Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1916-03-10
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ILLUSTRATIONS 5.ll.:,1!1I 6|~c.Dpf1oDES

voice answered from the vestibule.
but he went outside. think he was
touched little In one arm"
pity is wasn't IN the mouth; has
anyone seen woman
No one answered.
mo! That's strange! Here Green.
take a couple OF men. and feel your
way along the walls; Jasper. make a
light of some kind-who wants me
Colonel Moran? Tell him am the
only officer present. and | can't leave.
By God! The place Is a shambles!"
The searching party was to the right
Of me, against the black shadow OF
the wall. This was my chance. nay one
and only chance to slip away unob-
served. In five minutes more the
searching party would find me there,
and bear me along with the others.
wriggled out from under the weight of
the body lying across my legs, and
CROPPED about in the dark until my fin
gers encountered the ring embedded
in the floor The light OF the sputter-
ing torch still left the pulpit platform
in shadow; Fox was at the other end
of the church, his sharp voice rasping
out orders. ! got to my knees, and
lifted the trap barely far enough to
squeeze through. There was a CLEAN
of light below; sufficient to reveal the
dark outline of the steps leading down
Some eye might distinguish the glim-
mer, yet thrust my body through the
narrow opening noiselessly. and low
cred the cover to the floor level.
There was no cry. no sound indicat-
ing that the movement had been OBJ
served. waited an instant, crouched
breathlessly on the upper step. listen.
ing. My eyes surveyed those contract.
ed surroundings curiously. The candle.
a mere fragment. burned dimly in one
corner, revealing what appeared to be
the interior OF huge box. with q
platform built half across It, its outer
edge protected by low rail. A small
wheel ingeniously arranged to operate
a lever, occupied one end Of the plat
form. and directly across was an open.
ing in the side wall next the floor
barely large enough for mans body
to squeeze into. Nothing else was
visible: no evidence left of the two
who had already passed that way.
slipped down the steps. lowered
my body silently to the damp floor. |
entered the hole head first, dragging
and pushing with hands and feet, eager
to get quickly into the open. Almost
before l realized the. possibility. my
head and shoulders emerged into the
outer air and hung suspended over
a rock ledge. staring blindly down in
to the unknown depths of ravine.
The ledge itself was barely wide
enough to afford foothold, yet I sue
ceeded in creeping out upon 1t, and
then in standing upright. The shout
der of the hill was sufficiently steep
and high to shut out all view of the
log walls of the church, while below
was a black void, out from which
arose the faint splashing of distant
water. But the church itself must
have been lit up by this time. for a
reddish glow of light tipped the bank
above. and bridged the dark ravine
The rock ledge extended to the right,
fairly smooth path. and followed 1t
cautiously, finding no other available
passage. 1t led gradually downward.
until it seemed to merge into beaten
track, running directly south through
tangle of underbrush not far above
the stream. The way was intensely
black, yet not difficult to follow by the
sense of touch, while the incessant
roar of the nearby water blotted out all
sound from above. Once | heard the
crack of guns, but they sounded at a
distance. and, looking up. could per.
ceive the red reflection on the trees
lining the bank far above. But for
these ! was plunged in black soil
tude, through which must grope my
way. each step liable to plunge me
into uncertain peril. A hundred yards,
two hundred, and the trail swerved
more to the right. and began to mount
upward. zig-zagging among the trees
Slowly, cautiously. my head arose
above the crest, and the moon, Just
peering out from behind the edge of
cloud. gave me glimpse along the level
plateau.