Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-07-12
CHAPTER vnl.
An diminished Game Of Cards.


holding out. He answered cheerfully
that they would last another week and
leave US enough 20 get home.
swell. shall we stick out the other
week or not. Tomf / don't want to
kill you. and confess I'm nearly all
ia myself
"AIay as well stick 1t out, sur, now
we've gone so far. Then wen have
done all We can, and there's a certain
satisfaction In doing that, sar."
So next morning we went at n
again, and the next. and the next
again, and then on the fourth day.
when our week was drawing to its
close, something at last happened to
change the grim mOnotony of our days.
It was shortly after the lunch hour.
Tom and J. who were now working too
far apart 10 hear each others halloos,
had fired our reyolyers once or twice
TO show that all was right with us.
But, for no reason can give, | sud
denly got a feeling that all was not
right with the old man. so I fired my
revolver and gave him time for a re
ply. But there was no answer Again
! fired. Still no answer. was on the
point OF firing again when heard
something coming through the brush
behind me. II was Sailor racing
toward me over the jagged rocks.
Evidently there was something wrong.
Something wrong with old Tom.
Sallorf" | asked, as though he could
answer me. Aud indeed he did answer
US plainly as dog could do, wagging
his tail and whining and turning 10 20
back with me IN the direction whence
he had come.
ION we go, then, old chap and as
he ran ahead, followed him as fast
as could.
Il took me the best part Of an hour
to get to where Tom had been work.
ing. Sailor brushed his way ahead.
pushing through the scrub with canine
Importance. Presently, at The top Of
4 slight elevation I came among the
bushes TO a softer spot where the soil
had given way, and saw that II was
the mouth of a shaft like wide CHM
ney flue, the earth Of which had evil
IDENTIFY fallen Ia. Here Sailor stopped
and whned, paving the earth, and atl
the same time heard a moaning un.
dvrneath,
rs that you, TomT | called. Thank
,lod, the old chap was not dead at all
events.
"'rhank the Lord It's you, sar" he
cried "Im all right but I've had a
bad faII--and | can't seem able to
move"
Hold on and keep up your heart
IN be with you In u minute called
down to him.
Mind yourself, sar," he called cheer.
iIy, and indeed II was a problem TO get
down to him without preclpltatlng the
loose earth and roek that We're ready
TO make a landslide down the hole, and
perhaps bury him forever
But, looking about. found another
natural tunnel In the side OF the hill.
Into this was able 10 worm myself,
and In the dim light found the old man
and put my flask to his lips.
Anything broken do you thlnkT
Tom didn't think so. He had evil
IDENTIFY been stunned by his fall, and
another pull at my flask set him on
his feet. But as helped him up and,
striking a light, we began to look
around the hole he had tumbled into,
he gave piercing shrek and fell on
his knees, jabberlng with fear.
"The ghosisl the ghosts" he
screamed
And the sight TINT met our eyes was
certainly one TO try the nerves. Two
figures sat at lable-one with his
hat Tilted slightly and one leaning side
ways IN his chair IN careless sort OF
attitude. They seeemed 20 be playing
cards. and they we're strangely white
for they were skeletons.
stood hushed. while Toms teeth
ratified az my side. The fantastic awe
oi the thing was beyond telling. And
then. not without quaim or two,
which would be liar to deny, went
and stood nearer 10 them. Nearly all
their clothes had fallen away. hanging
but IN shfeds here aud there. That
the hat had so jaunilly kept its place
was one Of those grim touches Death
that terrible humorlst, loves 10 add q
his Iests. The cards which had ap
parently just been dealt. had suffered
scarcely from decay--only a little dir
had slfled down upon them, As II hat
into the rum glasses that stood, too
~ each mans side And as | lookes
At the skeleton iuuntlly facing me.
noticed that a bullet hole had beeI
made as clean IS II By a drill IN hi
f0rehead Of bone-while. turning 4
examine more closely rs silent part
ncr. / noticed q rusty Sailors knit
hanging from The ribs where The lung
had been. Then ! looked on the foo
and found the key to the whole stof,