Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-02-16


Ing large extra sum in compensa-
ton for his risks and intimated with
extreme plainness that in case his ex.
orbitant blackmail was not paid he
would not only not accompany them.
but put 1t out OF their power to go
alone.
For an hour Wilkerson bargained
and haggled, but all to no purpose. At
last he gave In and practically strip.
ped himself of coin, which the other
pocketed without a thank you.
The three of them started forth un.
der a glimmering moon toward the
priests camp, mile or so away by a
spring.
Half an hours steady tramping
brought them within eyeshot of the
place. and Wilkerson went ahead to
spy out the lay of things.
When he came back he roughly told
Drake, in reply to his question, that
the idol must be in one of the pack
sacks lying about.
ITS a case of sneak up and get
sack each of us and then look for the
idol in It," he said.
"All rightr' Drake growled. "But
it's risky business. In case of muss
where'll we meet again?"
"At our own camp" WiIkerson whls.
pered and led the way.
When they came close to the spot
where the natives were asleep the
three OF them paused and listened.
Presently Wilkerson gave a silent
signal that no one was awake, and
they crept up among the baggage.
The first two sacks yielded nothing
and Wilkerson was reaching out for
one that seemed bulkier than the rest
when their guide coughed and instant
ly couple OF the priests wakened.
Seeing strangers, they gave an alarm.
and one, apparently a soldier, fred off
an ancient musket so close to Drake
that he incontlnently dropped his bur
den and fed.
He heard Wilkerson cursing behind
him, couple of more shots and then
took to his heels in good earnest as he
heard rapid footsteps.
A moment later Wilkerson had
caught up to him. painting and drag
ging the sack, which he had refused
to surrender.
Between them they carried it on fur
ther and then rested in a slight hollow
till their guide came up.
IF the idol isn't in this sack" Will
kerson said with snarl. "Ill go back
q nd hA NJ
get it,"
When the thongs were cut and the
great bag opened the first object that
met their eyes was the image they
sought, glimmering in the half light.
The moment he saw it and knew
that his quest was ended Wllkerson
flung the rest of the stuff away and
boldly got to his feet.
Now for our own camp. Well just
see where those plans are" he growled
Drake and the guide both protested
in vain.
Safely away from pursuit, they lit
light and examined their find.
Its the same one" Wikerson said
triumphantly.
Made OF metal. too" said Drake
slowly. Now. where are the plans?"
Inside of it!' announced his COM
panion, beating on the idol with his
knuckles. Now to find out the open
ing"
1t did not take long for him to dis
cover the movable eve. and when he
had pulled that out he thrust his fin
ger in and withdrew it with a folded
paper.
safe and sound" he exulted. drop
ping the image TO the ground. where
1t lay staring grotesquey at the stars
through its single eye.
Drake and Wilkerson carefully ex
amined their find, and Wilkerson laugh
ed almost hysterically.
'The gold isn't thousand feet from
the main tunnel Of the Master Key
mine" he said triumphantly and
thrust the plans into his bosom before
Drake could see more.
''If those plans are lost or anything
happens to you" Drake said. with an
ugly note in his voice. ''all our trouble
goes for nothing. I am entitled to a
copy of those plans"
Wilkerson laughed in his face, and
the expression on his saturnine visage
made even the brutal guide cringe
backward.
"Give you copyw he snarled
when I've hunted for them al these
years and suffered the agonies of hell
on account OF them? They're mine.
All that gold is mine! Mine. Mine, I