Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1919-07-17
EPISODE q.
SYNOPSIS.

SAA DNFhS eHe AA""n NhoiSoh ga
ecutors Of the estate of John Carr, miner,
and joint guardians of his adopted daugh-
ter, Ethel, quarrel over the disposition of
the profits of the mine. Morgan. unsus-
pected by Davis, makes several unsuc-
cessful attempts on the life of the latter,
diverting suspicion to a mysterious her
init. Morgan mmon a villainous ac-
complete m Spider Bellas. Several of
their attempts to kill Davis, SO that
Morgan can get the gold and the girl, are
miraculously frustrated by d mysterious
hermit. Davis is bound to the traveller
Of a saw used for cutting logs.
Bound to the traveller of the saw
mill and being slowly but surely con-
veyed against the whining buzz saw,
knowing that a few seconds more must
find his body being severed by the
Jagged teeth, John Davis fought
against terrible death with all the des-
peration of a powerful and courageous
man. Had the fate which stared him
in the face been u clean death at the
muzzle of a gun, or through a fall over
q cliff, he might have resigned himself
to it and died then and there. But the
thought of being torn In two by the
steel teeth of this whirling monster
aroused him as nothing in his life
had ever done before. Beneath his
clothes his muscles swelled like whip
cords as he summoned every inch of
his splendid strength into the battle
for life.
The saw was but a foot from his
body. 1t would strike him at the
breast, pass through him as through a
piece Of deadwood; leave him severed
in halves. Through his mind flashed
the vision of Ethel finding him thus
Ethel, the woman he loved! God! He
could not endure the thought. He shut
his eyes and released his concentrated
strength as a steel spring unbcnds.
Before that terrific effort the cord
that had bound his right arm snGpped
like a rubber band and the arih was
free. Quick as thought he threw out
his hand and bra ed it against the
beam running across the mill above
the whirling blade. Then stiffening his
arm until 1t became as a bar IF iron
he pittcd Its strength against that Of
the traveller.
Had it been a large mill designed
for the handling of heavy timber no
mans strength could have resisted it.
But fortunately for the victim of Nor
CAMS treachery, when old John Carr,
the pioneer, had constructed it he had
builded only with the thought OF saw
ing the lighter stuff that grew upon
the mountains. Furthermore the belt
yy-Ni h 1YpN-n tho tI.uN EplnF. hn1 Trnnn
slack with age and no longer eripped
the pulley with its former tenacity.
By a titanic effort of which few men
would have been capable, the desper-
ate n upon the conveyor so braced
himself between his lashing5 and the
beam that had his arm been a crowbar
1t would have been scarcely less bend
able. For an instant the issue of bat
tie between nan and machine hung in
doubt, then thanks to the loosened
gripping power of the ancient belt it
began slipping around the driving pull
ley and the movement of the traveller
ceased. Yet the instant the strength
of the mar should give way the spin
ming belt would again assert itself
and the battle would have been useless.
The flashing teeth would bury them
selves in the helpless body and the end
would quickly come. Nor for long
could any man, matterless how power
full, hope to hold his W against the
tirelessness Of the machine. And even
now John could feel his strength be-
ginning to run from him as sands
stream from IN hourglass.
Within the cabin Ethel glanced ut
her watch, then turned to Rainface.
"Mr. Davis promised to be back within
half an hour. More than that length
Of time has already passed, and still
no signs of him. With SO many strange
things happening l an becoming ner-
Gus. Suppose we go and find him."
Silently the old Indian arose and
followed her into the open air.
A short distance up the trail the
girl whirled upon her follower.
Listen. I hear the hum Of the
sawmill. What business has it to be
running"
bad medicine" murmured the old
man. I'VE better hurry heap fast"
Without stopping for further words
they broke into a in the direction
of the sound, the girl in the lead.
A minute later she burst open the
door of the mill and stood as one
transfxed. Before her lay John Davis,
bound upon the traveller, his neck mus
cles swollen from the frightfulness of
his exertion; his arm still holding the
saw at bay but beginning to tremble
as q wind thrummed reed. Unable to
speak, he turned his eyes toward her
In a wild appeal for help.
The wordless call aroused her as
though 1t had been an electric shock.
In the wink of an eye she was herself
again with every muscle taut as a
harpstring. Her glance flew over the
mechanism of the machine, and bend
ing she picked up q wooden billet from
the floor. Leaping forward she thrust
II between the lop Of the belt, then
giving her lever a sudden twist she
threw the belt from the pulley. Re-
lieyed Of the pull the traveller became
an inert thing, and with a long, gasp
ing breath Of exhaustion John let his
arm fall. The danger was past, but 50
narrow had been his escape that the
teeth OF the saw had torn his clothes.
THANK Godr" she cried, as COM
pletely nerveless from the shock and
suspense of the moment she fell limpy
npon the traveller beside the bound N
her arm thrown across him as though
to further protect him.
Rainface, old and slow Of gait, came
painting into the room, Taking In what
had happened with a glance, he drew
the girl away and seated her upon a
stool, then whipping out his knife freed