The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1915-03-04

Alan Neeotiates for tho eurros.
sparks into the blasting powder this
last exploded right willingly and the
dynamite took its cue without the
least delay. ~-s
The resultant detonation was ter
rife. The bulkhead was crushed in
like an eggshell barrier. Part Of the
walls fell in, but the tunnels and shaft
remained intact. The released flood
streamed out and spread swiftly to the
farthest recesses of the burning tun.
mel. Dense clouds of steam filled that
place Of terror AZ the fires were extin.
guished. " 1<, tn
Swept with tho stream as it poured
out of the tunnel, Alan contrived
throughout to retain his hold round
the waist of Rose Barcus shot past
him unseen in the darkness. It was
not until Alan had contrived to catch
an unburned timber and stay himself
and his almost witless burden beneath
the mouth of the shaft that he discov-
cred Barcus alive, If almost unrecog-
nizable in his mask of mold and SCOT,
battling back toward the shaft against
the kneedeep tide.
Half-blinded and stifled as he was by
the reek of steam and powder fumes,
Alan struggled with himself until his
wits were passably clear.
Immediately before him dangled the
hosting bucket and rope. ...
Surrendering the care Of Rose to
Barcus, Alan climbed into the bucket
and stared upward, examining the
walls Of the shaft for a way to the
top. ''.
There was none other than the most
difficult; gaps too great to be bridged
by climbing showed in the wooden
ladders. -t ..n -..
The one feasible route was via the
rope. And there was nobody at the
top to work the windlass-and Alan
hoped there would be nobody to op,
pose his essay.
He addressed himself to- the task
without lifted himself up
on the rope, wound it round one leg,
and be an that heartbreaking climb.
How he accomplished it. he never
knew. That it must be accomplished
was his one,, all-absorbing thought.
And somehow, by some almost super
human effort, it was eventually accom-.
plished.
He arrived at the top of the shaft
far too exhausted to show surprise
when, falling in half-fainting condi.
ton within two feet of the brink, he
saw Judith Trine running like mad
across the clearing.
But without her aid he would not
| within hours have been able to work
the windlass and lift Rose and Bar.
ans to tha surface.
The Last Warning.
In the chill, violet-shadowed dusk
Of that clear evening, chap-fallen
i motor car crept sluggishly into the
little mountain town of Mesquite ut
the heels of two mutinous mules, driv-
en- by chauffeur who steered with
one hand while the other hourished
q cracking whip-lash over the backs
Of it's sole motive power.
It's one passenger, q cripple as help
less as the car itself, huddled in 2
corner Of the rear seat, sa1uted Mes
quite with snarl Though he was in
sore need Of such rude comforts az
the town stood prepared to afford him.
| his demeanor toward 1t was that Of
one who suffers an indignity rather
than begs accommodation.
And now, as the car crawled to q
pause before the Mountain house
Mosquitoes one caravaRserai-and
Mesquite itself, to the last fea-bitten
hound, gathered round to view this
wonder, Mr.. Trine's indignation and
chagrin distilled words Of poisonous
Import.
Far from resenting this, Mesquite,
pipe in mouth, hands in pockets, adj
mired and applauded, and rather re-
scented the change that befell when
two other strangers Whose earlier ap-
pearance in town had helped make
that one day memorable beyond all
others in Mosquitoes history charged
out Of the Mountain house and inter.
rupted the elder devil with cries Of
greeting and jubilation.
The leader Of these answered to the
name Of Marrophat; his companion
was q person named Jimmy. Mes
quite acquired this information
through paying close attention to the
substance Of their communications
with the cripple. More than this, how.
Continued on Page 11.)