The Monticellonian. [volume] (Monticello, Ark.) 1870-1920, 1919-09-12
EPISODE 7.
SYNOPSIS.

SYNOPSIS.
zIohn Davis and Hawk Morgan, ex-
s,tors of the estate of John Carr, miner,
- .arren over the disposition of the profits
# tbe mine Morgan. seeking the gold
- a the Girl for himself, and unsupported
zE7v paws makes several attempts on the
! Of the latter. assisted by an accom-
{17i ce named Spider Bellas Suspicion is
- 5r,erted 10 a mysterious hermit Miracu-
alslv escaping the latest attempt on his
Il paws, in company with the others,
Essentially discovers Cars hoard of
liz They remove the gold to the cabin.
h in the night 1t is taken away by the
rmit Morgan. feeling that suspicion is
81 ginning to fall upon him, fakes an at
STmpt on his own life. They find Carr's
X The Hawk and the Spider had gal
bped off. leaving Davis in fiendish
Ian of their own invention. While
was lying drugged in the shack
hey had bent sapling down and
eeured il in this position by means
a rope. Then taking another lasso
hey had fastened it to the tip of the
milling. running the other end through
h unboarded piece in the roof of tie
hack and fastening the moose about
~ Is neck. Having completed this ne
<arious work, they built Il fire close to
liz rope which bound the sapling to
Is bent position, knowing that as
Es oon as the flames reached the rope
24hey would eat it in two, Whereupon
TN tree would spring erect with ter
zfific force, tearing the man apart after
&fhe manner of one of the fiendish con-
triyanees of the Inquisition. This done
they beat hasty retreat, leaving their
Victim to his fate.
n Ethel Davis. awakened from her
Sleep in the home cabin at midnight
Eby an evil dream, picked up a copy
Ipf Aesop's Fables from the table and
read until she became convinced that
John was threatened by some great
#danger Immediately she aroused
#Bridget, and accompanied by Rainface
Invent dashing to the rescue.
n Within the shack John, aroused by
Il tie smoke from the stupor into which
d the drugged coffee had put him. awoke
u To find himself bound and with a rope
3 around his neck. Though he could
8 feel and dimly see the lariat that led
from his neck through the roof. he
could not see Were It terminated and
beyond knowing that he was in des-
perate danger had little idea of what
had taken place since he drank the
dragged cup. Vigorously he began
writing and Juggling at his bonds.
The smell Of the smoke and the
i cracking of the fire still further
alarmed him. Already the fire was
burning into the rope which held the
H tree which ~as bent like Il bow, AM
led en- By the loose powder which the
\ pair had scattered about, the flames
had begun to attack the building It
self THrgent wreaths were forcing
themselves through the cracks and in
terStiecs Of the building and the cap
tive could feel the hot breath OF the
rising flames upon his Greeks. Plainly
he was in imminent d6nger Of being
burned alive If nothing else. and he
redoubled his struggles to loose him
self from the thongs which fastened
him to the bunk.
Warned by the findtag of Davis
dead horse by the side of the trail
that their assistance was sorely need
ed, Ethel and the Indian salloped wild
" along the path. Bleaching the
shack she pulled her horse violently
back upon its launches.
One glance around told her the
whole damnabe story. Through the
circling smoke she saw The tree bent
over the shack, its restraining rope
already half eaten through by the fire,
as we'll as the lariat that hung from
the sapling through the hole in the
roof. The door of the rttie building
was tightly latched, but rushing
through the fire and smoke she struck
it with the impetuosity OF a flying
bomb. 1t gave way before her and
she burst into the room.
Through the smoke she saw that
the lower end of the laSso was fas-
tened about the neck of the man she
loved, and knew that IN Il second or
two more unless she saved him his
4Edd must Dt lOID HUH Liz p''.3
His face was toward her, contorted
from the violence of his struggles to
escape his letters. At sight of her
his lips parted.
Hurry" he cried. make haste"
Bur he had no need to urge the girl
to speed. Pausing but LONE enough
70 take in the scene with Il lightning
glance, size leaped forward knffe in
hand. One sweep of the blade and
the rope was severed close ahove her
lovers neck. and the loose end spring
ING up twisted itself aroand Z rafter
OF the shack Nor was she a second
too soon Scarcely had the released
laSso eoiled serpent-ille aboUs tac
beam than the fire-gnawed rope with
cut parted.
Leapine TO the upright like tsiii-
liver bursting the bonds of Liilinn-
tiaHs. il tore the roof from the strae-
ture as though II had been a roof OF
paper flinaing it in fragments high IN
the mir and scattering the remnants
over the rocks far and wide The
Wild burst of flame which followed
arose to tie height of the tallest trees
while myriads of sparks went floating
away in the dim morning light