The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1915-06-18

on llh axis Autg Hhbutu lueli lhM
terms full on II and, as it moved. they
could see disclosed huge piles OF gold
ana silver coins and bars and oTna-
ments. a chest literally filled with
brilliants. set and unset, rubies. EN-
eralds, precious stones Of every con-
ceivable variety. a cave that would
have staggered even Aladdin.
For a moment they could merely
stand IN avarlclous exultation.
Painfully and slowly we managed 20
trail Long Sins footprints, until we
came 10 a road where they we're lost
In the hard macadam.
Kennedy chose the most likely direc-
tion, for the trail had been at an angle
to the road and Long Sin was not like
ly TO double back. We had not gone
many rods before Kennedy paused a
minute and looked about IN the moon
light.
"Its right. Walter" he cried. do
you recognize lt?'
looked about Then It flashed over
me. This was the back road that led
past the entrance TO the treasure vault
at Aunt Tabbys.
We went on now more quickly, lis
tening carefully TO catch any sounds,
but heard nothing, At last Kennedy
stopped, then plunged among the
rocks and bushes beside the road.
We we're az the cave
You go this way Walter ne d.
rected. III go around and down
where II caved in"
had gone only a yard or two wnen
1t seemed as though something had
grasped my foot
With a great wrench managed TO
pull II loose But the weight on my
other foot had imbedded It deeper IN
something. struggled 10 free this
foot and got the other caught My re-
volver which Z mad drawn was larred
from my hand and in the effort TO re-
cover II, lost my balance Unable
TO move a foot IN time to eaten myself
I fell forward. MY hands we're now
covered by the Shiny sticky stuff and
the more struggled the worse (
seemed to get entangled
WI and Long Sin paused only a
minute IN establishment Then they
literally fell upon the wealth that lay
before them.
Suddenly they paused There was
the slight tinke OF a Chinese bell
Kennedy mad reached Aunt Tabby's
garden, outside the root of the subter-
ranean chamber where It mad given
way, had gone down carefully over the
earth and rock. and IN doing so mad
broken a string stretched across the
passageway. The tinkle OF a bell at
tached to it aroused his attention and
he stopped short, a second, to look
about Wu Fang had arranged a
primitive alarm.
Quickly. Wu and Long Sin blew nut
their lanterns while Wu gave the rock
a push. Slowly. as it had opened, it
now closed and they stood there listen
ing.
I was still struggling in the bird
lime, getting myself more and more
covered with it, when the reverbera-
tion Of revolver shots reached me
Wu and Long Sin had opened fire on
Kennedy, and Kennedy was replying
in kind In the cavern it sounded like
a veritable bombardment As they re-
treated, they came nearer and nearer
to me and I Gould see the revolvers
splitting fire in the darkness.
/ watched them fearfully as they
hoped deftly from one stone to an
other to avoid the lime-and were
gone
Craig CraigH I managed to cry
feebly. BE careful Keep to the
stones
Stepping from stone to stone, ne fol.
lowed, the retreating Cinnamon. But
they had already reached the mouth
of the cave and were making their
way rapidly down the road to a
bend, in the opposite direction from
which we had come There Wus auto
mobile was waiting
n UlOuIGul ldLtl INtunGug uBBNdl GU i
but they had made their getaway. |
Bafled, he turned and retraced his
steps to the cave
They got away, Walter, he said, |
lighting a lantern they had dropped,
by George" he added, I think a lit.
tie vexed that had not been able to
intercept them, you are a sight!'
He was about to laugh. when faint.
ed. can remember nothing until
woke up over by the wall of the cham
Der where he dragged me-
Kennedy had been working hard to
revive me- and, as l opened my eyes,
he Strengthened up. His eye suddenly
caught something on the rock beside
him. There was little slot carved
in it, and above the slot was a peculiar
For several minutes Kennedy ruz.
lied over it, as Wu had done Then
he discovered the little cup near the
ground.
"The ring!" he suddenly cried OFT.
I was too muddled to appreciate at
once what he meant, but ] saw rim
each into his fob pocket and draw
orth the trinket which had caused so
much disaster, as if it had been cursed
,y the Clutching Hand himself. tle
lropped it into the slot
Struggling to my feet, saw acrOss
rom me the very rock itself moving
Look, Craig!" l cried. involuntar.
ly pointing.
He turned. No, it was not a vision.
t actually moved Together we
,otobod CIov,I,, 4bo ,,o,1- 4,,r,,o 4 rs, |