The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1918-08-08

they were sitting Up in turns. In
reply to his questions, they de-
clared that they had not heard a
sound.
He went upstairs alone, so as to
have nc witnesses to his interview
with the governor, passed through
the drawing room and entered the
study.
Here he was overcome with
anxiety, for, after turning on the
light, the first glance revealed
nothing to his eyes.
"Chief!" he cried repeatedly.
"Where are you, chief"
No answer.
"And yet," thought Mazeroux,
as he telephoned, he can't be far
away"
In fact, he saw from where he
stood that the receiver was hang
ing from its cord; and, going on
to the telephone box, he stumbled
over bits Of brick and plaster that
strewed the carpet. He. then
switched on the light in the box
as well and saw a hand and arm
hanging from the ceiling above
him. The ceiling was broken up
all around that arm. But the shout
der had not been able to pass
through and Mazeroux could not
see the captive s head.
He sprang on to a chair and
reached the hand. He felt it and
was treasured by the warmth of
its touch.
SIS hat you, Mazerouxf' asked
a voice that seemed to the SER
geant to come from very far
away.
eyes, it's I. Your not
wounded, are youf Nothing seri-
GUST"
"No, only stunned-snd a bit
fait-from hunger. 80 Listen
to me-"
"I'm listening"
"Open the second drawer on
the left in my writing desk. 80
You III find"
eyes, chiefi"-
"An old stick Of chocolate"
"But-"
"Do as 1 tell you, Alexandra ;
IN famished."
Indeed, Don Luis recovered
latter q moment or two and said, in
a gayer voice:
"That's better. | can wait now.
Go to the kitchen and fetch me
some bread and some water"
ell be back at once, chief"
"Not this way. Come back by
Florence Levasseur's room and
the secret passage to the ladder
which leads to the trapdosr at the
top"
And he told him how to make
the stone swing out and how to
enter the hollow in which he kaf
expected to meet with such a trag-
ic end.
The thing was done in 10 min
utes. Mazeroux cleared the open
ing, caught hold of Don Luis by
the legs and pulled him out Of his
hole.
"Oh, dear, oh dear!' he
moaned, in a voice full of pity.
"What a position, chief! How did
you manage it all? Yes, l see: you
must have dug down, where you
lay, and gone on digging-for
more than a yard! And it took
some pluck, l expect, on an empty
stomach"
When Don Luis was seated in
his bedroom and had swallowed a
few bits of bread and drunk what
he wanted, he told his story:
eyes, it took the devils own
pluck, old man. By lingo! when
a chaps ideas are whirling in his
head and he cant use his brain,
upon my word, all he asks is to
die! And then there was no air,
You see. l couldn't breathe. I
went on digging, however, as you
saw, went on digging while l was
half asleep, in a sort Of night
mare. Just look: my fingers are
in a jelly. But there, Twas think
ing Of that counfoanded business
of the explosion and / wanted to
warn you at all costs, and dug
away at my tunnel. What a job +!
And then, oof! 1. felt space at
last!
Il got my hand through and
next my arm. Where was l? Why,
over the telephone, of course I!
hThen it took me quite half an
hour to get hold of the instru.
ment. l couldn' t reach it with my
arm.
81 managed at last with a piece
of string and a slip knot to fish up
the receiver and hold it near my
mouth. or, say, at 10 inches from
my mouth. And then ] shouted
and roared to make my voice car
ry: and, al the time, / was in