The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1919-06-26


only key to whose location Is a chart flag,
years before divided among six members
of q similar expeditions Polly has one
flag. Scarface has another and he kills
Polly's father for his. Chinese has
third Dick and Polly go to him. Scar
face Is there ahead of them and as they
enter, Dick is seized by a giant idol and
dagger descends on his head.
Safe behind the partition where
they had been swept by the swift
mechanism of the idol, Dolly, Chu and
Lee confronted each other SO swift
had been the rush Of events that her
mind was In turmoil, and not know
ing whether she faced friend or foe
she braced herself for whatever might
happen next. Beyond the partition
she could family hear the outwitted
Scarface and Screweye as they raced
about futilely beating upon the walls
as they endeavored to locate the hid
den buttons which would make the
blank walls unfold to them as they
had done before the touch Of the
cunning Oriental.
What was the meaning of 1t allf
That she had been saved from the
clutch Of the outlaws through the cum
ming Of the Oriental she felt assured,
yet for what purpose had Chu dragged
her into this hidden retreat? And
what had become Of Dick? Fearing
far less for herself than she did for
her vanished husband she turned upon
the Chinaman who stood at her side.
"Chu," said she, "what is the mean
ing Of all this? Why have you dragged
me in here, and what has become Of
Dick. Are you my friend or are you
acting as the tool Of those villains?
Bowing and smiling, he answered her:
"Chu your fiiend. Chu fliend Of
Dick, too. He all light and bimeby
you understand all. Not tell you just
now, but me take you to hotel where
you all light. Lee bring husband
when he come"
At this assurance that Dick was all
right and that In due time he would
be brought to her q great weight was
lifted from her heart. Despite the
queerness of the whole transaction she
believed Chu. and even though he
were deceiving her for the moment she
was In his power and could do nothing
else than follow his instructions in
the hope that he would make his prom
Use good. She laid her hand lightly
upon his arm.
All right, Chu, am going to trust
you. If you are playing fair with us
you will never regret 1t, but II not
well, another day will come"
you no be afaid. Chu give his
word, and Chu's word as good as
Mclean gold" He turned away and
silently she followed him.
Dick, shooting through the trap door
of the floor, found himself plunging
down through a semi-darkness and ex-
pecting to be dashed to death at the
bottom of his fall. Shutting his teeth
he braced himself for the shock which
must follow his alighting. But instead
of crashing upon the bottom of pit
as he imagined in the brief second Of
his downward plunge, he felt himself
strike the surface Of water into which
he disappeared with tremendous
splash. Down through 1t he went until
his feet struck the hard bottom, then
bending his knees he gave a tremen-
dous leap and In an instant was
shooting upward again. Another in
stant and he had regained the surface
For a moment he threw himself upon
his back and floated as he endeavored
TO collect his thoughts and discover
into what stream he had been cast.
Gradually his eyes became accustomed
to the gloom and he was able to make
out his surroundings About him were
walls, low, gray, arched and Shiny,
and through this subterranean tunnel
the stream was rushing with the fury
of mountain torrent. A wave swept
over him and for a moment he was
dragged beneath the tide, but strug-
CLING to the surface again he threw
himself upon his side and began SWIM
ming vigorously. Beyond all question
he was in sewer of some kind, and
also beyond all question this sewer
must have its outlet into the sea. Were
the entrance Of this underground tor
rent free all might be we'll and good,
but suppose It were not? Suppose at
its further end he should find II
blocked by grating such as often
terminated the exits of such under
ground streams In that event he
must be drowned like a rat In a cage,
since no man could breast his way
against a torrent such as the one that
was sweeping him on. Helpless to
do more than guide himself he swan