The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1922-06-02

/ police. He climbed the ladder. pushed
his way through the trapdoor opening
and breathed deeply of the night air
But he had no time to lose. AL
ready he could hear the trampling OF
feet up the stairs to the second story
Lightly he vaulted the wall and
came to the roof door leading dowr
to number 1913. He found 1t latched
The caves Of the roof projected SO
far that he could not from there ge:
hold on the window castings below.
He made vain circuit of the roof
then passed to the next house.
Again he was out of luck. The ten
ants had made safe the entrance
against providers of the night. He
knew that at any moment now the po-
lice might appear In pursuit of him.
There was no time 20 lose.
| He crossed to the last house in the
block-and found himself barred out
AS he rose from his knees he heard
the voices of men clambering through
the scuttle to the roof At the same
| time he saw that which brought him
] to instant action. II was a rope clothes
line which ran from post to post. dan
Cling from one corner OF the building
to another and back to the opposite
one.
No man In Manhattan's millions
knew the value of a rope or could
handle one more expertly than this
cattleman. His knife was open be-
fore he had reached the nearest post.
One strong slash of the blade severed
1t. In six long strides he was at the
second post unwinding the line. He
used his knife a second time at the
third post.
With def motions Clay worked
swiftly. He was fastening the rope
to the chimney of the house. Every
instant be expected to hear voice
raised in excited discovery of him
crouched in the shadows. But his
fingers were as sure and as steady as
though he had minutes before him in
stead of seconds.
There's the guy-over by the Chin
ney."
Clay threw the slack of the line from
the roof. He had no time to test the
strength of the rope nor its length.
AS the police rushed him he slid over
the edge and began to lower himself
hand under hand.
The wide caves protected him. A
man would have to hang out from
the wall above the ledge to see him. |
Clay's eyes were on the gutter above |
while he jerked his way down a foot |
at time. face and part Of body |
swung out into sight
We've got yuh.- Come back. or I'll |
shoot" voice called down.
A revolver showed against the black |
sky
The man from Arizona did not an
swer and did not stop. He knew that
from above is an art that few
men have acquired.
A bullet sang past his ear just as he
swung in and crouched on the window
sill. Another one hit the bricks close
10 his head
The firing stepped. A pair of uni
'ormed legs appeared dangling from
he caves. A body and a head fol-
owed these. They began to descend
erlsily
Clay took turn at the gnn-play.
lie fired his revolver into the air. The
'pasmodic jerking of the blue~legs
abruptly ceased.
"Yuh'd better give up quietly. We're
,ound to get yuh." an officer shouted
rom the roof by way of parIey.
The cattleman did not answer ex-
.ept by the smashing of glass. He had
orced his way into two houses within
he past hour. He was now busy
'reaking into third. The window had
Iot yielded to pressure. Therefore he
vas knocking ont the glass with the
utt OF his revolver.
He crawled through the opening
ust as some one sat up In bed with
frightened exclamation.
"Who- is--s-s-s it," masculine
dice asked teeth chattering.
Clay had no time to crafty idle
He ran through The room.
cached the head Of the stairs and
rent down on the banister to the first
DOR. He fled back to the rear OF the
ouse and stole out by the Kitchen
oor.
The darkness of the alley swallowed
i'm. but he could still hear the shouts
the men on the roof and answering
mes from new arrivals below.
Five minutes later he was on board
street ear. lie was not at all par
cular as 70 its destination. He want :
to be anywhere but here. This
was getting entirely too
rtiye for him.