm looking for" ex.
claimed Craig. Here, Walter, take
one. I'll take the other-and the
, tubes-and-"
We ran, for there was no time to
lose. AS nearly as could estimate It,
the water must now be slowly closing
over Elaine.
What is it?' asked, as he Joined
up the tubes from the tanks to the
. peculiar hooklike apparatus he car
ried
IAN oxyacetylene blowpipe," he NUT
tered back feverishly. used for weld
ing and cutting, too" he added.
With a light he touched the nozzle,
] instantly a kissing, binding flame
needle made the steel under 1t incan'
! descent The terrific heat from one
, nozzle made the steel glow. The
= stream of oxygen from the second
; completely consumed the hot metal
Kennedy was actually cutting out
huge hole in the still exposed surface
of the tank-all around, except for a
? few inches, to prevent the heavy
piece from falling inward.
g AS Kennedy carefully bent outward