The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1916-09-01

CnOckrO remained to taunt and bully
the victim he had caused to be rem
dered utterly helpless.
Peg was in the subcellar beneath the
room where Lund was detained, help
less. AS she looked upward the leer
ing face and snakelike eyes OF the
Hindu glared tauntingly upon her. She
knew there was no mercy there. She
cried in the bitterness of her helpless
ness. Her sobs reached Lund's ears
family, but sufficiently audible to let
him know that someone was In dis
tress.
Lund felt, intuitively. that it was
Peg; and as he strained at the lash
ings which bound him, the Hindu
smiled tauntingly and increased
Lund's agony by jeering remarks,
The open trap through which the
elevator ran was less than yard from
where Lunds manacled feet rested
upon the floor. On the wall above him
he noticed an electric switch.
Chockro stood where he could look
down into the open trap, reach out his
hand and touch heswitch, or face
about and address his taunts to young
Lund without further effort than to
turn his body by slight movement
Of his feet upon the floor.
I've got your girl in trap, and I'll
pay you both off at once" Chockro
fairly shouted. 'I'll turn the water in
and let you listen while she browns. "
Young Lund desperately tugged at
his bonds. He dreaded the Hndu's
threat and as Chockro reached over
and threw down the handle of the
electric switch, the sound of rushing
water came to Lund's ears.
Peg screamed in terror, Chockro
looked down upon her and laughed
with fiendish derision. Lund writhed
upon the floor, and to Chockro his ef-
forts seemed purposeless. But Lund' s
brain was at work, even II his body
was made temporarily useless by his
relentless bonds.
The girl in the trap below saw the
waters rushing in to. overcome her.
A great pipe in the wall was emptying
a flood into the cement-walled pit, and
the rising tide bid fair soon to sub
merge the hapless Peg.
The higher the tide rose in the pit
the more fiendish were Chockro's
heartless taunts. Past her knees,
soon waist-high the water rose, until
1t lifted Peg from her feet. Then she
noticed peculiar fact-there seemed
to be q slight current In one main
direction as the water eddied around
her.
When Peg permitted herself to float
upon the water she realized that she
was being carried slowly across the
surface of the pit toward the side of
the wall opposite the intake.
Peg moved in the direction the cur.
rent took her. and when she had ar.
rived against the wall there was a
noticeable undertow that drew her
legs and feet against the side OF the
well-like pit. Instinctively Peg kicked
with her feet against the wall, and
made an unexpected discovery.
Through the cracks in a sluice gate
the water was running out of the pit.
Lund had worked his body across
few feet Of the floor until by raising
his feet, bound together as they were,
he could reach the electric switch. He
showed the handle up and as Chockro,
attracted by the lessening of the rush
of water, leaned far over the edge of
the traphole In the floor. Lund con-
tinued his maneuver.
Working fast Lund was able to COW
er enough floor space to make up suf-
ticient distance to give him a leg
length chance to reach the Hindu as
he bent low over the edge of the open
trap. In final effort Lund kicked
straight out with his bound feet. and
landed in the middle of the Hindus
back
The unexpected impact threw
Chockro off his balance. sent him
through the opening and splashing
down mo the water below. And at
that instant Peg kicked loose the
sluice gate that she had discovered
near the floor in the wall and on
rushing flood of water she was carried
into an adjoining room.
His utterly unexpected drop into the
pit found the Hindu unprepared for
the involuntary plunge. He went I'M
der, came to the surface and floun-
dered around just, long enough to give
Peg brief breathing spell before he
followed her through the sluice gate.
Pegs wet and bedraggled clothing
retarded her movements and she was
slow in gaining the foot of a steep
fight OF ladderlike steps that led from
the room into which she had been fair
ly catapulted by the sudden rush OF
water. Chockro followed her.
Peg continued her fight upstairs,
and slammed the door behind her.
Then she hurried on. seeking an out.
let at the end of long corridor which
she had suddenly entered. Good for
tune was with her the door was
open. and Peg was soon running
through the yard toward shelter and
safety in the piles OF lumber.
The Hindu reused. by lusty shouts.
his gang Of confederates, as soon as
he had made his way out OF the food.