The Filer record. (Filer, Idaho) 1919-1930, 1923-10-25
-Aftsr n. older MsAs. :

were your"
"What the HI is that 70 your
: -Not a great deal to me. perhaps
7 but Of some importance to a couple OF
women know-one OF them a friend
Of mine. Old Tom Meager left an
: invalid widow, whom you fellows have
believe. robbed systematically, and
then there Is the girl Bob forced into
marriage. You didn't suppose knew
about all this. l lmagine-weli. I'm
going 10 get 10 the very bottom OF II
before we are through. But just now
I want TO use the two OF you. Wen
find out between Us just what Manuel
did have hidden away In this mole
Line up there against the wall; face
about the other wayi Now listen: I've
got both guns. my own, and the one
Clarity threw away: they are cooked
and within three feet Of your backs
I can't possibly miss you, and II you
make one move. except as I tell you.
Tn going 10 let drive. Are you ready"
Ready for whatr
ITO do as / order. All right, then;
light that lantern. Meager. Now
there is plenty Of light for me to see
you BY at this distance. Move for
ward sIowiy-Garrity you keep your
hand on the wall. and you, Meager,
take hold of Gsrrity's sleeve; now
don't forgeti " you do it's sure fatal
Go on slow. a step At 4 tuna"
They advanced some ten or twelve
steps down an opening scarcely wide
enough for the two to pass abreast.
kefieen's gaze wandering from tbs
backs Of his prisoners to the gray
walls on either side. The light flick
cred. yet revealed NO opening, until
they came TO the very end. and fronted
tire solid rock. Even then. for an In
slant. Kelleen failed to perceive the
narrow cleft to the left beside Meager.
but the latter, excited by the discov-
cry. thrust the suffering lantern for
ward. holding II at arms length. above
rough stone slab which half barred
the way.
"H-l's fret Look theref" he cried
excitedly. almost dropping the light.
Garrity craned his neck TO see. both |
men so Wild at the sudden discovery
as 10 lose all thought OF everything |
else. Even Kelleen, revolver in hand.
and fully awake to the danger Of his
position. pushed forward far enough
10 gain a partial glimpse within Mea-
ger started to climb over. but the
Judge stood motionless. breathing
hard. his hands gr1pped on the stone.
his eyes glaring about the oddly
shaped room. probably originally .
cavern formed by water. but enlarged
BY the efforts Of men The whole
apartment might have measured If
teen feet by ten barely high enough
10 stand erect n. the walls varicol-
ored and sparkling in the rays of thu
upiifted lantern. At the farther ex-
tremity lay a pile Of debris. scattered
rock and powdered stone. as though
resting Just as they fell after an en-
piosIon. the entire end almost totally
Protrldlng from this pile.
clearly revealed how that Meager had
'ound footing Inside. and held the
blazing wick higher. was the white.
yhastly skeletoa OF a man, his bones
'till covered Win bits OF ragged cloth.
Caught by failing rock. he had been
'inned there helpless until he died
The three msn scarcely saw all this
" gave IL a thought. for there. lmme-
lately In front. and all about them,
'narranged. scattered In heaps, lying
where they had been thrown care
essiy over that outer barrier Of rock,
ested the miscellaneous spells OF a
thousand robberies. the sack of
hurches and towns; Jewels torn from
hands. silver and gold. rich
ooty OF crime from midnight raids
nd the burning OF cities-the hidden
OF old Manuel Gomez. IL
Tas unbelievable. staggering What
nffering, what death. what cruelty and
,rture did these things picturef And
Who could even cal
nlste Its vaiue7 Bloodstsined. crime
often. the fruits OF fifty years OF out.
Iwry. here was gathered. In one vast
cap. wealth TO make the mind OF man
elplcss to grasp Its value.
Clarity. digging his fingers frsnti-
lily into the stone. unconscious OF
NAT ne olu. MS eye, blazing with
idden. nncontrollable madness
ragged himself over the barrier. He
sd lost all reason. all fear: with q
ad cry he gathered up into his arms
! that he could grasp-golden cruel
I. chaliced goblet. great silver lfnk
lttering with pearls. a jeweled bodice
axinx In the llght-laughed like .
nd as he Rugged them close. thc~
agxered on In Wild ecstasy. a strsns
osths breaking from his lir~l
'methlns trtpped him and he fell
= arms 1unx blindiy out: q gripping
md struck the lantern FROM Meager's
asp, itnxing Il. stili blazing. a halt.
sen feet away. An Instant therv
a. siieacs. . mere flicker OF light.
aich shot along the floor "a though
a trail Of powdsr-then = glare and
ar. a blast Of fam-. a report as n