The daily Alaskan., 1920-11-13

in hell now. And your mother
 The fist that stabbed out of the win dow fell almost short, landing with a snap instead of crash, like a lash that can reach only so far. It stung the man on the point of the cheek and shot his head back.
 He staggered and threw up his hand 10 his face. His other hand involun- tarily dropped toward his hip. Well for him that it stopped before 1t got there. The Pearlhunter had snatched the revolver from under his blouse and held 1t just below the window ledge.
 The man on the outside backed away, his face stung to flame by the blow. He felt for his Knife; seemed to remember where he had left it-be- tween the ribs of a man. Anyhow, 1t would have been as useless as the re- volver. Noise precluded the use ot the one; walls and bars the other.
 "Td kill you." he retorted finally, hls tones steady. though strained, like the current that plays across the top of whirlpool. "on}y haven't time. There's flock of yellow curls and deyiltSh trim pair of ankles waitin for me down the road"
 He had so framed the taunt as to re- fleet on the girl his very thought dis honorrl. Without another word he turned and walked away.
 The Pcarlhuntcr seriously debated whether to shoot him dead and trust to fate for ,hc rest. The revolver crawlcd up over the window sill. He craSrpd one of thc harS to steady his hand. X start of surprise came to his face. The revolver went back below the wiuluw sill Thr har was loose.
 It was almost unbelievable. but 1t was sn. For som" reason or other it had not been fxcI very firmly in it's augpr hole Snckcts There was play heartrning amount of it-hctwr n the upper and lower NNgcr holes. Ills blood missed a beat; then leap.d the higher.
 He fammcd tho her into ;hc lawer sorknt. The bottom of tho hole was soft. The rain had probably routed It. He iamrucd thr bar again and the wood gave. He put an hi. strength to It. Each effort drove The bar little deep or: gave it.a 'ittl, more play at the top. If nn could only drive it far euourh ,n that 'nr tuu would clear, He was working like a wild man.
 Bearing town with an his strength, he rotated tho bar The tremendous cvcrriou opened tho cuts and scratches on his neck and breast until they blcd arrcSh. He jammrd the bar down again: bore upon it with all his strength: rotated it again and again. Less than hpIf am inch still held nt the top.
 His eycr'iunS brought thc sweat out upon his facc Another effort: tre- mcnGouS; to the last ounce of his power.
 His hands were li'.e f'rc-hut the bar cleared. IIr reri'1 move it tiny mite ro trn .'Gn Of 'hn upper aU"cr hole. The r'nnrauan was over ST little --hu- I r'.a~rN Eroring his knee a~afu~t rh" wall and grasntnG inc casc- maur wi,h his lift hand for anrNUra@r. he ben. .ud worked and twisted the har outward. <, lust. ny a final Su- prnmc nr"vo. 2 cleared 'he upper Ing. There rcmatrpI only 70 lift it out of the lower au.cr ho'".
 The Pcarrhur'er dropped back pant ingaud morno1 ihc sweat from his face with h:< sleeve. Tie effort had been tremendous.
 X miuuiA n get his breath; another spent in l'S,oring: and he worked the looSoNed end a little frcer; lifted ont the bar: craw'cd outside; put # back into plarp again. feeling about with his fingers to make sure there were no scars on rhr wood or bits of chips scrapcd loose, and stole away under the trees.
 It would probably bC quite imposSl- blc for the city-bred to appreciate fully the feelings or the PeGrlhunter at find ing thr breath of the open woods once more upon his face. The trees were like comrades in arms. The rough bark that covered their stout hearts actually felt friendly and good to his hands as he dartci like shadow from one to the other on his way out of the jail yard and up the sile of the bluff,
 Well knowing tbcre would he eyes on his trail in the morning, he dared not go directly to where his misgivings urged him. The sheriff he did not fear. To the sheriff he was still the nOtOri- ous Red Mask. To the mob that was sure 10 gather he would be the Red Mask. His escape, with lock and bolt untouched, would nwStlfy both mob and sheriff. They would ascribe it to the dread powers with which popular fancy had invested his name.
 But in the rabhIe that would curse and clamor about the old jail there would be one pair of eyes that the Iooseued bar would not escape; pair of eyes that would find it as sure as the morning came. and read the riddle at a glance. And they would be eyes caDable of finding a trail-and follow