The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1916-04-28


creep out along the rough-shored pas
sageway, to where the tunnel opene,
on shelf of rock and gravel half wa,
up the hillside. Screened as it wa
with shrubbery she could see little O
the valley before her. The only poin
of life that met her gaze was a blacl
touring car crawling along the vale!
road. When that turned off til,
road and twisted and rocked in be
tween the bushes below her SHIT
| thought, at first, that it was her un
known guardian returning to her. Blu
emerge from that half-hidden car ant
creep still closer through the under
brush, she felt sure that they were
not approaching as friends. For mo
ment her heart leaped up into hel
mouth. Then she breathed again, fol
| she saw that they were not approach
ing her hiding place. but apparently
| seeking one of their own. And as they
| foregathered behind a screen of scrut
| oak not more than thirty feet below
her she knew both by their guarded
tones and their general conspiratoria
aspect that they stood intent on theil
own ends, quite oblivious of her and
her hiding place.
Her face paled, however, as she
heard the clearer and more authorize
tive tones of one Of those speakers
For that voice, she knew, belonged to
Legar, and only to Legar.
so, if Oyster Joe wants to wipe out
that score, tell him to have his launch
up to Downer's landing at seven to.
night. At seven sharp, remember, for
If we want to get away with that
money, every move has to go like
clockwork!"
The girl, pushing her cautious way
through the bushes, leaned even closer
over the ledge. Then she held her
breath, for she saw that her move
ments had loosened the gravel at her
feet and sent a covey of powders
careening down the hillside. The
voices below at the same time came
to sudden stop. In another moment
she could hear the crash of hurrying
feet through the tangled shrubbery.
Before she could turn and fly Lee
gar and his four evil-faced followers
were charging up the slope. They
were upon her, cutting off her retreat
before she could dodge back into the
passageway. Yet she did not surren-
der without struggle. She fought
them back as best she could, standing
at bay with her back against the rocky
hillside. 1t was not until Legar's hand
clamped like a wise OF her arm that
she screamed, and screamed again.
A masked figure picking his eau
tious way along the crest of the hill
above them heard that cry and seemed
to understand it's meaning. For, on
hearing that repeated scream, he no
longer picked his way, but ran fran
tically, and with all his speed. So pre-
cipitately did he scurry down that
rocky hillside, in fact, that he de-
scended in a flying leap in the very
midst Of Legar's followers clustered
about the girl. lie landed like a
fallen plumb bob, heels down, knock.
ing one of the conspirators sprawl
ing over the cliff edge as he came. An.
other he sent with well-aimed blow
in the same direction. The third was
not disposed of so easily. But an
adept jiu-jitsu twist of the body soon
sent this opponent diving headfore.
most into the loose gravel 1t was
then that Legar, seeing his men going
down about him like ninepins, re
leased his clutch on the girls arm to
draw his revolver
At the same moment that he did
so the man in the mask, swinging the
girl sharply about, darted for the tun.
nel-mouth. He was through it before
Legar could level his gun and fire. He
was half-leading, half-dragging the
painting girl down the narrow passage
before any of the band could follow
But before he lodged for the hidden
powder house he threw up his free
hand and caught at the loop which
hung there at the end of his line. And
he pulled it vigorously as he ran.
The result of that simple movement
was both prompt and appalling. The
thunder of a great defamation shook
the earth. The rocky hillside erupt.
ed into sudden volcano of flying
earth and gravel, fiinging its tons OF
debris into the echoing valley. And
under the debris could be seen the
still struggling limbs of Legar and his
men.
But the man in the mask did not
linger to witness those struggles. He
darted with the white-faced girl out
of the broken tunnel mouth, dragged
her hurriedly up the slope and circled
down through rock and underjrush to
where his hidden car awaited him. 1t
was not until they were in that car
and once more fastening cityward
that Margory confided to her unknown
rescuer what she had overheard be.
tween Legar and his men.
And whatever this plot of theirs
may be-" she explained, they intend
to fasten it on you. l couldn't quite
understand, but it had something to
do with postscript to a letter which
you had left somewhere"
That letter." announced the man
in the mask, was left in Enoch Gold.
ems home. So this must mean some
new blow at Golden. And the soon.
er we get to him, accordingly. the bet.
ter for everybody"
The Secret Attack.
Enoch Golden was no longer a con.
temptuously Indifferent man as he
faced his attorney, John Sibley, hur.
riedly summoned for a conference.
| Il tell you, Sibley,' said the man OF