The Monticellonian., 1915-07-01

edge. It was keen.
 
 In the sitting room Elaine, Aunt Tabby and Joshua had been listening intentlv 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.
 q can't stand it 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 a coward of me- he cried, beating on the panel with the butt of his gun and struggling to open 1t.
 Elaine was now making her way as rapidly as she could through the tun- nel, with Rusty beside her.
 It 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 eraftily, 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 sudden, to his utter amaZement a few feet from him, it seemed as if the very earth sank in his garden, leay- | ing a 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 a 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 a spade, when Rusty, like a shot, bolt ed for the house. took the window at | leap and, all covered with earth. land ed before Joshua and Aunt Tabby.
 "Seet-he went down there-now | he's herei" 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 himi" cried Aunt Tabby.
 Rusty led the way back again to the | garden, to the cave-in.
 "Elainei" 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-Walteri she managed to gasp. Rusty, too, was still at it. Joshua | fell to again. Man and dog worked | with will. There they are." 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 I 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, Wu, waited impatiently.
 Did you get it?" asked Wu eagerly.
 Long Sin showed him the box. | l 4 l. lessly, leaping into the car and strug gling 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. Wu and his slave, Long Sin, after their hurried ride, dismissed all | the servants and placed the little box on the table. Wu 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 Wu | seized and opened.
 There, on the plush cushion, lay merely round knobbed ringt
 Was this the end of their great ex- pectations? Were Bennett's millions merely mythical?
 The two stared at each other in chagrin.