The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1919-01-08
THE : IF: B }! IA BANNFR-NEWS.

stairs and stopped at splendid look
ing heavy door. He entered to turn
on the light and Bob and Mart fol-
lowed. The door swung shut and it
could be heard to lock quickly. Fright
ened, one Of the boys struck a light
and found that the cid man had mys-
teriously vanished. Moreover, there
was not a sign Of furniture, bedding
or anything Of any description IN the
room. No window, no light fixture,
nothing save the four walls, which on
further investigation with lighted
matches, disclosed that they were COW
was covered with the same evidences
Of tragedies enacted there. After
thinking the matter over, the boys
decided that they had been caught in
trap-a death trap, at that. The
air in the room soon became oppres-
sive and they boys felt themselves
perspiring. Investigation revealed
that blood was seeping through the
pores of the skin instead of regular
sweat. Knowing that they were in
tended to be the next victims, the boys
prepared themselves as best they
could for death and were just plan
ming on how to let the folks at home
know what disposition to make of
their effects when, they heard foot
steps coming down the hall. The
voices which accompanied the steps
were jubilant over the fact that two
had been secured at one time The
men stopped outside the door and
from the talk which the boys heard it
was learned that the young lady and
the three thugs were decoys, whose
business it was to lure people into
this house. The old man, who took
the place of father was supposed to
lead the victims so enticed, into the
room. while the real murderer was a
wealthy fanatic who paid 1000 per
head for his victims and who entered
the room and killed them himself,
merely for the pleasure of killing.
His victims it was learned from the
talk soon became faint from fright,
foul air and perspiration and no mat
ter how game they fought they were
no match for the mailman who stab
bed them SC that they slowly died. For
extra pleasure he took a broad axe
and chopped up his victims during the
time they were dying. All this talk
failed to make the incident take on
the aspect of picnic out at Long
lake and he boys decided that it would
lane SoHie induHhan 10 asSosoihatc
them. A key was inserted in the
door, the buzzing of powerful arc
light was heard and as the bars in
the ponderous lock slid back, the boys
Rugged close to the wall. The door
swung open, the strongest shaft of
light ever seen was shot into the room
just as the murderer stepped up to
come in the door. Bob and Mart watch
ing their chance for the first blow
struck at the men, missed them but in
lunging forward through the door,
tripped the murderers up, beat It
down the hall and were just descend
ing a stairway when one of the men
grabbed a lever, pulled it and the
stairway crumpled under their weight
and they fell into small, foul SMELL
ing dark room. Mart struck a match
the Pickering light of which disclosed
window, which they smashed and
with superhuman strength, wrenched
away the bars witch protected it and
dropped to the ground few feet be-
low. They found themselves in the
rear of the house in a sort OF a court
yard which was surrounded by a
brick wall perhaps ten feet high. Just
then door few feet away opened
and the fanatic, broad-axe in hand,
with dagger in his teeth emerged
He was followed by the supposed ia
Their and the young lady whom they
had accompanied home. Bob and Mart
raced for the 10 foot wall, Mart clear
ed it with one jump and Bob was
confident that he could scale wall
three times as high under the circum-
stances, for the three pursuers were
but few feet behind rne boys. Bob
made his jump, his foot slipped On a
loose stone and instead OF clearing
the wall, he just managed to get his
fingertips over the top and try as he
might his body seemed like lead, so
weak was he from the terrible strain.
With a blood-curdling, insane shout
of exultant JOY. the murderers reach
ed up, got hold of the pea jacket of
his uniform and started to pull him
ne made last desperate effort to pull
himself over and away from his
would-be murderers. So hard did he
struggle for life that when he woke
up he was trying to tear his hammock
into shreds, but he was safe in the
barracks at Glenburnie.
when are we going to get some
movie pictures of actual fighting 2"
writes a valued subscriber. We re-
gret that we don't know, not having
heard from the studios in the city
back lots where the film plays are put
on.
Some people say they won't adver-'
tise because everyone knows where
their stores are. Also everybody
knows where the cemetery is, but
they don't go there very often.
Camouflage painting is no doubt
good thing for the ships, but the girls
needn't think they must resort to it
to conceal their faces from public
view
Reader writes to know if we shall
have any French sardines this year?
That depends entirely on how the her.
ring have been running along the
coast.