Bisbee daily review., 1916-12-31

fearful and gruesOme thing hap pened. Suspended high over his head and concealed with the wall bracket by a slender wire, invisible in the semidarkness. was a massive iron crowbar, it's beveled edge sharpened to a razOrlike fineness. The coarse fingers brushing against an ingenious trigger had instantly released that deadly weapon hanging in midair. It dropped straight down like plum met and catching the unsuspecting gunnan squarely on the head, split his skull like an eggshell.
 But the supernatural horrors of those subterranean vaults were still tO be exhausted. For a moment Dutch Frank. the blond gangster, stared in whitehead consternation at that ghastly figure stretched be fore him. Then, with a sudden bleat of terror. he turned from the ap- palling sight and fled blindly along the dusly tunnel toward the ladder lead ing to the upper world. In his mao rush to escape from those ill-Omened vaults of death he blundered heavily against an old and decaying mine prop.
 The age-rOtted timber crumbled like paper under the fOrceful blow from the shoulder of the'racing blond giant and with the suddennesS of a cloud burst, a great section of deep-fsSured rock, which roofed the tunnel. fell with a sullen roar onto the struggling gangster, crushing out his life and blocking up the passage. As the nut tering echoes aroused by that land slide slowly subsided. Legar realized that the hand of death had robbed him of the Inst of his evil followers, and his savage courage entirely. fOrsook him. Ohsessed with q mad desire to escape from the encOmpassing shad- ows, he frantically tore at the rocks which now checked his egress.
 It was with new miSGivings that the girl crouching in the Stygian gloom of the walled-in crypt on the lower level of the abandoned mine. heard the untitled roar accompanying the cas- cade of rocks into the tunnel. Her enemy lying under the trap-dcOr where he had fallen now gave unmistakable signs of returning consciousness.
 But these appalling cOnjectures were suddenly banished by q danger which threatened dire and immediate results. Her enemy lying under the traploor where he had fallen now gave unmis- takable signs of returning conscious ness.
 Presently he would commence to ex- plore his surroundings, and the girl, separated ny only few feet of en- shrouding darkness from the merci- less criminal. felt her blood turn cold at the thought of those groping fin gers which would eventually find her. -'at as sifs waited. scarcely daring to fcathe for fear of betraying her pres ence she aea;si low exclamation of satisfaction .coTle from the Italian gun man, and even while she wondered what it could mean, a small shaft of light suddenly pierced the ebony black ness.
 That exclamation from her enemy meant he had found his pocket flash light unbrolien, and now little circle of light travelled over the jutting walls. slowly approaching the spot where Margery Golden crOuched. waiting her inevitable discovery with all the cour- age she could muster. Nearer and yet nearer. came that betraying beam of light. Suddenly it rested full on the white face of the girl, while from the lips of Black Tony came q startled oath of wonder.
 Then the light was quickly extin- guished, and Msrgery heard the soft pad of Stealthlly approaching foot falls. Into her distraught mind came the memory of these shelflike ridges she had seen at the farther end of the chamber, and. feeling her way along the damp wall. she stole ranicly toward them. Even as she stumbled against the lowest of those stone pro jections. she heard the sudden spring of the gangster. followed by his cry of hafIled fury as he clawed at the empty air where he had last seen her.
 Then came little click tO her ears, and again that circle of light com menceG it's exploration. IL suddenly glared into her eyes. and the shadOwy form behind it came rapidly under the ledge.
 With drawn breath and tumultuous- ly beating heart. she waited, waited until she saw the bullet-shaped head of the gangster just beneath her. Then with mighty effort she lifted a heavy lump of coal. and with all her strength sent it crashing onto the hair matted skull of the Italian.
 She now had nothing hut her bare hands with which to repel that gang ster. more dangerous and vicious than q mad dog. As she lay flat on the par- row ledge momentarily expecting a fresh onslaught. she knew there was but one possible chance for her salva- ton. If her masked protector should by any chance return to this under ground labyrinth which he had appar- entity utilized as a terribly guarded hiding place, she might yet escape that knife blade.
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