The Carlisle independent., 1917-05-31
"suppose I refuse to submit to your


 shrank from the cruelty which sudden ly leaped into his eyes, T should be respectfully compelled to deprive you of your ears"
 'You-you would cut off my ears?" screamed Morton, his face blanching.
 "Only with the greatest regret, l assure you" said the outlaw suavely.
 q think I can raise the money" said the latter hoarsely, his face the color of ashes. q will give you an or der on my bankers in San Francisco"
 T shall be delighted to take your cheque, Mir. Morton" responded Car rillo, courteously, "and I trust that you will remain here as my guest un- til it Is cashed."
 And what is to be the amount of my ransom?" asked Olga.
 "That, my dear lady" replied Car rillo, "is a question that I have not yet decided. Perhaps" he added meaning ly, ''you will continue to honor me with your presence. It is a simple life that I lead here in the mountains. but it has it's compensations. Will you consider it?"
 T will think it over," said Olga, faintly, for she knew, from the look in Carrillo's eyes, that he had not the slightest intention of releasing her. And now, with your permission, I will get some rest. am very tired"
 By all means" said the outlaw courteously, rising and escorting her to the entrance of the cave. Later in the afternoon I will give myself the pleasure of calling upon you, by which time, I trust, you will have come to a decision. Very unpleasant things sometimes happen" he added, signifi- cantly, ito those who refuse my re- quests"
 T will think it over," said Olga coldly, and disappeared within the cave. Her captor, keen-eyed though he was, had failed to observe that, be- fore leaving the table. she had se- creted in her dress the steel knife with which she had been eating.
 And now, MT. Morton" said Car rillo, as he resumed his seat, ''here are pen, ink and paper. The messenger is waiting. The amount we agreed on was ten thousand, I believe"
 As Olga re-entered the cave her eye was caught by the books strewn upon the table. Idly curious as to the liter ary tastes of Carrillo, she glanced at them with lanquid interest There e ls, C I. tional order, much the worse for use; a book of Spanish verse; volume on engraving (she recalled that Carrillo had been a counterfeiter before his flight to the mountains) and a small, leather-bound book entitled Robin sons Philosophy" There was some thing about the title that was vague ly familiar. As she opened the book she drew her breath in sharply. For, in faded writing on the title page, was the name Ralph Burke" It was the lost book the very volume of which she and Morton had so long been in search And, by one of those miraculous coineidences which causes fiction to hang it's head in shame, she had come ,upon it in the cave of the bandit who had captured her! Fever ishly she turned it's leaves until she came to page sixty-one. There was nothing on itl But wait! Looking closer she detected, printed in minute characters between the two lower lines of type. half-a-dozen words so small and faintly written that they would escape the notice of one who was not looking for them. Metal lurgy," she diciphered, "sixty-one-ev- cry seventh word."
 She stared stupidly at the message for some minutes before its meaning became clear. It could mean but one thing: the formula was not contained in the Philosophy, as she and Morton had taken for granted. but in a work on metallurgy-thev very one, no doubt, which she and Morton had left in Patten's cabin on the ledge. and from which, she now remembered, the title page had been torn. The search for the formula was by no means ended.
 Throwing herself on the bed Olga carefully considered her position and her chances for escape. She now felt confident that she held the key to the mystery in her hand-but it was worthless to her unless she could re- gain her freedom. Producing the knife she had surreptitiously taken from the table, she commenced industrious ly to whet it upon the rocky wall of the cave. After an hours work she strengthened her aching back and re garded her work admiringly. She had converted the steel table knife into dagger with almost razor edge.
 It was sunset when Olga was awak- ened from a sleep of exhaustion by the unheralded entrance of Carrillo. The few hours of rest had restored her naturally high color :, she had loos- ened her hair, which fell to her waist in a cascade of glossy black, and her blouse, which was open at the neck. disnlaypd a bewifching clfraDSa of her