The Raymer enterprise., 1917-02-08

ward q tallOw dip Sputtering In
bracket fixed against the inky black
wall. As he fumbled at that bracket
with thick and clumsy fingers, a
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, its beveled edge sharpened
to q 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 fled 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 suddeuness Of a cloud
burst, a great section Of deep-fissured
rock, which rooted the tunnel, fell
with 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 leath 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 frantlcally 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
mufiled 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 mercl-
less criminal, felt her blood turn cold
at 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 low exclamation of
satisfaction come from the Italian gun
man, and even while she wondered
what 1t 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 unbroken, and now little circle
OF light Travelled over the jutting walls,
slowly approaching the spot where
Margsry 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 1t rested full on the
white face of the girl, while from the
lips Of Black Tony came startled oath
Of wonder.
Then the light was quickly extin-
guished, and Margery heard the soft
pad of stealthily approaching foot
falls. Into her distraught mind came
the memory Of those shelflike ridges
she had seen at the farther end Of
the chamber. and, feeling her way
along the damp wall, she stole rapidly
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
bafIled fury as he clawed at the empty
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 suddenly
glared into her eyes, and the shadowy
form behind 1t 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 a mighty effort she lifted
heavy lump of coal, and with all her
strength sent 1t crashing onto the hair
matted skull Of the Italian.
She now had nothing but her bare
hands with which to repel that gang
gtpr more dangerous and victons than