The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-17

the italian pushed open tho door and
stood interrogatively blinking at his
sinister caller.
I'm on my way back to town"
Legar said in a smooth voice, 'and
somehow / got switched OF the main
road. / thought maybe you could
set me straight"
AS the obliging and unsuspecting
foreigner advanced a few steps be-
yond the shelter of his doorway in
order to point out the proper direc-
ton inch by inch there crept up
behind him a savage-faced gangster,
holding poised and ready to strike
a understanding blackjack. Sud-
denly that bludgeon descended
with terrific impact on the watch
mans skull. sending him heavily to
the ground, where he lay inert and
motionless.
AS Dutch Frank stood with a cruel
smile surveying the result OF his
handiwork Legar stepped over that
still form as indifferently as though
it had been a fallen tree-trunk. Then,
as he was about to enter the shanty,
he paused for moment on the thresh-
old and flung a quick look over his
shoulder. What he saw brought a
snarling execration to his lips. for
tearing down the precipitous hill
side toward the quarry came an au-
tomobile driven at death-courting
pace. On the running-board Of that
madly lurching car precariously
chung O man wearing a yellow mask.
AS in a swirling cloud of dust the
car struck the foot of the hill that
masked figure leaped wide to the
side of the road and, miraculously
retaining his footing, dashed into the
quarry, shouting frantic warnings as
he came.
Then it was that Legar realized his
prey would escape him unless he
acted without the loss Of a second.
He swung about and darted through
the door of the shanty toward the
pump-like electrical continuance from
which creeping wire tendrils extended
to the mined cliff. But before his lean
fingers could jam down the handle
and make the connection which would
produce that jumping blue spark of
deadly power Margory Golden and
the astounded detectives had leaped
from their place of concealment and
hastily advanced to meet the masked
fugitive for whom they had been
lying in wait.
"Legar." he painted brokenly.
"Legar Is here-he's firing a blast
half the cliff will fall-hurry-hurry
in Gods name-hurry!"
His words and manner carried in
slant and fearsome conviction, and
that startled group about him, madly
plunging for safety, barely reached
the highway when a deafening, rever-
berating roar split the air ana rocked
the very ground under their feet.
Almost simultaneously with that ter
rifle defamation, huge wall Of solid
granite swung out from tho cliff-side,
as though pried loose by the hand of
an invisible giant, and came crashing
and laundering down into the bowl
shaped hollow, burying the spot just
vacated by the awestruck girl and
her companions under an avalanche
of grinding rock.
For a moment the little group stood
III spellbound silence, gripped by tho
suddenpess OF that mighty convll-
sion, and shaken by their own near
approach to death. Then az tho fine
dust clouds accompanying the chaotic
upheaval gradually settled It came
TO the scattered senses Of The I'M
grateful police captain that the much
wanted Laughing Mask was standing
close beside him. With q quick move
ment he clutched the wrist Of that
elusive fugitive in his strong stubby
fingers
1--we got you this time" he raped
out in triumphant tones.
But instead of replying to this
somewhat premature statement the
masked prisoner made a quick and
dexterous tripping movement with his
foot, at the same time giving his
ced-faced captor violent shove that
sent him ludicrously sprawling on his
back. Then he dar.ed into tho
quarry, threading his way amid the
great piles of rock, with the police
captain, who had now recovered his
equilibrium, and the two detectives
.n full cry at his heels.
Margory Golden i,reathlessly await
ed The outcome OF that chase, for she
realized that if this man, who had
just saved her from terrible death,
was captured she would be respon-
sible in large measure. The running
figures were lost to sight, but pres
entity the Laughing Mask broke from
the cover of a great rectangular
rf,nly nn6 10 CD, IN ocf 80 81 10
posite side of the road. threw him.
self face downward among, the shell
tering bushes. The next moment his
pursuers emerged from behind the
rock and came pounding toward Mar
CORY Golden.
which way did he go?' the gasp
Ing police officer demanded Of the
girl who held the fate Of the Laugh
ing Mask in her hands. After an al
most imperceptible hesitation, she
pointed silently toward the bend of
the road. Hardly had the detectives,
trailing this fake scent at top speed,
disappeared around that turn than
there slipped out of the bushes a
masked figure bearing evident traces
of exhaustion. Slowly he approached
the girl, into whose eyes crept look
OF stern reproach. Taking her hand
he raised it tenderly to his lips.
Wont you try to believe in me
just q little while longer?" he asked
in a low, pleading tone.
, Then without waiting for her an
, swer he relinquished that soft, white
hond and ran up the road in the OPP
posite direction from that taken by
, his pursuers.