Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-01-26

ined by his captors. For. the momen
ne was locked In the narrow closet
ne had undertaken systemati,
search OF its gloomy corners. Tha
search. however. was rewarded onl,
by the discovery Of a group of insulat
ed wires running along its outer wall
let these wires he examined with no
little care. And the examination
leo MIN to conclude. both. from thu
nature OF the wires and the heavines.
OF the insulation about them, that they
were an integral portion Of the light
ing system Of the hotel. That they
were not dead" he promptly discov
cred by scraping away the insulation
tissue and bringing two of the barred
wires In contact. This resulted in ar
immediate hiss and spark of light
ana that gave the prisoner an idea
BY breaking" the current, he knew
he could send a message ueedline
through all the nervous system of the
mousse. And at some one point, he felt
sure. that methodic play of dot and
dash In the light bulb would arouse
suspicion and cause a search to be
instigated.
IL was, In fact, in the office of the
MOTEL itself. where High-Collar Davis
the mouse detective. leisurely perused
an evening paper for certain racing
returns close beside a rotund and
robinlike room clerk in a red vest,
that an electric bulb Just above the
register began to conduct itself in a
manner that was first mysterious and
then challenging.
High-Collar Davis, looking languidly
up from his racing charts, watched
this light for several moments of a.
lence.
We'll. I'll be blowed!" he finally
calculated.
What's wrong?" asked the room
clerk.
Instead Of replying. the house de-
tective took out paper and pencil. and,
carefully watching the winking and
blinking bulb, wrote a number of let
tiers down on his slip of paper.
That's the first time" he solemnly
announced. Il ever saw an electric
bulb talk Morse!"
Talk Morse!" echoed the other.
Yes. talk Morse. or / never round
ed the brass for two years. And here's
what 1t has said. twice over. Help
room en-help-help!"
The house detective suddenly stood
upright. Say. who rs in BOT in this
house. anyway"
THAT virginian with his arm in
sling!"
Then it's up to US to find out what's
going on In that room!"
The Laughing Mask. in the mean
time. was no longer giving his atten-
ton to the wires along the closet wall.
But with his pocket knife he had al
ready removed the set screw from the
door knob Of the closet door, Then.
swinging lightly up to the shelf that
stood some five feet from the floor. he
seated himself there opposite the door
By grasping the two heavy clothes
hooks screwed into this door, and by
planting his feet firmly against the
sash on either side Of it. he felt that
be was not altogether at the mercy of
his enemies. since by so bracing him.
self he could hold that door shut
against all intruders. Legar might
break 1t down, 1t was true, but that
would both take time and involve GER
tain risks. And help might come at
any moment.
Even as he sat there he could hear
the key turned in the lock and then
the sound of Legar's quick oath Of ex.
ASPIRATION as the door knob fell loose
10 the floor, in response to his tug at
Il. At the same time hope rose in the
captive's heart. for he could hear the
muffled sound of a knock on the outer
door. And still again the prisoner in
the closet could hear Legar's oath of
evaporation. This was followed by
The sudden impact of the heavy wing
chair against the panels of the closet
door. That blow. repeated again and
yet again. was heavy enough to break
through the wood. But that dignitary
known as gh-Collar Davis, being a
gentleman not given to inactivity in
moments Of emergency. and being SUI.
ficiently persuaded Of untoward pro-
ceedings behind the door which re-
fused to open to his knock. promptly
seized a fire Ak from its vermilion-
painted rack in the hall, and sent II
crashing through the panels of the
1oor which bore the numerals 3O7.
Legar, seeing the door giving way
before this determined onslaught. drew
his revolver and emptied II into the
half demolished closet door even as he
backed away across the room to the
open window. There he followed his
already vanishing accomplices out on
The fire escape. swarming down the
narrow ladder after them as the outer
door of the room gave way and
group of excited hotel attendants.
headed by High-Coll Davis. came
.umbling into the room.
The man who emerged from the
closet fingered only long enough to
point out to them the fleeing figures al
ready at the foot Of the fire escape.
Then he himself darted down through
he hotel hallway. took the stairs on
The run. circled out through the 70
tunda. and springing through shrub
berry and flower beds, leaped into a
limousine drawn up at the side of the
road.