The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1917-10-30

closely followed by Nan They were
alone. A glance at the flames which
were now leaping high and the odor of
the kerosene revealed the truth to
( them Immediately Gwyn shouting
over his shoulder to Nan, rushed to-
ward the door. He turned the knob
and pulled. Then his face CHASTITY
white in the light of the Pickering
! fire. he turned to Nan.
ITS locked" he exclaimed, his
voice choking, as if he feared to utter
! the words. "They have been here and
started the fire-and they have lock-
ed us in. It's trick. We can't get
OUT"
/ Gwyns words were the truth. Won
Bleck, Rawls and Drant had bolted
the kitchen door after they had gone
through it. They had run outside by
the rear entrance as Nan and Gwyn
had entered and locked the door
through which they had come, from
the outside. The windows of the ha-
cienda were barred with stout iron
Embedded in the stills. This had been
| a precaution taken by Cordoba when
he had flown to the house from Chi
huahua. Nan and Gwyn were priso-
ners in the burning building Already
the heavy smoke caused by the burn
ing oil was filling the little living
room. They could feel it filling their
Threats and lungs. Suddenly, Nan was
racing frantically about the room beat
ing the flames with a rug, and while
Gwyn was vainly attempting to bend
the window bars apart the leering,
hard countenance of Won Bleck stared
at him from the outside. In the rak--
ish glare of the fire as it shone upon
! the panes ut looked hideOus. Won
Bleck broke the glass with his fist
you might as well give in" Won
Bleck announced "You can't get out
until the side burns away and you'll
suffocate before then. All we want
is the chart-the half you have-and
Wen open the door and be your
friends. What do you say?"
"All l can say" replied Gwyn, "is
that if you want this map you'd better
find more practical way to obtain it.
1t is in my pocket and it will stay
/ be more impossible for you to get it
then than it ever was" He turned and
/ left the window.
! Won Blocks face remained at the
window for perhaps a minute longer
and then disappeared The agent of
| the Central Powers realized that what
Gwyn had said was true. If he burned
to death in the flames, the chart also
would burn.
Meanwhile, Nan had thought of a
plan Taking Gwyn by the arm, and
glancing out of the window to assure
herself that Won Bleck or his COM
paniOns were not watching. she led
him to the trap door through which
Cordoba had brought the cases of
Cinabar from the cave With ner-
( vOus haste, made even quicker by the
fact that the room was filled with
smoke, almost to the point of suffo-
cation, they opened the door in the
floor Gwyn helped Nan through the
opening and then lowered himself
from view, closing the door after him
Won Bleck raised his head from his
hands and gazed meditatively through
the open door. For hours. it seemed
he had been sitting before the hard
board table in the mountain abode OF
Drant and Cut Deep Rawls, with his
head resting in his open palms. He
had been staring blankly at the rough
wood that served as a table top, and
his fingers had drummed nervously
against his forehead.
Now, as he raised his head and q
breath of cool air swept through the
door, he braced himself He arose
brushed back his ruffled black hair
and strobe out to the trail.
For nearly half an hour he wander
ed aimlessly down the trail, without
raising his eyes. Suddenly, he start
ed at the sound of voices. He looked
up and glared with an expression
mingled with fear and establishment
Not fifteen feet away, seated upon two
horses. were the two he had thought
dead-burned to death in the hacien-
da of Don Carlos de Cordoba His
first impulse was to turn and run, bu
! the futility of that occurred to hin
Z almost as quickly as the thought He
forced a smile and regained his bear
ing. In a moment he was again The
2 cool, calculating. wary Won Bleck tha-
had borne successfully the RESPONSE
i hility of the Central Powers upon his
shoulders.
Gwyn dismounted and approached
him.
"Il trouble you to come with me,
he said calmly. Il could cause your
immediate arrest and conviction OF
the charge of attempted murder, bu
have better use for you"
Won Block made no reply He turn
ed and followed quietly as GwyI
aeain mounted and rode slowly alone
the trail in the direction from which