Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1919-07-10

surveyed IHCH OCNi'SH So'N'
you wait ten minutes, also, then come
straight up the trail. Wen search
the ridge and meet at the top
Davis, the last to depart, had made
| hut a few steps when Ethel came hur-
rying up to him. In one hand was the
letter which had been attached to the
| arrow, in the other the Bible, and
| opening the book she read to him the
| words from jeremiah and Micah. Her
| hand fell on his arm.
Don't 60" she pleaded. Il am afraid
for YOU" Rainface. joining them, al
so showed his disapproval. John
laughed.
THAT message means nothing. Nor
| gan is my nearest relative and BellaS
| his friend, therefore mine. Well be
| back in half an hour"
With a parting wave of his hand he
went up the trail, his rifle ready and
bis eyes searching every suspicious
looking object. Cautiously he ad-
N,nced, every step bringing him near
En- to the trigger of the dead-fall which
lay between the two trees.
Slight as was the impact of his foot
against the trigger it startled John
and he shot a glance upward. The
mighty tree already was falling, de-
%scending upon him with a force that
would crush him to pulp. He tried
to spring back, bat his feet caught
In the rope and tripped him, and be-
fore he could recover himself he was
driven to the earth and lay half
stunned, half crushed on his back, the
trunk across his chest.
Had 1t not been that there was a
small depression in the ground where
he fell, and which prevented the full
weight of the tree from bearing upon
him, he must have been crushed to
death by its fall. Knowing that he
could not long survive the awful pres
sure, despairingly he cast his eyes
about. His rifle lay close at hand,
and Selling 1t and using it as a lever,
with a mighty effort he raised the
trunk a few inches and wriggled him
self free. Bruised and battered he
gathered himself together as best he
could, and went staggering along a
trail. In his dazed condition he did
not realize that instead of taking the
path which led to the cabin, he was fol
lowing the way which wound up at the
. small sawmill which John Carr In his
! lifetime had constructed for the saw
I. ing of the logs which went into his
: buildings.
The Hawk and the Spider looking
, from q window of the mill where they
had retired for a consultation, saw
their escaped victim come stumbling
toward them. The voice of Morgan
arose in a savage curse.
"Now how in HI did he escape
that dead-fall." The Spider already
was upon his feet, a glare In his eye,
and a heavy billet of wood In hi:
hand.
: "Never mind how he did 1t, for thu
fact Is that he did. But I'll get hin
now.' Raising his arm he hurled thu
= billet, and the missile flying true as
e bullet landed with a crash upon thu
y advancing ones head. Beneath tn
T. impact he went down as does an o!
smitten by a maui.
. Rushing from the mill the two ruff
J. ans fell upon him, and picking him u
8 bore him quickly out of sight withil
the building. Throwing him upon tn
!, floor they stood gazing down upon him
q the hatred Of two fiends showing II
r their faces. The Spider drew his CUR
n "I'm going to plug him now goo
and plenty" he sworc, but seeing tn
l others movement the Hawk struc
e up the weapon.
II "Put that gun away, you fool. w
don't want to leave any bullet hole
e behind us. Anyway, I've got a bette
scheme--a' scheme that will max
3 him repent with his last breath tina
d he dared stand between me and thu
n mine and the girl"
r "As you say" grOwled the Spider
But what's the main ihea| With
n 10 the gasoline engine which prOpelle
u the saw, started II, then pointed 10 IN
IL traveller which was used TO carry log
'e to the spinning disk with Its jngge
~ teeth.
4 wen put him on that and let tn
. machinery do the rest. He's tough, n
!" tight, but | reckon that buzz saw wi
III nc able to bite him. Lend n han
1ere."
. Quickly securing bonds they tied tn
IT ain unconscious one hand and foo
u hen stopping the machine they lal
~ Davis upon the traveller, flashing hir
10 Ipon II SO that when the contrivanc
IL was again put into motion he mus
Inevitably be carried to the whirIln
blade and his body severed even a
'e would have been the trunk Of n pint
Is, .ben drawing back they surveyed thei