Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-06-30

&Ma mounting III STOOD within narrow
tunnel. With no other course 10 pur-
sue be began carefully treadIng It's
length, pausing not until he came To
It's end. Here ne found another short
ladder above which WINS d traptloor,
and climbing ii cautiously showed
the trap and stepped into q small. dark
room. Seeing door upon one side be
silently opened II, his heart giving =
great leap at what he saw.
He was peering into EtheI's bed
roam, and the girl. sitting before lit
/ tie table with her cheeks In her hands.
wis gazing III his own picture. Tat
tered and dirty he SIT hts lantern
down. md approaching her quietly
from behind, laid his hand upon her
shoulder. 1urnIng swiftly she looked
up grew white then with 3 low cry
threw herself into his arms.
i FOR several minutes, obIlyious that
In all the world there existed others
than themselves, they abandoned thenl-
selves TO the caresses and whispers
which lovers know SO well then John,
holding her Off lit arms length. smiled.
Come We must 90 and tell the
Others also. with Ethel clInging to
his arm they entered the rooEn where
/ Bridget sat On guard as formidable as
old Ccrherus himself before the gates
of Hides. Dropping her weapon on
the floor the woman nrose, mouth open
and eyes bulging At the slght of the
man.
'sAlercIfal hLyens An We were not
Kilt BIT aIl. at NIL n she gasped as ahs
stumbled forward TO greet him.
Hardly, Bridget he gTiined She
turned ID the pair Wfthin the room.
Some out. both Of ye.H Heads erect
and wearing the look Of men grossly
rnlstreated, the Hawk and Hsellas en-
tered the living room. John thrust
forth his hand.
II can only ask your forgiveness.
boys. Ethel has told me aIl. and 1t
happened Just as you said II did. Kel-
las. Furthermore, / have found the
real mine Come On, all Of sou. and
wen Inspect It I.
s.I'il stick behind and see tilaf oil
goes wen here. You Gun tell me about
Il when yOu come hack. said Morgan.
A he ieter1nlnediy refused To accom-
pany them. they hurrieIly made ready
and took their departure.
Left nlone. Morgan began to prowl.
Davis must have got lii by some Sc
cret way, he mnttered as he began
searching the door. Presently coming
tn the closet Of the girls room he
raised ITS rug and at once saw the trap
cut III It's floor. Quickly securing his
Winchester he also thrust his pistol
into his belt. raised the trap and went
feeling his way Down the ladder.
Lighting his way BY the lantern
which Davis had left behind, he fol-
lowed the tunnel untll It eEnptied him
into the main cave. Above him he
saw the gold glowing duly, and gasped
as the other man had done as compre
henslon Of Its great richness gradually
forced Itself upon him.
There IRE millions here, md mean
so have All. And she girl as well. he.
muttered. Setting the lantern down
bic approached the growth which
screened the outside entrance TO the
room, peering into the open air. 10 the
distance he saw the party from the
cabin coming up the trail iii single die,
John lii the lead, and he picked up his
rife with a cruel SMILE.
Now i have hin" he whispered as.
he ran his eye along the barrel The
roar Of his rife went resoundlng
among the hills. bnffeting back and
forth like d slluttIecock. john, ID the
act Of leaping across small rift,
plunged forward Just as Ethel waB
about to grasp his preferred hand.
Morgan. In the act of turning 10 flee,
felt crushing blow from behind, and
throwing up his hands, collapsed with
d groan up0n the floor.
Davis scrambled to his feet and
pointed 10 the n1ossc covered rock from
which he had slipped at the instant
the gun was discharged.
That was the Iuckiest EnIxsfep / ever
made. for otherwise that bullet would
have gone through my head, be cried
as the others came rushing 10 the spot.
He waved his hand at them. 'Take To
cover eVerybody quick. 2
From the bouIders behind which they
Rcuttied they watched the entrance
closely for several minutes No sounds
came from within the cave. and con-
WINGED that whoever had dred the shot
had fled, Davis rushed the opening, gun
iii hand, the others hot upon his heels.
Before them and lying senseless upon
the iloor was the body Of the Hawk.
Ten minutes later Morgan Wus able
to speak In faint tones.
AFTER ron left stepped into Miss
Ethel's room, and much to my astan-
ishment saw d trap door In the fiO0r Of
her closet. wondering what It could
mean, descended through II. fellow
ing tunnel which LED me into this
room. As entered saw that cursed
Hermit iii the very act of firing uEsOn
y0u as y0u approached. and INSIDE
Jump for him. But Fri my weak state
be WAS too much for ne and knocked
me seEsssless Baaf sl1amk God yun are
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