The Ely miner., 1915-08-06

ceivable variety, cave that would
have staggered even Aladdin.
For a moment they could merely
stand in avaricious exultation.
Painfully and slowly we managed to
trail Long Sins footprints, until we
came to a road where they were 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
'1t's right, Walter" he cried. "Do
you recognize 1t?"
looked about. Then it flashed over
me. This was the back road that led
past the entrance to the treasure vault
at Aunt Tabby's.
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 were at the cave.
"You go this way, Walter" ne di-
rected. I'll go aroun& and down
where it caved in
had gone only YARD or two when
it seemed as though something had
grasped my foot.
With a great wrenca I managed to
pull it loose. But tho weight on my
other foot had imbeddtd it deeper in
something. I struggled to free this
foot and got the other caught My re-
volver which I had drawn, was Jared
from my hand, and in the effort to re-
cover it, lost my balance Unable
to move foot in time to catch myself
I fell forward. My hands were now
covered by the Shiny, sticky stuff, and
the more l struggled, the worse
seemed to get entangled
WI and Long Sin paused only a
minute in astonishment. Then they
literally fell upon the wealth that lay
before them
Suddenly they paused There was
the slight tinkle of Chinese bell
Kennedy had reached Aunt Tabby's
garden, outside the roof of the subter-
ranean chamber where it had given
way, had gone down carefully over the
earth and rock, and in doing so had
broken string stretched across the
passageway. The tinkle of a bell at
tached to it aroused his attention and
he stopped short, second, to look
about. WI Fang had arranged
primitive alarm.
Quickly, Wu and Long Sin blew out
their lanterns while Wu gave the rock
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 1t, when the reverbera-
tion of revolver shots reached rle.
WI 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 l could. se,. the revolvers
splitting fire in the darkness
l watched them fearfully al they
hoped deftly from one stone to an
other to avoid the lime-and were
gone.
Craig! Craig!" / 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 Wu's auto
mobile was waiting.
A moment later Kennedy appeared,
Baffled, 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 sight"
He was about to laugh, when faint.
ed. i can remember nothing until l
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 a little slot carved
in it, and above the slot was peculiar
inscription
For several minutes Kennedy puz-
zled over it, as WI had done. Then
he discovered the little cup near the
ground
"The ring" he suddenly cried out.
/ was too muddled to appreciate at
once what he meant, but I saw him
reach into his fob pocket and draw
forth the trinket which had caused so
much disaster, as If it had been cursed
by the Clutching Hand himself. He
dropped it into the slot.
Struggling to my feet, saw across
from me the very rock itself moving.
Look, Craig" ! cried, involuntar-
lily pointing
He turned. No, it was not a vision
1t actually moved. Together we
watched. Slowly the rock turned on
pivot. There were disclosed to our
astonished eyes the hidden millions of
the Clutching Hand.
looked from the gold and jewels to
Kennedy, in speechless amazement
1--WE have beaten them anyhow I
cried.