Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1919-08-07
EPISODE 7.
SYNOPSIS.

OF the mine Morgan, seeking the goiC
ana the girl for himself. and unsuspecteG
BY Davis, makes several attempts on the
life Of the latter, assisted by an accom-.
pice named Spider Bellas. Suspicion Ii
diverted to a mysterious hermit. Miracu'
lousy escaping the latest attempt Oh his
lie. Davis. In company with the others
accidentally discovers Carr's hoard OF
gold. They remove the gold to the cabin,
but In the night 1t is taken away by the
hermit. Morgan. feeling that suspicion Is
beginning to fall upon him, fakes an at
tempt on his own life. They 1nd Carr's
mine.
The Hawk and the Spider had gal.
loped off, leaving Davis In a fiendish
trap Of their W invention. While
he was lying drugged In the shack
they had bent a sapling down and
secured 1t In this position by means
Of a rope. Then taking another lasso
they had fastened 1t to the tip of the
sapling, running the other end through
an unboardsd piece in the roof of the
shack and fastening the moose about
his neck. Having completed this ne
farious work, they built a fire close to
the rope which bound the sapling to
its bent position. knowing that as
soon as the flames reached the rope
they would eat 1t in two, whereupOn
the tree would spring erect with ter
rife force, tearing the man apart after
the manner Of one of the fiendish con-
%trivances Of the Inquisition. This done
they beat a hasty retreat, leaving their
victim to his fate.
Ethel Davis, awakened from her
sleep in the home cabin at midnight
by an evil dream, picked up a copy
Of Aesop's Fables from the table and
read until she became convinced that
John was threatened by some great
danger. Immediately she aroused
Bridget, and accompanied by Rainface
went dashing to the rescue.
Within the shack John, aroused by
the smoke from the stupor into which
the drugged coffee had put him, awOke
to find himself bound and with a rope
around his neck. Though he gould
feel and dimly see the lariat that led
from his neck through the roof. he
could not see where 1t terminated. and
beyond knowing that he was in des-
perate danger had little idea Of what
had taken place since he drank the
drugged cup. Vigorously he began
writhing and tugging at his bonds.
The smell Of the smoke and the
cracking of the fire still further
alarmed him. Already the fire was
burning into the rope which held the
tree which was bent like a bow, and
led on by the loose powder which the
pair had scattered about, the flames
had begun to attack the building IT.
self. Pungent wreaths were forcing
themselves through the cracks and in
terstices of the building and the cap
tive could feel the hot breath of the
rising flames upon his cheeks. Plainly
he was In imminent danger Of being
burned alive If nothing else. and he
redoubled his struggles to loose him
self from the thongs which fastened
him to the bunk.
Warned by the finding Of Davis
dead horse by the side Of the trail
that their assistance was sOrely need
ed, Ethel and the Indian gallOped Wild
ly along the path. Reaching the
shack she pulled her horse violently
back upon its launches.
One glance around told her the
whole damnable story. Through the
circling smoke she saw the tree bent
over the shack, its restraining rope
already half eaten through by the fire,
as we'll as the lariat that hung from
the sapling through the hole In the
roof. The door Of the little building
vas tightly latched, but rushing
through the fire and smoke she struck
It with the impetuosity Of a flying
bomb. 1t gave way before her and
she burst into the room.
Through the smoke, she saw that
the lower end of the lassO was fas-
tened about the neck of the man she
loved, and knew that in a second or
two more unless she saved him his
head must be torn from his body.
His face was toward her, contorted
from the violence Of his struggles to
escape his letters. At sight Of her
his lips parted.
Hurry" he cried. snake haste"
But he had no need to urge the girl
to speed. Pausing but long enough
to take In the scene with a lightning
glance, she leaped forward, knife In
hand. One sweep Of the blade and
the rope was severed close above her
lovers neck, and the loose end spring
ing up twisted itself around a rafter
Of the shack. Nor was she a second
too soon. Scarcely had the released
lasso coiled ~serpent-like about tine
beam than the ire-gnawed rope with
out parted.
Leaping to the upright like a Gni-
liver bursting the bonds of Lillipu-
tians, 1t tore the roof from the strllc-
ture AZ though 1t had been a roof or
paper, finging 1t in fragments high IN
the air and scattering the remnants
the rocks far and wide. The
wild burst of fame which followed
arose to the height Of the tallest trees,
while myriads Of sparks went floating
away in the dim morning light.
Miles upon their way the fleeing
Hawk and Spider. turning In their
saddles, saw the upward leap of flames
and the family twinkling sparks,
laughing at the sight.
"That's good-by for Davis. and be
damned to him." said Morgan as they
AGAIN urged their horses on,
All but overcome by the exertion or
her furious ride, the nervous suspense
she had endured while in the saddle
and the shock which had nearly fioored