Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-07-12
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of Destiny
BY J. U. GlESY 4 ]. 3. SMITH I
Authors OF Semi Dual Stories
Copyright.
Tie Frank A. Munsey Co. J
Tie Frank A. Munsey Co.

RNhNH'ShANSr-0 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The walls seemed 70 me TO be O
brick, covered with a thin coating O
Whltewash, now smeared and streaket
and stained with the underground
seepage. There was no sound save
our stlIled breathing ana the drip
Gnp OF water from the roof
The ground grew more soegy, even
nudds Al times, beneath our feet
The waNefins points OF light from
the flashes showed side passages lead
ing oil from the one We follow ed on
si'Aer hand at every conceivable de-
gree ana angle.
save for the line OF footprints We
would have been utterly confused AS
10 direction, Tor 50 lar as | could see
there MAS no way TO distinguish one
tunnel from another. one not ac.
guaihted with the anglings and turn.
llss OF that place would have been
lopelessly lost inside OF five minutes.
II was a labyrinth, a maze, a literal
web IN the bowels OF the hill.
Dual and Mckabe paused and
brought "a to a halt. The passage
sngled now and split into three new
tunnels, more narrow s-ld mol quite so
nigh, and close by the right-hand pas
SAKE our companions were bend,ng
above some new object Of interest
pressing forward Se saw that il was
another print. smaller and but fantl,
pressed INTO he earth, ave al the
b@ak vi afe Il heel lad ii and torn
the surface of the floor.
i guess Annie must have made
that said Mckabe quickly It's
+ fresh II you notice, She turned here
all threw her weight On this foot as
abe went around It's a right shoe.
you can see. Well, they re ahead of
lis all right. Reich must have spotted
this mark for he's followed that is,
II he made these other tracks, which
! think he did
But, great cats" rumbed Shell
don. How could he see ANYTHING
atall in this place? How'd ae follow
her this far?'
Speak softly, colonel" warned
Semi Dual. Mr., Reich or some man
did follow We must 20 on"
Just beyond the tuning OF he right.
hand passage was a door Ell into the
wall. Mekabe's light fell upon It's
boards and he paused to try it. Ii
swung open and showed tiny room
not bigger than a closet which held
a filthy cot covered by "a moldy
blanket, on which lay "A bamboo pipe
After a glance McKabe A. swung the
door shut. and We went on.
| heard Sheldon breathing at my
elbow, like one seeking to suppress
his feelings. Then he broke into
whispers as we walked.
My Lord. Glaze. do you reckon
anybody lives down in this here eel.
laI? Why, what would be the use of
liyin' At all in a place like this? A
nian might AS well be buried al:,e."
Yet some of them do | replied.
My Lord" he repeated softly and
lap3ed silent, padding along at my
side.
Presently he spoke again.
An Mckabe thinks they've brung
Lilly down here. Poor leetle gal"
We went on. More doors appeared /
in the wall, loosely built barriers be. |
fore the eell-like cubcles they closed
But Mckabe gave them no further at.
tentlon.
Bent forward like hound strain.
ing on leash he followed the foot
prints IN the damp earth as they led
VI on through the branching ALLEYS.
Abruptly The roof of the passage we
followed came down til we stopped as
We walked and ended at little arch
like the door Of kennel,
We went to our knees before it,
and found the marks of other knees
betore Ne, Crawling on hands and
knees we advanced As we passed,
the spotlights of the flashes showed
the Clipped surface OF watersoaked
concrete Plainly we were passing
through the foundation of some build.
ing to gain The other side.
Beyond it the passage widened and
lifted again, and We rose once more
TO our feet. To each hand and ahead
the tunnels continued. nual's light
picked up the steps turning to the left,
The floor sloped sharply and led US
down hill We ran forward now ana
came to blind end, beyond which
here was nothing but solid earth.
/ heard McKabe exclaim softly He
Iwung around and began searching
- gQor. more cl0sely. The iootxtspm
ss--@ss .-as-ss-ass-sae