Tensas gazette., 1917-03-09

slowly and with some trepidatiOn to-
ward a tallow dip sputtering in
bracket fixed against the inky black
wall. AS he fumbled at that bracket
with thick and clumsy fingers,
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 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.
1t dropped straight down like plum
met and catching the unsuspecting
gunman 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 white-faced CONSERVATION
at that CHASTITY figure stretched be-
fore him. Then, with sudden bleat
of terror, he turned from the ap-
palling sight and fed blindly along the
dusky tunnel toward the ladder lead
ing to the upper world. In his mad
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 rooted 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 last Of his evil followers, and
his savage courage entirely fOrsoOk
him. Obsessed with a mad desire to
escape from the encompassing shad-
ows, he frantically tore at the rocks
which now checked his egress.
1t 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
muffled roar accompanying the cas-
cade Of rocks into the tunnel. Her
enemy lying under the trap-dOOr where
he had fallen now gave unmistakable
signs of returning consciousness.
But these appalling conjectures were
suddenly banished by danger which
threatened dire and immediate results.
Her enemy lying under the trapdoOr
where he had fallen now gave unmis-
taxable signs of returning conscious
ness.
Presently he would commence to ex-
plOre his surroundings, and the girl,
separated by only few feet Of en-
shrOuding darkness from the merci-
less criminal. felt her blood turn cold
Mt the thought Of those cropping fin
gers which would eventually find her.
But as she waited, scarcely daring to
breathe for fear of betraying her pres
ence, she heard a low exclamation OF
satisfaction come from the Italian gun
man, and even while she wondered
what it could mean, q small shaft OF
light suddenly pierced the ebony black
ness.
That exclamation from her enemy
meant he had found his pocket flash
light unbrOken, and now a little circle
of light travelled over the jutting walls
slowly approaching the spot where
Margery Golden crouched, waiting hel
inevitable discovery with all the cour
age she could muster. Nearer, and ye
nearer, came that betraying beam o'
light. Suddenly it rested full on thu
white face of the girl, while from thu
lips of Black Tony came a startled oatl
Of wonder.
Then the light was quickly extin
guished, and Margery heard the sOf
pad of stealthily approaching foot
falls. Into her distraught mind CAM
the memory of those shelflike ridge
she had seen at the farther end o
the chamber, and. feeling her wa.
along the damp wall, she stole rapid.
toward them. Even as she stumbled
against the lowest of those stone pro
jections, she heard the sudden sprin
of the gangster, followed by his cry o
bafiied fury as he clawed at the empt
air where he had last seen her.
> Then came a little click to her ears
and again that circle Of light com
menced its exploration. 1t suddenl
glared into her eyes, and the shadow
form behind 1t came rapidly under tn
ledge.
With drawn breath and tumultuous
ly beating heart, she waited, waite
3 until she saw the bullet-shaped hea
3 of the gangster just beneath her. The
1 with a mighty effort she lifted
!. heavy lump of coal, and with all he
3 strength sent it crashing onto the hail
matted skull Of the Italian.
! She now had nothing but her bar
4 hands with which to repel that gant
; ster, more dangerous and vicious tina
q mad dog. AS she lay fiat on the nal
row ledge momentarily expecting
!, fresh onslaught, she knew there wa
e but one possible chance for her salv.
Y ton. If her masked protector shOul
( by any chance return to this unde
e ground labyrinth, which he had appal
: emily utilized as a terribly guarde
e hiding place, she might yet escape thf
d knife blade.