Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-05-17

down, ne listened again.
Yes. there was a sounda scream.
perhaps woman's voice. faint, but
uninistakable
looked at his face inQuiringly.
Without a word read In II the con.
iirmation OF the thought that had
dashed into my mind
Elaine Dodge was inside.
first had come the limousine. with
It's three bandits, to the spot fixed on
as rendezvous. Later had come the
taxicab. AS II hove into sight, the
three well.dressed crooks had drawn
revolvers, thinking perhaps the plan
for getting rid OF Kennedy might pos
sibly have miscarried But the taxi
cab driver and the rough.faced fellow
had treasured them with the sign OF
the Clutching Hand, and the reyolveFs
were lowered.
As they parleyed hastily, tho
roughneck and the fake chauffeur
lifted Elaine out OF the. taxi. She was
bound and gagged,
Well, now we've got her. what shall
we do with herr" asked one
It's got TO be quick There's an.
other cab put in the driver.
"The deuce with that"
"The deuce with nothing" he re.
turned. THAT fellow Kennedy's a
clever one. He may come to. II he
does, he won't miss us. Quick. nowl'
"See." cried the third. "See that ola
boiler down there at the edge of the
water? Why not put her In there?
No onell ever think to look in such
place"
With hasty expression OF approval.
the roughneck picked Elaine up bodily,
still struggling vainly. and together
they carried her. bound and gagged.
TO the tank. The opening. which was
toward the water. was small. but they
managed. roughly. to thrust her In.
A moment later and they had rolled
up a huge bowlder against the small
entrance. bracing 1t so that II would
be impossible for her TO get out from
the inside. Then they drove of hast
lily.
Frantically Elaine managed to
loosen the gag. She screamed. Her
voice seemed to be bound around by
the iron walls as she was herself. She
shuddered. The water was rising
had reached her chest, and was still
rising, slowly. inexorably.
What was that? silence? Or was
someone outside?
Coolly. In spite OF the emergency,
Kennedy took in the perilous situa
ton.
The lower end of the boiler which
was on a slant on the rapidly shelving
beach, was now completely under wa.
ter and impossible to get at. Besides.
the opening was small, too small
Kennedy gazed about franticaily
and his eye caught the sign on the
factory;
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. ,...s......... -s,.,
oXYACETYLENE WELDING co.
'...., ..........,.'.
Come, Walter" he cried, running
up the shore.
A moment later. breathless, we
reached the doorway. It was, Of
course, locked. Kennedy whipped out
his revolver and several well-directed
shots through the keyhole smashed
the lock, We put our shoulders to II
and swung the door open, entering
the factory.
Beside work bench stood two long |
cylinders, studded with bolts.
That's what I'm looking for ex.
claimed Craig. Here. Walter, take
one. III take the other-and the
tubes and"
We ran, for there was no time to
lose. AS nearly az / could estimate II, 4
the water must now be slowly closing |
over Elaine.
What is ~" | asked, as he joined
I'D the tubes from the tanks TO the
peculiar hookllke apparatus he car
ried.
"An oxyacetylene blowpipe," he nut
tered back feverishly Used for weld
ing and cutting. too" he added,
with a light he touched the nozzle
instantly n kissing, binding flame
needle made the steel under II mean
descent. The terrific heat from one
nozzle made the steel glow. Tho
stream of oxygen from the second
consumed the hot metal
Kennedy was actually cutting out a
huge hole In the still exposed surface
Of The tanl--all around, except for a
few inches, TO prevent the heavy
piece from falling inward.
AS Kennedy carefully bent outward
the section OF the tank which he had
cut. he quickly reached down aud
lifted Elaine, unconscious, out OF the
water.
Gently he laid her on the sand. IL
was the work of only a moment to cut
the cords that bound her hands
There she lay, pale and still. Was
she dead?
Kennedy worked frantically to re-
Yive her
At last, slowly, the color seemed to
return to her pale lips. Her eyellds
nuttered. Then her great. deep eyes
opened.
- nhn Innknd nm aud nanpht siphi l.