Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-08-23

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on door. They were strong and grim
looking, ana might have been taken
for prison cells, or family vaults, or
possibly wine bins. The massive locks
were red with rust, and there was
plainly no possibility of opening them.
On the other side of the gallery
there was a litter Of old chains, and
some boards, probably left over from
the doors Yes, and there were two
old flintlock guns, and several cut.
lnsscS. all eaten AWAY with rust. also
III Scnlnan's chest open and fall.
10 pieces. AT the sight of that,
dd thought flashed through my brain.
What if Good God. What If this
was John Tcach's trcnsury-bchind
those grim, doors. I threw myself with
all my force against one and then the
other. For the moment forgot that
my paramount business was to eS-
cape. But might rs wen have hurled
myself against the solid rock. And, at.
that moment, noticed that the place
was darker than it had been. My Ian.
tern was going out. In moment or
two | should he in the pitch dark, and
/ had discovered that the door at the
end of the gallery was as solid as the
others.
! was to be trapped, after all; and
l pictured myself slowly dying there
of hunger-the pangs Of which | was
already beginning TO fecl--and some
one, years hence, finding me there
modorlng skcleton-some one who
would break open those doors. uncover
those cleaning boards, and mornlize
on the irony Of my end; condemned to
die there of starvation. with the treas
IRE | had 50 long sought on the other
side of those unyielding doors. Old
Toms words suddenly flashed over
me. and | could feel my hair literally
beginning 10 rise. There never was a
buried treasure yet that didn't claim
its victim" Great God and was to
be the ghost and keep guard In this |
terrible tomb till the next dead man
came along to relieve me of my sentry
duty
F'rantlcally I turned up the wick Of
my lantern at the thought--but it wa
no use; 1t was plainly going ou,. | |
examined my match box; I had still a
dozen or so matches left. And then .
my eye fell on that shattered chest.
There We're those boards. too. Ar all |
events | could build fire and make
torches Of slivers of wood, SO long as
the wood lnsted.
And then I had an idea. WHY not
make the fire against the door at the
end Of the gallery. and 50 burn my way
Bravo. Ny spirits rose at
the thought. and set TO at onCc-splt-
ting some small kinding with my
Knife. In few minutes | had quite
Sprightly little fire going at the bot
tom of the door; but | saw that |
should have to be cxtravagant with
my wood If the fire was to be effective
However II was neck or nothing: 50
piled on beams and boards tin my
fire roared like furnace, and present
" | had the Joy of seeing it begin to
take hold of the door-which. after n
snort time began to Crackle and splut.
ter in very cheering fashion.
Whatever lay beyond, it was evil
lent that ] should soon be able TO
break my way through the obstacle.
and, indeed, 50 II proved; for, present
y. | used one Of the boards as bat.
'ering ram, and, to my inexpressibe
Joy, 1t went crashing through, with
shower of sparks, and it was but the
work Of n few more minutes before the !
whole door fell flaming down. ana |
vas able to leap through the doorway