The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-07-24
How Madge United Her Bonds and Pre-
pared to Defend Herself.

| pared TO DeTend HeFSen.
| I waited only until the sound of Mime.
Hofer's footsteps had died away at the
foot OF the stairs before beginning the
| attempt to free myself from the cords
binding my wrists and ankles. There was
| no time to be frittered away, / realized
! that.
TIL giant called "Otto' had conceived
the aidea that / was too dangerous to
keep alive even until the arrival of the
man with the SCARED hand. He wanted
| me to be put out of the way at once, and
| knew that he would kill me with as lit
| tie conjunction as he would trample
upon an insect. Indeed, if 1 read his type
Alright he would probably carefully avoid
| treading upon the insect because of the
strain of sickly sentimentalism often
found in his particular brand of Teutonic
mind.
That he possessed the stubbornness of
his type I could easily read. and | was
sure that even in the face of the ferret
faced youths prohibition he would make
an opportunity to attempt my life.
But thanks to Nine. Hofer's strange
within, he would find me free of my bonds
and armed for my own defence instead
of being helpless victim ready for the
shambles.
With infinite caution to avoid any
creaking of the couch upon which I had
been laid, I rolled to my side and then
slowly. muscle by muscle, raised myself
to a sitting posture. The excitement and
strain of the effort almost made me for
get the pain of the gag which Nine. Ho-
fer had thrust into my mouth, but when
I was finally seated on the side of the
couhc, my feet once more upon the floor,
I realized that my first effort must be
directed toward the horrible thing which
stretched my Jaws apart.
Madse Is Ready.
raised my bound hands over my head
and back to my neck, rejoicing that I |
had never neglected the daily exercises |
which keep my muscles fit and my fin |
gers supple found the removal of the |
gag child's play even with my wrists |
bound The knot with which Nine. Ho- |
fer had fastened it was an absurdly SIM
pie one.
Then I attacked the wrist bonds with /
my teeth, first examining the knots care
fully and finding the same painstaking
lack of care on the part of the strange
woman who had tied me up 1t was
easy to free my wrists.
so to unIoosen my angles, and
then I was able to take my cloak and
dress the objects Nine. Hofer had thrust
within them.
A small loaded pistol and a skeleton
key!
/ felt warm surge of gratitude to the
woman who had thus risked her own lifei
for me- even though her reason for doing
so was my real or fancied resemblance
10 some one she had loved and lost. Be
cause of her I didn't dare to rise from
the couch and explore the room. 1 must
make no movement that would direct
suspicion to my room, and thence upon
her until after / was sure that she was
oeyond the reach of her comrades ven
yeance.
Torturing as the inaction was, I rea-
lied that I must lie quietly for hours
perhaps. Stimulating the gagging and
russing which Otto's eyes had declared
satisfactorily done But I found abun-
liant occupation in arranging my bonds
gain and again, so that at the sound of
footstep I could quickly tuck the gag
n my mouth and lay the bonds loosely
,ver-not around-my ankles and wrists
n such q manner as to deceive any one
s far as the door. And just beneath myi
light hand was. the pistol. little bigger
han a toy, which / grimly resolved toI
se IL it was necessary for me to do so
he key had concealed again in myl
ress.
/ was perhaps two hours after Nine.
Iofer had left me. hours in which I had