Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-09-03

UldC6 u miic HUH lO0hs NhEAC bnFJ
were met by Turner and his sleigh.
It was decided that they SHOULD
sneak upon the lodge which Harris o.
cupied and make him prisoner while
still in bed. Then they were to take
him away to the place among the hil,s
that had been prepared by Turner.
He was to be kept here in case
he refused to agree to the terns
offered. while Werner was to return
to the city and have the demands pre-.
scented to Mrs. Harris and her brother.
Two days later the five had gone
from Turner'S place to the retreat he
had made in the hills and from there
had advanced upon the little house
Harris himself had built of logs.
They took up their position neal a
mass of white covered underbrush,
from which they could watch the win.
dow not more than twenty yards away
and prepared to wait until the man
within went to bed.
They could see him from time to
time as he bent oyer the fire cooking
smoking hunks of meat. He ate his
supper with the appetite of a man who
had tramped the entire winters day
and had earned his food, after which
he lighted his pipe and smoked for
awhile, seated before the fireplace,
with his feet resting Upon the low
mantel above his head. Then he
stretched himself luxuriantly, an *.
preston of great enjoyment upon his
hard lined face, and prepared to roll
into bed.
Several minutes later the party gath
cred about the real door, discovered
that it was not even bolted, entered a
rude kind of hallway and stopped be.
fore the room in which Harris was al.
ready asleep, as his heavy breathing
informed them.
Get your rods ready now" Werner
whispered, 80 you can follow me
when 1 ave in the door,"
He drew back across the narrow
~passageway and rushed against the
door with all OF his strength. 1t broke
open before him, and he stumbled into
the room. the others following him
with their guns drawn.
Harris had started up at the noise
and made an attempt to reach the cor
ner of the room in which was a small
arsenal. but halted when he saw that
he vas covered by four or five men
who wore heavy mufflers over thelI
faces below the eyes.
Harris stood for a M gazing al
them.
"Well. What dye want?' he growled
finally, betraying no signs of fear.
You see, we've got you, doc" Wer
ner began in a matter of fact manner
Got to hand it to you for taking il
like that. though. You see. the object
of the game is to take you off to q
place we know Of and keep you there
till your wife or your manager comes
through with what we ask and gets
you out of soak. Do you make me-"
How much do you think you're go
ing TO get?' demanded Harris, continu
ing to size them up.
"Well." answered Werner slowly
"if you fixed it up yourself so we could
get the coin promptly and without any
sort OF tronble, why, out of considers
ton for your kindness and your show
of judgment we might let you down
with as little as ten thousand-and
that's the lowest, because, with just
a little more time, we can get you
wife or that brother-in-law manage OF
yours to kick in with at least twenty.
FIVE"
MY wife can't sign a check for more
that one thousand at most. and my
manager isn't allowed to make out on
for more than it takes for current ex
penses.'
After a pause, during which Harris
and Werner looked at each other in
the of opponents at poker, the
latter said: ION the dead. now. amt
the principal reason you don't want to
cough up just because you'd rather
give up twenty-five thousand willingly
than be made to give up tenn"
Mr.. Harris grunted in a manner that
might have signiied assent.
would you give up twenty-five
thousand if you didn't have to come
across with ten?" languidly inquired
George.
Yes" growled the other.
You're orr George called as he
knocked Werner's revolver halfway
across the room by a sudden move.
ment and rapidly waved his own CUR
from one to the other of the remain.
ing three, all of whom were taken en-
tirely by surprise.
In an instant Harris had jumped
across the room and had armed him.
self.
And now, g~oy'ner," went on the
younger man, "Ill keep 'em covered
while you take their CATS"
Mr.. Harris finished disarming them
and turned Il George.
"What're we going to do with 'em?'
he asked.
MIR H. Ill tIa nn : "a -. --..11 .nL