The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1919-06-13

| safe down to something like five de-
grees below zero: so that. even II he
were located. and dynamite charge
used to break down the door, It was
long odds that by the time he was
an Iceberg.
He screamed and yelled; he kicked
and he hammered at the door; he
dashed himself bodily against 1t; he
wept, prayed and cursed. alternately
and then altogether.
Finally he lay on the floor quite
still, utterly worn out and moaning
like dog caught in trap.
His eyes gazed without sense of
sight at the joints Of meat hanging
from the racks fixed below the ceiling.
Something suddenly jolted his brain.
A Joint of venison at which he had
been vaguely staring awakened his
mind to feeble activity.
Back to his memory came the recol-
lection that he had purchased that
joint to be cooked In celebration OF
the birthday Of his daughter. His
daughter-little ten-year-old Marjory !
Why, he would never see her againl
Escape was impossible; he was as
sure Of death as II he were sitting in
the electric chair. He was actually
dying by inches.
The tears welled up In his eyes and
trickled down his frozen cheeks. No,
by heaven, he would not die or, II he
,,,,,cf Ir mould 1fr G~1ttrn
Fiercely he fought against the
lethargy aud numbness that was
enveloping him. With an effort he
sat up and climbed stifi1y to his feet
He caught sight of number Of stout
oaken bilIets he had brought down the
previous day, intending to fix up sup
ports for another shelf. He recollect
ed bringing hammer, too.
Yes, there 1t lay In the corner.
Selling the tool he once more beat
on the door Perhaps someone would
come down to the safe and hear the
sound of his hammering. 1t was a
poor chance, but he wouldn't miss it !;
anyway, he would die fighting death
His vigorous efforts restored life
to his body. His blows became more
violent and presently the hammer ham
die snapped short at the head. Then
a furious anger seized him. He called
down curses on the clever engineer
who had constructed the door and in
vented the patent lock, on himself, and
on all creation.
Selling one of the oak bllets, he
beat at the door as If 1t were Mr..
Smart's ingenious head he was ham
mering. His arms ached horribly, but
still he continued.
Presently his frenzv-flled eyes
seemed to see a faint crack In the
solid metal In front OF him.
The length Of timber splintered and
broke in hts hands, but snatching an
other piece he continued his furious
onslaught. His straining eyes saw the
! solid metal slab bullying outwards.
God in heaven 1t was true. then !
The steel had split, the crack was be
coming wider before his eyes, a streak
Of white showed between the dark
ragged edges.
cheering firm came into Jacob Hick-
mans mind as he pushed his finger
into the gap and plucked forth soft
shavings, cotton waste and refuse wool
until his finger nails scratched on the
outside steel covering of the door.
Inserting one end OF his piece of
oak into the crack--alas for the du-
plicity of mankind, the iron was
no thicker than that OF cooking-pan
Hickman showed inward and used It
as lever Juggling and straining until
the sheet of metal ripped away like a
strip of brown paper. Then using his
weapon as a rammer he stabbed at the
outside steel.
The sound of human voice caught
his ears.
"What de hell's de matter?" it said.
Some one stroling into the base
ment had heard the internal row and
come to investigate.
He screamed hoarse direction, and
in a few minutes the sharp teeth of
center bit was cutting into the
iron.
A small hole was soon made. Hick-
man passed the key through it to his
delverer, and then promptly tainted.
TAI We're wet bandages around
Hickman's head when he came round.
A duh ringing filled his ears his hands
were enveloped in wrappings; he was
in bed and his whole body was so
stiff and sore that when he moved he
groaned with pain.
To judge by the sensations in his
feet, he had no toes at all but the
stumps burned and throbbed hor-
ribly.
The doctors bearded face was bend
ing over him when he opened his eyes.
and his little daughter Marjory stood
by the bedside holding his head.
Touch ana CO." said the doctor
cheerfully. 81 thought you were
never coming to. Looked like a case
for the coroner Here. take a drop
of this"
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