The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1923-11-01

and there IA nothing he could do but
stand and let them pass.
The two men had turned the sharI
corner. the slight sound Of their move.
ments c~easing TO reach his ears. Then
the faint glow OF n match reflected
along the rock wall. the silence broken
by Meager's voice
There's the lantern. Juan-in that
niche, see. Here. turn up the wick
The fame frightened suddenly. bur
the outer tunnel yet remained black
| Only in the distance the light fickered
along the walls. casting weird shad-
ows. One Of the men evidently held
the lantern up, peering about curi.
Ously.
He's not here. senor: where's the
old devil, anyhow"
They moved forward with the light
and Kelleen. all fear swiftly lost in
his Intense interest, crept on to the
curve I'm the tunnel. from which point
he could see their dim shadows. Behind
him hut unnoticed, daylight began to be
visible through the mantle of vines con.
cealing the entrance. The dark figure on
the floor assumed vague outline. The
two men in the lantern glow came tn
a halt, thrusting the light forward,
peering al the object which had at
tracted them. The Mexican identified
IL first in a sudden cry.
ms a body, a dead man." he ex-
claimed. "Ie has been killed
Manuel I"
Meager held back, the coward grip
ping him, but Sanchez bore the Ian
tern forward, desperate to learn the
truth. His startled voice came down
the passage.
Ills not Gomez" he cried, land no
face ! ever saw before. Perhaps you
know the MANI"
"NO; but there has peer a fight. or
a murder-See, he has been shot and
in the back. by Cd! Gomez must
have done this job. But what has
become of the old devil? And who
was this kid? What was he doing
here? See If there is anything in his
pocket, Juan. Give me the lantern.'
lie held il up, as the Mexican
dropped to his knees. and began 10
rummage through the dead mans
clothes. The increasing daylight Of
the desert found entrance far above.
and stole down the narrow passage in
a faint, CHASTITY glimmer. which only
added to the ghastlinesS of the scene.
The strain was TOO much for Meager's
nerves, and he swore gruflly.
Come on" he said fiercely bring
the light. Wen search every inch of
this id hole"
kelleen turn ed, his first impulse
being To escape. 10 rush toward that
dim glinimer of light now plainly
marking the cave entrance. Yet the
futility of such an effort came to him
instantly. There was n better way
than that. and he whiried back TO face
them, as the two came cautiously for
ward, the glow of the lantern glimmer-
Ing like a red star. The hand with
the weapon in IL fell to a level and he
fired, the glass pickering into a thou
sand pieces. the light instantly extin-
guished
Kelleen's plan Of action had formed
swiftly in his mind. He bad a giim-
mering of what this conspiracy meant,
hut must learn more Only one
method was possible-a confession
from Bob Meager. The real secret of
this tunnel. was in his possession. now
that Manuel Gomez was dead. He
must be made to talk.
The advantages in this
were altogether on his side. lie knew
them, wnere they were: they possessed
no knowledge of his exact position.
who he was. or whether they faced
n opponent or o dozen. They had
been taken completely by surprise.
startled by the sudden attack, con
fused in the darkness. He had both
of them absolutely at his mercy.
The silence was intense after that
first startled second There was no
movement. not even the sound of
tionleSs. crouched hack against the
wall. peering into the biackness from
whence that tongue or flame had
leaped into their very faces, yet re-
vealing nothing. They could neither
thinf nor act. Who had hred-Manuel
Gomez? some enemy who had trapped
them? We're they facing one man. or
a dozen? Into what had they blindly
walked? Confident of his own safety.
realizing that he had the whip hand,
Kelleen smiled grimly, every nerve
tense, his revolver poised. The situa-
ton pleased him.
drop your ms both Of You" he
commanded sternly. Quick now I've
got you against the light"
"Who the H..
"Stop that! Drop them. or I shoot
something besides a lantern. It's a
hair trigger I'm playing with"
He heard hoth weapons fall to the
floor. Meager cursing lmpotently. hut
the Mexican silent. Kelleen laughed.
kick them away from you-that's
right, Not had fellows when properly
handled. ! see. Now up with your
hands. and back against the wall
there"
lie could o src me reiiows. moi So
much as an outline Of them. y@ knew
they oheyed the order. II was n blur
which worked because they half he
$3.50 -.