The Huttig news., 1915-12-11

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 fei on the platform, back of where the pulpit desk had stood. and a body lay across me If lost consciousness II was for no more than an instant. yet my whole body felt numbed and use tess. could scarcely move my fingers to unclasp them from the gun barrel, ana every breath I drew was in pain. euil realized all that happened, dis uhgulshed voices, and the shufling of rect on the puncheon floor I heard FOX shouting orders. as the mad hub bub ceased.
 That's enough! That's enough, men. It's all over with. Here, ser geant, round up those prisoners; God knows there are few enough of the poor devils left. Guard those able to walk outside. Now, Herzog, carry the wounded over here. What? Why. of course, you idiot We are not savages- those fellows fought like men, and are to be treated decently. No distinction, mlnd you. Let the dead lie where they are till daylight, but don't over look a wounded man. Where's Cowan ? Does anybody know?'
 Shot, sir; he's here in this pile somewhere"
 See if the fellow is alive. Who is his lieutenant?"
 T am, sir; my names Kelly"
 Well get your damn crew of scoun. drels out of here, what's left of them Do you hear This is soldier work. and l want you fellows outside"
 You used us all right when thar wus fightin ter do--"
 That's enough, Kelly. I didn't use you-Moran did; and you can go to him with your complaints. I know how you treat prisoners, and would hang the whole of you, if I had my way. Now get out, and don't answer me-those are your orders Lieuten. ant Raymond"
 He was here minute ago, sir" a voice answered from the vestibule but he went outside. l think he was touched little in one arm.
 Pity is wasn't in the mouth; has anyone seen woman?'
 No one answered.
 No! That's strangei Here Green take a couple of men, and feel you way along the walls; Jasper. make 2 light of some kind-who wants me Colonel Moran? Tell him I am the only officer present, and I can't leave By God The place is shambles!
 The searching party was to the right of me. against the black shadow of the wall This was my chance, my one and only chance to slip away unob- served In five minutes more the searching party would find me there and bear me along with the others. wriggled out from under the weight of the body lying across my legs, and groped about in the dark until my fin gers encountered the ring embedded in the floor. The light of the sputter. ing torch still left the pulpit platform in shadow; Fox was at the other end of the church, his sharp voice rasping out orders. l got to my knees, and lifted the trap barely far enough to
 
 of light below; sufficient to reveal the dark outline of the steps leading down. Some eye might distinguish the glim- mer, yet thrust my body through the narrow opening noiselessly, and low. cred the cover to the floor level.
 There was no cry, no sound indicat- ing that the movement had been ob- served l waited an instant, crouched breathlessly on the upper step, listen, ing. My eyes surveyed those contract, ed surroundings curiously. The candle, a mere fragment. burned dimly in one corner. revealing what appeared to be the interior of huge box, with platform built half across 1t, its outer edge protected by a low rail. A small wheel ingeniously arranged to operate a lever, occupied one end of the plat form, and directly across was an open ing in the side wall next the floor barely large enough for mans body to squeeze into. Nothing else was visible; no evidence left of the two who had already passed that way.
 I slipped down the steps. lowered my body silently to the damp floor. entered the hole head first, dragging and pushing with hands and feet. eager to get quickly into the open. Almost before l realized the possibility my head and shoulders emerged into the outer air and l hung suspended over a rock ledge, staring blindly down in. to the unknown depths of ravine. The ledge itself was barely wide enough to afford foothold yet l sue, ceeded in creeping out upon it, and then in standing upright. The shoul der of the hill was sufficiently steep and high to shut out all view of the log walls of the church, while below was a black void, out from which arose the faint splashing of distant water But the church itself must have been lit up by this time. for a reddish glow of light tipped the bank above. and bridged the dark ravine The rock ledge extended to the right a fairly smooth path, and l followed il cautiously, finding no other available passage. It led gradually downward