Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1915-04-29
The Master Key will be seen IN Pictures
Every Saturday Evening at the Palm Theatre

; r..s e'''''assa him and stepped for
I'm merely goin' out a little ways
for walk" wnkerson explained.
mot allowed after nightfall," was
the response
Without further parley, wilkerson
leaped forward, grasped the mans ride
and tripped him. A moment later he
was footing It up to the crest at top
speed. with the sentry's cries for help
urging him on.
Before he could reach the divide
bullet whixzed BY his head. then an
other. He turned madly and fired rap
idly down into the shadows at his pur-
suers. He cursed himself for his fol-
Is when second sentry appeared
'.bevs him, drawn by the dash OF his
shots to bis hiding place. There was
but one refuge, the mine shaft. He
plunged obliquely downward for 1t.
Naturally enough. the troopers
thought their quarry was cornered. but
Wilkerson drove straight on downward
to an old working, mounted again.
crossed by disused gallery and final
ly emerged far up the clif. On his
way he had picked up coil of rope.
and when he found himself on the
edge Of the precipice and his pursuers
gaining on him he made one end OF
the rope fast and speedily started to
n.vk II
great Before he was halfway to the
bottom he had been discovered. and
he felt the rope being hauled up. In
despair, with madman's strength. he
swung far out and then in, dropping
on a little ledge concealed by the over
hang Of the clilf.
As the rope came free in their hands
the pursuers realized that their prey
had escaped them. They peered over.
Surely he had foiled the law only to
meet death on the rocks far below.
On his giddy perch Wilkerson heard
their awed speculations and laughed
silently. Then he crawled away. In
the distance he heard the screech Of q
locomotive whistle, marking the pas
sage of an express. The freight would
be due In tYo hours. He must make It.
Tom Kahs arrived early in the morn
ing to md the camp in an uproar
The Mexicans had quietly vanished.
Ruth was mourning the loss Of the
master key. and the sheriff. staring at
the now useless warrant. was beyond
words to express his chagrin.
John Dorr alone was serene, though
he realized that Wilkerson had again
checkmated him. But the immediate
need Of the hour was haste. He in
structed Kane to take charge Of the
mine and directed Ruth to prepare for
q trip to the coast that afternoon.
Luckily copied those figures" he
said grimly.
Two days later John Dorr and Ruth
were steaming up the channel from
San Pedro In launch fitted with div
ing outfit The skipper Of the launch
remembered perfectly the burning Of
the steamer and, now that he knew
the position where It sank, gave out
great hopes Of finding the hulk.
THE sea IL shallow there. and the
ttdes aren't strong enough to move
her." he stated. THE only thing is.
somebody laay have been ahead Of US. 50
"Wilkers.n couldn't be ahead of us.
John assured Ruth. II inquired care
fully at San Pedro"
Yet at noon bis unspoken fears were
realized. There was another powerful
launch ahead Of them which their cap
tain identified as diving and salvage
boat from San Diego.
'Then they'll get ahead of us!" Ruth
incurred. after all our trouble!''
The launch captain and the diver
both comforted her by stating that the
given position was not far away. that
It was sometimes matter of days to
6nd wreck even IL the approximate
location was known and that at any
rate they would soon be near enough
to see whether the other craft was
successful.
Two hours later Wilkerson's launch
was swinging easily over the low