The Elk Mountain pilot., 1919-12-18
EPISODE 9.
PRISONER OF THE DEEP.

the home of Ram Chunder and awed
the six Hindus into submission at the
point of his revolver. peeped through
the trap in the floor to the floor be-
low. Seeing Ethel standing there
white and swaying from terror, her
dress torn from her bosom and the
old fakir approaching her with his
lancet, the Indian hesitated no longer.
Still keeping the Hindu gang at bay,
he drew a heavy hunting knife and
hurled It through the aperture. The
point Of the missile struck Ram in the
throat and he reeled back into the
arms of Shallum. Morgan and the
Spider at that moment burst the graf
ing behind which they had been stand
ing and rushed upon the scene. As they
did 20 the Indian dropped through the
trap and stood between the pair and
Ethel, gun in hand and ready to drop
any one else ~ he had done Ram
Chunder, should the other person have
the temer1ty to attempt to lay violent
hands upon her. But It 10 happened
that the Hawk and the Spider had no
intention Of harming the girl. Instead
the former grasped her by the hand.
crying a. though greatly worried:
I'VE trailed you here. Are we In
timer
As the Spider bent over the fos1n Of
Ram Chunder. now lying upon the door
dn the arms Of Shallum. the girl with
opt replying to NorEan's question tore
herself from him and ran to the quad
rant upon the wall. Throwing back
the lever as she had seen the old fakir
do, the doors Of the idol gradually
swung open, disclosing John Davis i'm
hrisoned within. Morgan. having DE-
|cided that his game was up for tho
present and thak he would sim have TO
wear the mask Of deception and pre-
tended frisudship. at once ran TO thA
idol, unscrswed the turn-buekles whSeA
held the neck, waist. arms and leSS q
Davis, thus releasing HIM.
Leaving At once. he party soasAt
&he street where tAsy hailed q
eaxicab and entered. Rafnfaes toek
his seat beside the ehau6sur. ~
weapon In readiness In case of trick
ssy.
Ordering that they BE- driven 70 thslr
hotel they sought Q quiet cogaR. and
there the Hawk began his fAlss expaa-
nation Of the things that had happened.
II caught sight Of that scoundrsry
hermit at dawn near the shack IN tAe
mountains. The Spider. here. had Just
gotten up. instantly We gave chase
and pursued him for miles. but in
spite Of all we could do he finally gave
~ the slip. We then decided 10 cone
here to Frisco, expecting that you
would follow. and We have been hunt
ing you for the last two days, having
heard that you were here somewhere.
Johns taxi driver told us where he
had taken him. and as soon AZ We
could get there we burst in. I guess
you know all the rest, and II old Rain
face hadn't been on the Job and beat
en- us to II we'd have saved you IN
another second anyway. AZ 1t u, let
us hope that we have got free Of them
at last"
So sincere did the mans speech
sound, and 80 friendly were his ac-
tions that they shook hands all around
in the best good fellowship-thati is'
all except the ancient Indian, who, ht-
ting sullenly In his corner, refused to
either eat or drink with them. Nor
was Ethel entirely undeceived.
Meanwhile as to the room in the
temple wherein had occurred the trag-
edy.
No sooner had the four white people
and Rainface left the room than Shall
lum, arising from the floor where ne
had been supporting the body OF his
stricken master, struck a gong. m
stantly Joost- Singh and the other
Hindus came swiftly into the room,
some through the trap and others BY
means of the secret doors. Carefully
raising the body Of the dying Yogi.
they laid him before the imAge Of the
Eod silva, whom he had worshiped
SOC devotedly throughout the years.
And ~ though revived by the presence
lof the idol, Ram Chunder opened his
Eyes and then raising himself spasmod-
hcally, one last word burst from his
lEfaying lips, before they were sealed
'by the eternal silence Of death:
'REvENdN."
Then fell back dead.
For . m}ment there was an awful
pause durilg which they an stared at