The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-05-07

seemed the cooler headed of the two.
for as Legar struck, snarIing, al his
face, he ducked low on his mario
perch and at the same moment
whipped his revolver from the side
pocket of his coat. Yet Legar, with
n movement equally prompt, kickel
viciousiy at the fingers clustered
about the gun butt before the weapon
itself could be brought into use. The
next moment the weapon fell with
hiss and splash INTO the lake of
molten metal beneath them.
Then the struggle became che Of
tendon against tendon. of straining
muscle against muscle, of empty
handed mortal strength pitted against
mortal strength. There. like animals
or the wild, high In some Amazonian
eyre, the two strangely entangled
hgnres fought and struggled and
clawed and struck
1t was as he Unanswered to bring
about a change of position that the
ever-watchful Legar, alert for the
most trivial advantage, saw his
chance. Swinging his body suddenly
free from Its footing on the narrow
ledge of metal where he stood. he
pendulumed toward his nomentarily
unstable opponent. throwing his feet
forward and upward, as he did SO.
with all the force of football player
kicking double punt.
The force of this unlocked for I'm
pact was too much for the man in
the mask. He tottered back, caught
frantically at a soot-covered steel bar
beside him, dropped the full length
of its diagonal course before he could
make sure of his clutch. and came
into violent collision with the heavy
iron block OF a crane ladle. There.
half-stunned by the blow. he fell
sprawling across polished steel
cable which dropped fioorward be-
tween the block and Its empty metal
he fell, but his speed proved too great
weak. As he fell along it, polished
surface. however. 1t offered sufhcient
resistance to carry his limp body
beyond the peril of that open lake
Of molten metal, which. his frantic
brain kept telling him. meant death.
And az no dropped weakly from the
cable loop to q pile of molding sand
lying between q casting box and IN
empty spin trough. . score Of watch
ing men gave utterAnce to shout
of relief. and q score Of waiting
hands were there to help him to his
feet.
So intent were those astounded iron.
workers on watching that periiouS fall
however. that they paid scant attsn-
ton to the second figure climbing spi.
derlike higher along the blackened
ironwork Of the blackened root. They
caught no glimpse of him a. he scram.
bled, sooty and painting. through the
vsntilating fiue that opened on the
roof itself. Nor did any eyes follow
him n he crept, gorillalike, along the
peri1ous slope Of that roof until he
came to the end Of tho building. Alons
this end he found lightning rod, run.
ming from the peak Of it, roof to th6
ground. He promptly tested the
strength OF this wire. satisfying him.
self carefully. foot by foot, BY mean.
OF one hand and an iron hook which
struck and chung to the metal With
the vicious tenacity Of an sagie,s claw
When he reached the ground. etill
breathing heavily, he looked eau.
tiously about. Then. making onro Ne
was unobservsd, he slipped into the
shadow Of q pile Of iron ingots. once
more waited and listened; and then.
crouching low. crossed the foundry
yard and climbed the high hoard
fence SURROUNDING It. And 4 momenf
later the darkness Of the nirht. had
swallowed him up.
Go b continued merit weok.1