Mexico Missouri message., 1917-09-27
the gray roadster ana sprang in 70
send the car rocketing westward.
CHAPTER XIX.
A Little Lesren.

A Little Lesren.
The summer-night stars served only
to make the darkness visible along the
road down the Tlmanyoni river and
across to the mining camp Of Red
Butte. Smith twisted the gray road-
ster sharply to the left out Of tho road,
and four miles from the turn, slut off
the power and got down to continue
his journey afoot. The mine workings
were tunnel-driven In the mountain
side, and q crooked ore track led out
to them. Smith followed the ore track
until he came TO the entrance, and to
the lock Of q small door framed in
the bulkheading he applied key.
1t was pitch dark beyond the door,
and the silence was like that Of the
grave. Smith had brought candle on
his food-carrying visit of the day be-
fore, and, cropping in its hiding place
just outside of the door, he found and
lighted 1t. There was no sign of occu-
pancy save Jibbey's suitcase lying
where 1t had been flung on the night
of the assisted disappearance.
Smith stumbled forward into the
black depths and the chill of the place
laid hold upon him and shook him
like the premonltory shiver of an ap-
preaching ague. Insensibly he quick
ened his pace until he was Fastening
blindly through a maze of tunnels and
cross driftings, deeper and still deeper
into the bowels of the mountain. Com
ing suddenly at the last into the cham
Der of the dripping water, he found
what he was searching for, and again
the ague chill shook him. There were
no apparent signs of life in the sodden,
muck-begrlmed figure lying in a crum-
pied heap among the water pools.
"Jibbey" he called: and then again,
Ignoring the unnerving, awe-inspiring
echoes rustllng like flying bats in the
cavernous overspaces: "Jibbey!"
The sodden heap bestirred itself
slowly and became q man sitting up
to blink helplcssly at the light and
supporting himself on one hand.
as that you, Monty?' said a voice
tremulous and broken; and then: 81
can see. The light blinds me. Have
you come to finnish the job?"
81 have come to take you out of
this; to take you back with me to
Brewster. Get up and come on"
The victim of Smiths ruthlessness
struggled stlffly to his feet. Never
much more than a physical weakling,
and with his natural strength wasted
by q life of dissipation, the blow on
the head with the pistol butt and the
forty-eight hours of sharp hardship
and privation had cut deeply into his
scanty reserves.
"Dld-did Verda send you to do it?''
he queried.
mo; she doesn't know where you
are. She thinks you stopped over some
where on your way west. Come along,
If you want to go back with me-"
Jibbey stumbled away a step or two
and flattened himself against the cav
ern wall. His eyes were still staring
and his lips were drawn back to show
his teeth.
"Hold on a minute" he jerked out
You're not-not going to wipe it all
out as easy as that. You've taken
my gun away from me, but I've got
my two hands yet. Stick that candle
in a hole in the wall and look out for
yourself. I'm telling you, right now,
that one or the other of US is going
to stay here--and stay deadw .
"Don't be a foolr' Smith broke in.
II didn't come here to scrap with you.'
you'd better-and you'd better
make q Job of it while you're about
it!" shrieked the castaway, lost now
to everything save the biting sense OF
his wrongs. you've put 1t all over
me-knocked my chances with Verda
Richlander and shut me up here in this
hell-hole to go mad-dog crazyl If you
let me get out of here alive I'll pay
you back, If it's the last thing ever
, do! You'll go back to Lawrenceville
with the bracelets on! You'll" red
rage could go no farther in mere
words and he flung himself in feeble
f1erceness upon Smith, clutching and
struggling and waking the grewsome
echoes again with frantic, meaningless
maledlctions
Smith did not strike back; wrapping
the mailman in a plnioning grip he
held him helpless. When it was over
and Jibbey had been released, gaspine
and sobbing, to stagger back against
the tunnel wall, Smith groped for the
candle and found and relighted 1t.
Tucker" he said gently, "you are
more of man than / took you to be-
a good bit more. Now that you're Civ
ing me chance to say 1t, can tel
you that Verda Richlander doesn't fig
ure in this at all. I'm not going tC
marry her, and she didn't come out
here in the expectation of finding me-
"Then what does figure in it?" wal
the dry-lipped query.
"It was merely matter of self-pres
ervation. There are men in Brewste
who would pay high for the informa
tion you might give them about me-