Mount Vernon signal. (Mt. Vernon, Ky.) 18??-current, 1917-02-09


the delusion that those warnings were
intended for his own ear. 1t 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
was coming.
| A1O uOI ctOp ne
not even turn to fee. But as he stood
there, with his deep-set eyes liked on
kanley'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 heap, his wooden arm-end thump-
ing on the rough flooring like mall
let as he fell. And at the same mo-
ment that the brawny amazon
boldly struck Manley's right arm up
towards the ceiling, that startled band
of Legar's followers united in a rush
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
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 breathin'!"
Then we gotta get him outa here.
Pip, you call taxi. We gotta
get him back to his own 'Malina', or
there'll 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, guess it's go
in to save US all 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 wa:
the gas Jet that stood out from the
: green-papered wall high above hi:
head. That had been the finishing
| touch at the hands of his enemies.
He looked carefully about the room
l point by point. It was nothing but {
commonplace bathroom, with dool
: on one side and a small window higf
up in the wall on the opposite side
He found nothing, in that methodit
4 inventory Of his surroundings, to re
t vive the slowly dying embers Of hope
He could neither move nor call out
Q But there was still wy Of sending
q message out to the world.
Q He worked and fioundered about un
p til he was in sitting position. Their
q he worked his way closer to thu
1 enamel bathtub. leaning, painting ant
helpless over its edge, for a momen
Z or two, as drunken man leans over {
o cell cot. Then energy again revived
g in him. He slowly aid painfully edged
Q further and further over into the bath
i tub, like a cut worm rounding lea
Q edge, until with his forehead he wal
q able to push and bunt the loose drain
Q plug into its socket. Then, once more
i Withdrawing from the bathtub, he di
4 rected his attention to the nearer o
Q the two taps that stood at its head
He had the use of neither hand moi
a foot, to turn that tap. But by thu
+ pressure Of his OWE skull against thu
8 furnished brass tap handle he wal
2 finally able to throw the faucet open
Q Then he sank YEARLY back to thu
t floor, for his head was swimming diz
}. lilly and bands of steel seemed con
d stricting his chest.