The Monticellonian., 1918-09-06

well-make you rich" In desperation he raised his shaking hand to dash out the candle, but even as he did so the colonel spoke, at the same time care fully lowering the revolver hammer.
 You are right What am I thinking about? There must be no noise. Caramba! A pretty business that would be wouldn't 1t? With my men running up here to see what it was all about. No, no No gunshots. no disturbance of any kind. You under stand what I mean. eh?"
 His face twisted into q grin as he tossed the revolver aside, then under took to detach stone from the crum- bling curb. No noise." he chuekled. "NO noise whatever"
 OReilly, stupefied by the sudden ap- pearance of this monstrous creature. stunned by the certainty of a catas- trophe to Rosa awoke to the fact that this man intended to brain him where he stood. In panic he cast his eyes about him, thinking to take shelter In the treasure-cave, but that retreat was closed to him, for he had wedged the wooden timbers together at the first alarm. He was like rat in pit, ut terly at the mercy of this maniac. And Cobo was a maniac at the moment; he had so far lost control of himself as to allow the stone to slip out of his grasp. It fell with thud at O'Reilly's feet, causing the assassin to laugh once more.
 ''Ho. hol" he hiceoughed. My fin 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 it from it's bed. Jewels Pearls the size of plums And l poor man! I can't believe it so he fumbled farther along the curb ing. Pearls, indeed! I would send a dozen men to hell for one-'
 OReilly 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 dtlate and heard him heaye deep, whistling sigh. OReilly could not imagine what ailed the fellow. For an eternity. so it seemed, Cobo remained leaning upon his outspread arms, fixed in that same 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 conyulsed and an ex- pression of blank and utter astonish- ment was stamped upon it. The men 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, he filled his lungs with another wheeZing sigh. His teeth ground together, his head began to wag upon his shoulders i; 1t dropped lower and lower; one hand slipped from its hold and he lurehed 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 warning rattle of dirt and mortar and pebbles i; the next instant he slipped into the we'll and plunged headlong down upon O'Reiliy, an avalanche of lifeless flesh. Johnnie shielded himself with his up- knees, and when he scrambled to his feet, half stunned, 1t was to find him.