Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1917-02-23

LeVeled Straight at the
the delusion that those warnings were
intended for his own ear. II was not
until the huge and %slatternly figure
flung itself upon his still crouching
shoulders that he awakened to the fact
that he was being attacked, the
startled eavesdropper found himself
flung bodily through the suddenly
opened door, even before he could
draw his revolver. For he knew now
beyond doubt that he was in the terri
tory of the enemy. He knew that still
another trap had been set for the I'M
wary. He knew It, even before he
caught sight Of Legar himself and
Margery Golden shrinking close to the
wall at his side.
It was on Legar that he fixed his
eye as he whipped out his firearm and
steadied himself with one hand
against the broken wall.
Legar saw that revolver leveled at
his body. He saw the look on Man
ley's colorless face. He knew what
vas coming.
He did not stop to argue; he did
not even turn to fee. But as he stood
there. with his deep-set eyes liked on
Ranley's face, his long right arm that
terminated in its claw of iron shot
out and caught at the arm Of the girl
still crouching so close to the wall be-
side him. But even quicker was Man
ley's discovery of Legar's intentions
to swing the body of the girl about
in front Of his own as a human
shield. And Manley, while the path
was still clear. leveled his gun and
hred.
There was a shout, half of horror
and half Of rage, as Legar went down
in a heap, his wooden arm-end thump-
ing on the rough flooring like a mall
let as he fell. And ut the same mo-
ment that the brawny-armed amazon
boldly struck Manley's right arm up
towards the ceiling, that startled band
of Legar's followers united in a rush
for the assailant of their leader and
chief.
In the first two minutes Of that al.
together hopeless struggle Manley had
lost both his gun and his coat In the
next minute he had lost his breath.
In the next his liberty itself was gone,
for those worthless lost no time in tying
and trusting him up as neatly as
a French chef trusses a capon. AS
he was rudely backed away to where
Margery Golden, equally corded and
tied, already stood, he heard one Of
the men behind him speak.
Did he croak the chief?"
Nav, he's still b~reathin'!"
Then we gotta get him outa here.
. Pip, you call a taxi. We gotta
get him back to his own Malina', or
there1l be hell to pay!"
How about this gun boob and the
rib?"
Gag 'em and throw 'em into that
bathroom there! And If youse turn
on the gas by accident, l guess it's 60
in to save us all a lot o. troubled"
The Creeping Message.
David Manley, for all the predica-
ment confronting him, tried to school
himself to calmness.
Close beside him, bound and gagged
like himself, he could feel the inert
body Of Margery Golden.
But what most disturbed him was
the gas Jet that stood out from the
green-papered wall high above his
head. That had been the finishing
touch at the hands of his enemies.
He looked carefully about the room,
point by point. 1t was nothing but a
commonplace bathroom, with a door
on M side and a small window high
up in the wall on the opposite side.
He found nothing, in that methodic
inventory Of his surroundings, to re-
vive the slowly dying embers of hope.
He could neither move nor call out.
But there was still a wy Of sending
a message out to tb9 world.
He worked and 40 Nndered about un-
ell he was in a sitting position. Then
he worked his way closer to the
enamel bathtub. leaning, painting and
helpless over its edge. for a moment
or two, rs a drunken man leans v e a
cell cot. Then energy again revived
in him. He SLOWLY and painfully edged
further anu further over into the bath
tub. like a cut worm rounding a leaf
edge, untfl with his forehead he was
able to push and hunt the loose drain
plug into its socket. Then, once more
Withdrawing from the bathtub, he d.
rected his attention to the nearer Of
the two taps that stood at IT'S head.
He had the use of neither hand nor
foot, to turn that tap. But by the
pressure OF his OWE skull against the
furnished brass tap handle he was
able to throw the faucet open.
Then he sank YEARLY back to the
floor, for his head was swimming dig
lilly and bands Of steel seemed con-
stricting his chest.