Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-02-09


power boat heading directly for the
nearest shore. Even as her sharp
PROV grated over the shelving beach
Legar and his villainous crew swarmed
over the side. carrying the fettered
girl and the burlap sack with them.
They scrambled hastily up the EN-
bankment of the railroad track skirt
ing the lake, just as the enraged
father of the abducted girl beached
the pulsating Arrow and sprang has
tily ashore.
Hampered by his captive and the
heavy sack of loot, the master schem-
err realized he could not hope to out
strip his opponents by ordinary meth
| DDS of flight But the evil genius
of the man was equal to the occasion.
At little distance down the track a
dozen Italian laborers were busy re-
pairing the roadbed, under the super
vision of burly Irish foreman. The
| handcar on which these men went to
and from their work had been set of
to one side of the track near where
Legar was standing
Get that handcar back on the rails
and be quick about it," came his sharp
command to the men. With his bur-
den he leaped aboard and was laugh
ing at his pursuers as he raced away.
| Just then an automobile of ancient
vintage, driven by a stupid rustic.
came wheeling up the highway. which
paralleled the railroad.
| Two want to catch a handcar that
just went up the track" shouted Col
den 81 will pay you 500 to help us"
Under the potent magic of this offer
the bewildered farmer became gal
vanized into a man Of action. He
jarnmed down the high speed lever
and after a rebellious fit Of cough
ing the old car lurched up the road.
rapidly gaining in momentum.
Legar had congratulated himself
too soon on the ease Of his escape.
AS the handcar started toiling up a
long. gradual grade. he looked back
and saw the automobile loaded with
armed men in hot pursuit. But he
checked his muttered oath as the
suffering car struck the hill, slowed
down and finally came to a dead stop.
The heavy load had proved too much
for the time-worn engine. Legar
could see his opponents getting out
of the balky automobile. which, re-
lieved of its burden. started crawl
ing up the hill. with its passengers
hurryine behind it.
Then the handcar reached the crest
of the rise and went rapidly coasting
down the incline on the other side.
But Legar knew that eventually he
must be overtaken Human sinews
could not prevail against the power
driven vehicles of his enemies.
At that moment there beat in upon
his ears the long-drawn screech OF a
locomotive whistling for a crossing.
With look of fiendish hate. Legar
stopped and lifted Margery Golden
from the rough flooring of the jolting
handcar and dropped her between the
glistening rails.
In a breathing space his victim
would be ground to death beneath the
ponderous driving wheels Of the en-
CINE rushing down upon her. But in
that breathing space an Incompetent
sible thing took place.
At some distance beyond the foot OF
the incline the rails. sweeping in
wide curve, around bend in the road
were lost to sight. It so happened
that Just around this bend the switch
ing apparatus used to throw freight
trains on to siding was undergoing
certain repairs at the hands Of blue
leaned track walker. This man. all
unconscious of threatening tragedy
had finished his labors and was wip
ing his grimy hands on a piece Of
: cotton waste. Suddenly he became
: conscious of motionless figure stand
ing beside him.
As he glanced up he saw the stran
gers face was covered by a mask
slit by a grotesquely laughing mouth
, Without a word this strange figure
bent and grasped the long lever con
trolling the switch. The railroad EN-
ployee, resenting this unwarranted
intrusion, attempted to shove the
masked intruder aside. but heavy
blow on the jaw sent him staggering
down the embankment. while his op
ponent frantically threw over the
switch lever. So 1t was that wher
; that fre-breathing avalanche Of
metal had Numbered down within
few feet of the huddled white figure
; it suddenly swerved. with its wheel
: fanges screaming against the switch
curve. on to the long siding parallel
ing the main line
The half-conscious girl felt hersel
lifted by tender arms and laid on {
soft bed of grass. A haZy figure ben
: over her. cutting away the cruel.
biting thongs and gently chatting he
wrists. Then she felt kiss imprint
ed on her aching hand. but when sh'
I opened her eyes the stranger wa
! gone. In his place came the figure
I of her tortured father, the anxiou
? Davy and the solemn-faced police cap
: tain.
What you say Is impossible,
! Enoch Golden said soothingly. "Th'
3 man is dead"
= But it was the Laughing Mask,
: tell you," Margery YEARLY answered
: 81 saw him plainly, and besides. h
5 kissed my hand before he went away.
(TO BE CONTINUED)