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

From a crevice in the broken rock
face below her a figure wearing vel
low mask looked cautiously out and
waved up to her with an equally eau
tious signal The next moment she
was clambering nimbly yet carefully
down the ledge of broken rock.
A pair of stalwart young arms were
waiting to hold her up. But she quick
ly broke away from their clasp.
Quick, they are coming to capture
you!"
Who are?"
The police. They have found out
you are hiding here. And Legar also
has found out!'
The man in the mask darted back to
a small table on which stood a shaded
lamp. He bent quickly over and blew
out the flame. This left the back Of
the cave in darkness. Then he ran
back to where the girl still waited.
do you trust me-" he asked
Il trust you In everything" was her
reply.
Then listen! The water at the foot
of this cliff is deep. 1t is a drop of a
hundred feet. But 1t may be our only
chance. Are you willing to take that
leap with me-"
Il trust youth everything" she
told him, as she drew herself up. He
held her there for q moment and then
slipped to the back of the cave. When
he reappeared he carried q rough pine
table in his arms. This he placed
on end close to the entrance Of the
cave.
The next moment q shadow dark
ened the mouth of the cave. Silhouet-
ted clear against the outer light they
could see the STOPPING figure Of the
Iron Claw.
As he stood there, peering cautious
ly about the ledge of the bookshelf
he was stealthily joined by his fol.
lowers.
They're coming" the Laughing
Mask whispered to Margery Golden
as he drew her closer in beside the
rocky wall Of the tunnel, Then. using
the up-ended table as q screen, ht
advanced with her toward the cave
mouth, slowly. silent, foot by foot.
They we're within six feet of tn,
opening when Legar turned about t.
give q word or two of command to hi
followers. Two figures. those of ,
masked man holding q slender cir
firmly by the hand, came running on
of the cave.
So suddenly did they come that the!
scattered Legar's men as they ad
vanced. And before those astoundet
men could recover either their foot
ing or their wits, the man in the mask
holding the girl close to his side, hat
crossed to the cliff-edge and had takel
a flying leap out into space.
An involuntary gasp of consterns
ton burst from that startled group o
gangsters as they stood watching tn
clasped figures hurtle through tn
air, strike the surface of the waite
clean, and go down into its blu
depths. Then. after what seemed Al
interminable wait, second shout
as involuntary. apparently, as the first
burst from the watchers as they be
held the two figures reappear. swim
ming strongly side by side along tn
undulating surface Of the water. Blu
that shout was not q prolonged one
1t merged suddenly into calls and erie
Of a somewhat different character. TO
with that repeated shout Legar an
his men had betrayed their position
a russet-faced police captain and 81
stalwart men at his heels.
The next moment there was
charge In force down the broken fac
of the cliff. And as the minions @
the law descended on the cave-mout
the evil-eyed group gathered Their
erupted into sudden life. There was
wild scramble up the rock-ledge,
quick encounters and combats, blow
and counterblows, the impact Of as
night-sticks on resounding skulls, tn
captivating cry of halfstunned cal
tives.
I DQt LC6oA AooShe, boShCu SAOo
against the rock. with the ferocity G
wildcat holding of every attack an
with his failing iron claw sweepin
back every assailant. Then. swim,
ing about, he leaped up the cliff-fac'
springing from rock to rock with tn
agility of a mountain goat.
At the top of the cliff. when Enoc
Golden himself, side by side with th
police captain, attempted to bar ths
flight, the fugitive bowled over thos
two rotund figures and bolted nortl
ward along the topmost ridge of th
cliff. heading for the timber not NOR
than hundred yards away.
! But by this time two of the officer
; recovering their wind and burnin
with the indignities to which the
. had been subjected. had caught sigl
OF the fugitive and started IN pursui