The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1923-11-08

IRE, tldt gave US n CiidHCt.
81 see; the papers were all in your
possession not above d~octoring them
were yOu?"
What the hi Is that TO your
"Not a great deal to me, perhaps,
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 I knew
about all this, I imagine-well, I'm
going TO get to the very bottom Of II
before we are through. But just now
| want to use the two of you. Wen
find out between us just what Manuel
did have hidden away in this hole.
Line up there against the wall (; face
about the other way! 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.
| can't possibly miss you, and If you
make n move, except a. I tell you,
I'm going to let drive. Are you ready"
Ready for what?"
ITO do as I 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 slowly-Garrity. you keep your
hand IN the wall, and you, Meager,
take hold of Garrity's sleeve; now
don't forget If you do it's sure fatal.
Go on slow, a step at a time"
They advanced some ten or twelve
steps down an opening scarcely wide
enough for the two to pass abreast.
Kelleen's gaze wandering from the
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
the 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 il at arms length, above
a rough stone slab which half barred
the way.
HIS fire! Look there!" he cried
eXcitedly, almost dropping the light.
Clarity 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
TO gain a partial glimpse within. Mea-
ger started to climb over, but the
judge stood m~OtiOnless, breathing
hard, his hands gripped On the stone,
his eyes glaring about the oddly
shaped ROOM, probably originally a
cavern formed by water, but enlarged
by the efforts of men. The whole
apartment might have measured fif-
teen feet by ten, barely high enough
to stand erect in, the walls varicol-
cred and sparkling in the rays of the
uplifted 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 ex-
plosion. the entire end almost totally
covered. Protruding from this pile,
clearly revealed, now that Meager had
found footing inside, and held the
blazing wick higher, was the white,
CHASTITY skeleton Of a man, his bones
still covered with bits of ragged cloth.
Caught by a falling rock, he had been
pinned there helpless until he died.
The three men scarcely saw all this.
or gave 1t a thought, for there, imme-
diately in front, and all about them.
unarranged, scattered in heaps, lying
where they had been thrown care
lessly W. that outer barrier of rock,
rested the miscellaneous spoils Of a
thousand robberies, the sack of
churches and towns Jewels torn from
women's hands, silver and gold, rich
booty of crime from midnight raids.
and the burning Of cities-the hidden
treasures of old Manuel Gomez. 1t
was unbelievable. staggering. What
suffering. what death, what cruelty and
torture did these things picture. And
wealth-wealth! Whv could ever cal
culate its value? Bloodstained, crime
gorten, the fruits of fifty years of out
lawry, here was gathered in one vast
heap, wealth TO make the mind of man
helpless to grasp its value.
Clarity, digging his fingers frantl-
cally into the stone. unconscious Of
what he did, his eyes blazing with
sudden, uncomfortable madness,
dragged himself over the barrier. He
had lost all reason, all fear; with a
mad cry he gathered up into his arms
all that he could grasp-golden cruel
fix, chaliced goblet, a great silver link
glittering with pearls, a jeweled bodice
blazing in the light-laughed like a
ffend as lie. Rugged them close. then
staggered on in wild ecstasy. a string
Of oaths breaking from his lips.
Something tripped him and he, fell.
his arms flung blindly out a gripping
hand struck the lantern from Meager's
grasp, flinging it, still blazing, a half
dozen feet away. An instant there
was silence. a mere flicker Of light.
which shot along the floor as though
on a trail OF powder-then a glare and
roar, a blast Of flame, 4 report as II
a thousand cannon had exploded; and
utter darkness.
etc BE CoNrINUEDl