The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1921-11-04


full, convulsive heave the German
jerked himself free, and fell doubled
up on the floor. Fascinated, they
watched him writing and twisting,
until at last, he lay still. -. The
Boche was dead. -.
"What was that blow-pipe AFFAIR."
cried Sinclair hoarsely.
1.-THE thing they tried to finish me
with in Paris last night" answered
Hugh grimly, taking a knife out Of his
waistcoat pocket. "Let us trust that
none of his pals come in to look for
him."
A minute later he stood up, only to
sit down again abruptly, as his legs
gave way. They were numbed and
stiff with the hours he had spent in the
same position, and for a while he could
do nothing but rub them with his
hands, till the blood returned and he
could feel once more.
Then, slowly and painfully, he tot
tered across to the others and set them
free as well. They were in an even
worse condition than he had been
and it seemed as if Algy would never
be able to stand again, so completely
dead was his body from the waist
downwards. But, at length, after what
seemed an eternity to Drummond, who
realized only too well that should the
gang come in they were almost as help
less in their present condition as if
they were still bound in their chairs
the other two recovered.
"All fit now? Goodi We've got tc
think what we're going to do, for we're
not out of the wood yet by two OF
three miles,"
Lets get the door open," remarked
Algy, "and explore"
Cautiously they swung 1t open, and
stood m~otionless. The house was in
absolute silence; the hall was de
serted.
Switch out the light" whispered
Hugh. well wander round"
They crept forward stealthily in the
darkness, stopping every now and then
to listen. But no sound came to their
ears; it might have been a house OF
the dead.
Suddenly Drummond, who was in
front Of the other two, stopped with q
warning hiss. A light was streaming
out from under a door at the end of a
passage and, as they stood watching
it, they heard a mans voice coming
from the same room. Some one else
answered him and then there was
silence once more.
At length Hugh moved forward
again, and the others followed. And
it was not until they got quite close tC
the door that a strange, continuous
noise began to be noticeable-a noise
which came most distinctly from the
lighted room. 1t rose and fell with
monotonous regularity; at times it re.
sembled a brass band-at others il
died away to a gentle murmur. And
occasionally it was punctuated with a
strangled snort.
"Great Scott!" muttered Hugh ex-
citedly, 'the whole boiling bunch are
asleep, or I'll eat my hat"
"Then who was it Spoken" said Algy
"At least two Of 'em are awake. right
enough"
And, as If in answer to his question
there came the voice again from in
side the room.
oval, MI. Darrell, I guess we can
pass on, and leave this bunch"
With one laugh of joyful amazement
Hugh flung open the door, and found
himself looking from the range of
yard into two revolvers.
81 don't know how you've done it
boys" he remarked, 'but you can put
those guns away. / hate looking al
them from that end"
"What the devil have they done te
all your dials?" said Darrell, slowly
lowering his arm.
"Well leave that for the time," re
turned Hugh grimly, as he shut the
door. ''There are other more pressing
matters to be discussed"
He glanced round the room, and g
slow grin spread over his face. There
were some twenty of the gang, all OF
them fast asleep. They sprawled gro
tesquely over the table, they lolled in
chairs they lay on the floor, they hud
died in n And, without excep.
ton, they snored and snorted.
"a dandy BUNCH" remarked the
American, gazing at them with salts
faction. Then he turned to Drum
mond. "Say now, Captain, we've got
a lorry load of the boys outside; your
friend here thought we'd better bring
'em along. So it's up to you to gel
busy"
"Mullings and his crowd" said Oar
rell, seeing the look Of justification or
Hugh's face.
For a few moments Drummond
stood, deep in thought; then once
again the grin spread slowly over his
face. sect the boys in, Peter; and
get these Jumps of meat carted out to
the lorry. And, while you do it, we'll
go upstairs and mop up"
THREE.
Even in his widest dreams Hugh
had never imagined such a wonderful
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