White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1918-05-26

AGFCe Dattie Iucy H"sC ouC t~s1A1SS
eft and he is about 10 kill her to save
her from falling into BLACK Jacks
hands.
Determination was in every line OF
Blake's face as he stood with rifle
almost touching Bessie's heart, his
fingers pressed against the trigger.
she did not finch. There vas only
apprehension for him as she looked
into his eyes and asked:
But you? What are you going to
do?"
Blake. with n free hand, pointed
down over the edge of the shelving
rock and she understood his purpose
to jump TO his own certain death att
er he had killed her.
Both looked along the shelf trail
beyond the barrieade and saw the
outlaws almost on them. Blake drew
the rifle irmer to his shoulder as
Bessie closed her eyes. her lips NOV
ing in prayer.
Near the entrance 10 the tunnel
and on the further side of the shout
der Of Big Nose Rock, the chief n
gineer was receiving reports from his
assistants that everything was in
readiness for a blast. .Blake's eyes
came back from the oncoming out
laws and glanced for the last time
along tie rife barrel, his finger
surled about the trigger. In the
same second. the electrician standing
by the chief engineer jammed home
the detoning shaft and before the
rife could speak the entire side and
shoulder OF Big Nose Rock was torn
away by a terrific explosion.
Stunned by the conclusion, Blake
and Bessie were hurled to the ground
amidst a shower of rocks and the out
laws, terrified. fed back from the
harrieade, hidden by a cloud OF smoke
and dust. Picking themselves up,
the hunted pair looked 10 where the
huge pile Of granite had lowered TO
zee the mouth of a new-made tunnel
to them a miraculous avenue OF
escape. The outlaws. their courage
returned. again we're pushing for
ward aud Blake. seizing Bessie by
the hand, hurried down over n
rocks and debris 20 the entrance.
without pausing to look back. they
sped through the darkened chamber
10 the further end, where splintered
timber. bits of snoring and rocks
barred their passage. II seemed they
again had fallen into a trap. Bes-
sic was in despair. but Blake saw
one small hole near the upper cor
ner and he fell Il work to clear this,
his wife pluckily helping him.
By desperate efforts, Blake enlarg-
ed the opening sufficiently to push
Bessie through, but in seeking to fol-
low, was stuck. The outlaws could
be heard approaching in the tunnel,
along the sides of which were strung
wires connected with heavy dynamite
charges. Blake struggled against
great odds, then weakening as the
timbers crushed his sides. cried out:
go ahead Bessie. I'm stuck. Save
yourself"
Bessie knelt by the entrance and
thrust her hands to his. pulling with
all her strength. Gradually he came
out through the opening, and she
elasped him In her arms and kissed
him. Another brief struggle and he
fell free. In an instant they had
damned the shorings back across the
opening, filled the holes with rocks
and hurried down the mountain, Bees
sic half supporting her husband
whose leg had been badly wrenched.
standing above the opened tunnel
the engineer through glasses observ'
ed the effects of the blowout. He
swung the glasses of In the direc-
ton whence the outlaws had come to
the shelving rock and away In the
distance saw a great body of horse
men riding along the lower trail
They were the posses OF the two
sheriffs.
They're after the outlaws" said
the engineer. ordering two assist,