Omaha daily bee., 1915-04-25

I that Kennedy had taken. II IL had beer
bomb. followed by an explosion. I woulC
not have been surprised. But no sount
followed as the figure dropped back. al
II IT had been a wrath.
1 stole out from my own hiding Mac,
In the shadow OF my rock and dartet
quickly to the shelter Of a bush nearer the
figure
The figure was no wrath II turned e
steal away. remembered Kennedy's rart
ing words. If the man ever gained tbs
darkness of a clump Of woods. Just be.
yond us. he was as good as safe. To-
was the time to act
leaped at him and he went down, roll
ing over and over in the underbrish and
stubble. We fought fiercely, but / could
not seem to get a glimpse of his face
which was muffled.
He was powerful and stronger than
snd after tough tussle he broke loose
But had succeeded. nevertheless. I had
delayed him Just long enough. Kennedy
heard the sound OF the struggle and wa,
now crashing through the hedge at the
crossroads i'm our direction.
l managed to pick myself up. Just az
kennedy reached my side. and, together
we followed the retreating figure as 1,
made its way among the shadows. Across
the open space before us we followed him
end at last saw him dive, into an old barn,
A moment later we followed hotfoot
into the barn. As we entered we could
near peculiar grating noise. as though
door was sprung on it's rusty hinges.
Inc front door was open. Evidently the
man had gone through and closed the
back door.
We threw ourselves against the hack
door. but it did not Yield. There WAS no
time to waste and we turned to rush OIL,
again oy the way we had come, Just as
the front door was slammed shut.
The man had trapped US. He had left
both doors open. had run through. braced
the back door, then had rushed around
outside just in time to brace the front
door also
We could hear his feet crunching the
dry leaves and twigs as he went around
the side of the barn again. Together wa
threw ourselves against the front door.
but although it yielded a little, he had
barred II so that 1t would resist our
united strength for some time.
Again and again we threw ourselves
against IL. 1t was horribly dark in there.
except for an oblong spot where the
Moonlight streamed in through a window
suddenly the pale silver of the moonlight
on the floor Redeemed.
The man bad struck a match and
thrown it into a mass Of oil-soaked
straw and gunpowder which nrotruded
through one of the weather-beaten boards
near the Moor.
1t was only a matter OF a second mr. so
now when the fire swept into the barn
itself. There wss no beating IL out. Some
one had literally soaked the straw and
the floor with oil. It seemed as though
the whole place burst into a sudden blaze
OF finder. outside we could hear foot
steps rapidly retreating toward the shell
ter of the .clump of woods.
For second looked dismayed at the
rapidly mounting flames.
a very pretty situation" I forced with
laugh. But hope he doesn't think
wen stay hero and burn, with a per-
fectly good window in full view"
I took a step forward toward the win
dow, but before could take another
Kennedy yanked me back.
Don't think for a moment that he
overlooked that" he shouted.
Craig looked around hastily. In a cor
ner. just back OF us. was a long pole. He
snatched 1t up and moved cautiously to-
ward the window, keeping the pole as
level as possible as he endeavored to get
a leverage on the sash. The flames were
mounting faster and higher. licking up
everything.
Keep back, Walter" he muttered.
Just as far az you can"
He had scarcely raised the window a
fraction OF nm inch when an old, rusty,
heavy anvil and bent, worn plowshare
crashed down To the floor directly over
the spot whore I should have been II he
had not dragged me away. I started
back aghast. Nothing had been over
looked TO finish us off.
Il think you may try II safely now, all
riHht." smiled Kennedy. coolly.
We climbed out of the window. not an
instant too soon, from the raging inferno
about us.
Having gained the dump Of woods the
gaunt figure had paused long enough TO