The Ely miner., 1915-07-23

his power.
He drew long, wicked-looKfng Chi
nese knife and carefully tested it's
edge. 1t was keen.
In the sitting room Elaine, Aunt
Tabby and Joshua had been listening
intently at the fireplace, but hearing
nothing
They were now getting decidedly
worried. Finally the fumes which we
had released made their way to the
room
Il can't stand 1t any longer" cried
Elaine. "I'm going down there to see
what has become of them"
Aunt Tabby and Joshua tried to
stop her, but she broke away from
them and went down the ladder Rusty
leaped down after her
Joshua tried to follow, but Aunt
Tabby held him back. He would have
gone, too, if she had not managed to
strike the spring and shut the door,
closing up the passageway.
Joshua got angry then. You are
making coward of me-" he cried,
beating on the panel with the butt OF
his gun and struggling to open it,
Elaine was now making her way as
rapidly as she could through the tun,
mel, with Rusty beside her.
1t was just as Long Sin had raised
his knife that the sound of footsteps
alarmed him.
He paused and leaped to his feet
There was no time for either
to retreat. He started toward Elaine
and seized her roughly.
Back and forth over the rocky floor
they struggled. AS they fought, she
with frantic strength, he craftily, he
backed her slowly up against the prop
that upheld the roof
He raised his keen knife.
She recoiled. The prop, none too
strong, suddenly gave way under her
weight
The whole roof of the chamber fell
with crash, earth and stone over
whelming Elaine and her assailant.
By this time Joshua had left the
house and had gone out into the gar.
den to get something to pry open the
fireplace door.
OF a sudden, to his utter amazement,
few feet from him, it seemed as il
the very earth sank in his garden, leav,
ing yawning chasm.
He looked, unable to make it out.
Before his very eyes a strange fig
ure, the figure of Long Sin in his oxy
gen helmet, appeared, struggling up.
as if by magic, from the very earth,
shaking the debris off himself, as a
dog would shake off the water after a
plunge in pond.
Long Sin was gone in moment.
Then again the earth began to move
A paw appeared, then sharp black
nose, and a moment later Rusty, too
dug himself out.
Joshua had run into the house to get
spade, when Rusty, like shot, bolt.
ed for the house, took the window at
leap and, all covered with earth, land
ed before Joshua and Aunt Tabby.
"See!-he went down there-now
he's here!" cried Aunt Tabby, point
ing at the fireplace, then looking at the
window
Rusty was running back and forth
from Joshua to the window.
Follow him." cried Aunt Tabby.
Rusty led the way back again to the
garden, to the cave-in.
"Elaine!" gasped Aunt Tabby.
By this time Joshua was digging fu,
riously.
Aunt Tabby rushed up as Joshua
laid down the spade and lifted out
Elaine.
They were about to carry her into
the house, when she cried weakly, but
with all her remaining strength:
"No-no- Dig! Craig-Walter!
she managed to gasp.
Rusty, too, was still at it. Joshua
fell to again. Man and dog worked
with will.
There they arel" cried Elaine, as
all three pulled us out, unconscious but
still alive.
Though we did not know it, they
carried us into the house, While Elaine
and Aunt Tabby hustled about to get
something to revive us.
At last / opened my eyes and saw
the motherly Aunt Tabby bending over
me- Craig was already revived, weak
but ready now to do anything Elaine
ordered, as she held his hand and
stroked his forehead softly.
Meanwhile Long Sin had made his
way to the automobile, where his mas
ter, WI, waited impatiently.
did you get it?" asked WI eagerly.
Long Sin showed him the box.
Hurry, masterl" he cried breath
lessly, leaping into the car and strug
Cling to take off the helmet as they
drove away. They may be here-at
any moment"
The machine was off like shot, and
even if we had been free, we could not
now have caught it.
Back in Wu's sumptuous apartment.
later, WI and his slave, Long Sin,
after their hurried ride, dismissed all
the servants and placed the little box
on the table WI rose and locked the
door
Then, together, they took sharp
instrument and tried to pry off the lid
of the box.
The lid flew off. They gaZed In
eagerly.
Inside was smaller box, which WI
seized and opened.
There, on the plush cushion, lay
merely a round knobbed ring!
Was this the end of their great ex.