The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1923-02-09
OutoftheD Darkness

w q EHt III htt* a OaA
in utter disbelief. MY c.. why?"
BARLEY helped him to his feet ant
brushed the dirt from his clothes be
fore he answered: Its u darnet
good thing they missed you. Those
men on top Of the boxes were there
10 protect them. | wonder what was
In them"
BARLEY WIS anxious to learn what
that truck was doing In the woods,
and why the men OH II were so deter.
mined that no one should know what
they were carrying. that they were
willing to fire upon anyone who In
terfered. As we followed the tracks
with the aid of BartIey's pocket torch.
we saw that the wheels had sunk a
foot Into the sod in places. and that
more than n heavily loaded truck
had passed this way.
We followed the road for about half
a mile before II ended In u clearing.
n quarter of IN acre square
Barley examined the -four sides Of
the clearing carefully befure he came
back TO US and said. In u v0ice that
sounded strange in the darkness.
The road ends here. | have an idea
that this is where they got their load"
Currie had been peering through
the darkness as the flashes of Bart
ley's light shot between the trees. II
have a fool Idea. John" he said SLOW
~, that | know where we ure."
"You do?" came the eager response.
"ies. If am moi mistaken. we are
within a hundred yards of the old
cemetery that is on Sykes ground.
II must he over u hundred years old.
and was founded by the early settlers.
Several years ago Slyke showed me
the place. We had the devil of a time
reaching II. for there was no path
to II. All there is left of 1t Is IN old
vault and half a dozen stumbling
tombstones."
was unable to see Bartley's face.
but his voice was eager.
"A VAULT What kind?'' he asked.
why" replied Currie. Just a
vault. One of those things dug into
the side of a hill where dead bodies
are placed. If | am right. there is a
small hill only a few yards from
here"
Barley turned and. finishing his
light on the ground. moved 1t slowly
back and forth as he advanced. He
paused and bent to examine the
ground.
81 guess | ave IT," he called to us.
Here are footprints"
Without giving us time to examine
them. he went deeper into the woods
md we followed. Some fifty feet
from the clearing. the little path we
we're on ended abruptly In a small
"It's your vault. Currie." said Bart
ey.
His light rested on the massive
wooden door of nm old-fashioned
,urial vault dug out OF the hillside
md fastened securely by a large lock.
Barley examined II. he gave a
title whistle. "WeIl, Currie. tn ( may
'e an old vault. and an old door. but
he lock on II Is modern. Ii has been
'laced there within a short time. /
m going TO open It,"
With n thin piece of wire and a bit
{ steel. BARLEY picked the lock. then
Jung the door open and turned his
ashlight into the darkness within.
think that Currie and myself both
ED our breath as the light swept
ack and forth over the walls ard
DOR. II disclosed nothing more star
ing than a number ot boxes. similar
those we had seen on the truck,
lied one on the other against the
-alls. Ii was plain enough where the
rad heen gotten.
BARLEY led the way In and closed
le door behind us. Once more he
rept the vault with his torch. and
lis time we noticed u lantern on a
TX and lit II.
The vault was about twenty-five
'et long and mad been dug into the
de of the hill. hut the sides anu
'of were of stone. Along The walls
ere inches for collins. and these were
led high. and the rloor as well. with
indreds of small boxes. The flame
The lantern ilickered In a draft and
leer shadows danced on the walls,
lille II musty. earthly smell rose half
okingly. II was not the most pleas
place to he in.
But BARLEY did not seem to mind 1t.
? stood in the center of the floor. =
around the vault with such |
amused smile that | l;new that I
melting had pleased him particu- :
rly. Suddenly he went to the near
box. ripped of the cover. and drew I
I Il bottle. We crowded around him h
he removed the paper md dis 4
'Sed the label of n weIl-knDwn 4
md Of imported whisky.
what | expected." Bartley
nmented. 1--WE know now what was
that truck. CAPTAIN Lowe won't =,
We to hunt any longer for the place sp
ere they hide smuggled whisky" -
currie cried, "Why. It's Sykes -.
chauffeurl" ~,