Judsonia weekly advance., 1918-09-25

"Ho, nol" he hiccoughed. My fia- gers are clumsy, eh? But there is no need for haste." He stretched out his arm again, laid hold of another missile. and strained to loosen 1t from its bed. Jewels Pearls the size of plumsf And I a poor man! I can't believe it yet" He could not detach the stone. so he fumbled farther along the curb ing Pearls indeed l would send a dozen men to hell for one"
 O,Reilly had been standing petrified, his body forced tightly against the, rough surface behind him, following with strained fascination the deliberate movements of the man above him; now he saw Cobo, without the least appar- ent reason, twist and shudder, saw him stiffen rigidly as if seized with sud den cramp, saw his eyes dilate and heard him heave deep, whistling sigh. O'Reilly could not imagine what aile1 the fellow. For an eternity, so it seemed, Cobo remained leaning upon his Outspread arms, fixed in that saTns attitude of paralysis-it looked almost as If he had been startled by some sound close by. But manifestly that was not the cause of his hesitation, for his face became convulsed and an ex- pressiOn of blank and utter astoDish- ment was stamped upon ii. The meE stared fixedly at each other. O'Reilly with his head thrown back, Cobo with his body propped rigidly upon wooden arms and that peculiar shocked inquiry in his glaring eyes. But slowly this expression changed; the colonel bent as If beneath great weight, his head rose and turned back upon his neck. hs filled his lungs with another wheezinK sigh. His teeth ground together, his4 head began to wag upon his shoulders 1t dropped lower and lower; one hand slipped from its hold and he lurched forward. An instant he hung suspend ed from the waist; then he appeared to, let go Imply as all resistance went out. of his big body. There came a warning rattle of dirt and mortar and pebbles ss: the next instant he slipped into thss well and plunged headlong down HpoR. O'Reilly, an avalanche of lifeless flesh
 Johnnie shielded himself with his ap- l knees, and when he scrambled to his; feet, half stunned. 1t was to find him. self in utter darkness There was a heavy weight against his legs With 6 strength born of horror and revuision he freed himself; then hearing no sound and feeling no movement. he fumbled for the candle and with clumsy fingers managed to relight it. EyeE after the flame had leaped out and hss saw what shared the pit with him he could barely credit his senses. The na- ture of his deliverance was uncanny, supernatural-it left him dazed. He had beheld death stamped upon Cobo's writhing face even while the fellow braced himself to keep from falliDgs but what force had effected the phe- nomenon, what unseen hand had strick- en him. Johnnie was at a loss to cens- prehend. It seemed a miracle, indeed. until he looked closer. Then he un- derstood. Cobo lay in formless, bone less heap; he seemed 10 be all arms and legs; his face was hidden. but be- tween his shoulders there protrudea the crude wooden handle of home
  tied.
 O'Reilly stared stupidly at the weapon; then he raised his eyes, Peer ing down at him out of the night was another face. an impertinent, beardlesss youthful face.
 He uttered Jackets name, and the boy answered with smile. Bring nay knife with you when you come" the latter directed.
 .You!" The Americans voice was weak and shaky. q thought" He set the candle down and covered his eyes momentarily.
 That's good knife, all right. and sharp, too. The fellow died in hurrys. eh? Who does he happen to be?"
 Don't you know? tits Cobo.r
 "COboi Cobc. the killer T Jacket breathed an oath. "Oh, that blessed knife!' The boy craned his small body forward until he was fa danger of following his victim. Now. this is good luck indeed! And to think that he died just like any other man."
 "Rosa Where Is she?" O'Reilly in- quired in new agony of apprehension
 "Oh. she is here," Jacket assured him, carelessly. "T think she has fainted."
 "Help me out, quick! Here, catch this rope" Johnnie managed to fling the coll within reach of his little friend and a moment later he had hoistet1 b;,nCo1f frnr,, tbaf nit of fro nodv,