The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1923-05-09
OutoftheD Darkness

"Took a shot at me?" cried Currie
in utter disbelief. my c., why?"
BARLEY helped him to his feet and
fore he answered: "'It's darned
good thing they missed you. Those
men on top of the boxes were there
to protect them. / wonder what was
in them"
BARLEY was anxious to learn what
that truck was doing In the woods,
and why the men on it 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 Bartley's pocket torch,
we saw that the wheels had sunk a
foot into the sod in places, and that
more than one heavily loaded truck
had passed this way.
| We followed the road for about half
| a mile before 1t ended in a clearing,
| quarter of an acre square.
BARLEY examined the four sides Of
| the clearing carefully before he came
back to us and said, in voice that
sounded stranges in the darkness,
1.-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. 81
have fool idea, John" he said slow
ly, that 1 know where we are"
'You do?" came the eager response.
eyes. If l am not mistaken, we are
within a hundred yards of the old
cemetery that is on Sykes ground.
1t must be over a 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 1t, for there was no path
to it. All there is left Of 1t is an old
vault and half a dozen stumbling
tombstones"
1 was unable to see Bartley's face,
but his voice was eager
"a vault What kindY' he asked.
"Why," replied Currie, "just a
vault. One of those things dug Into
the side of hill where dead bodies
are placed. If am right, there is a
small hill only few yards from
here"
BARLEY turned and. flashing his
light on the ground, moved it slowly
back and forth as he advanced. He
paused and bent to examine the
ground.
81 guess have It," he called to us.
Here are footprints"
Without giving US time to examine
them, he went deeper into the woods.
and we followed. Some fifty feet
from the clearing, the little path we
were on ended abruptly In a small
mound.
"It's your vault, Currie," said Bart
ley.
His light rested on the massive
wooden door Of an old-fashioned
burial vault dug out Of the hillside
and fastened securely by large lock.
AS BARLEY examined it, he gave
little whistle. "Well, Currie, th1t may
be an old vault, and an old door, but
the lock on it is modern. 1t has been
placed there within a short time. I
am going to open it."
With a thin piece Of wire and a bit
of steel, BARLEY picked the lock, then
flung the door open and turned his
flashlight into the darkness within
1 think that Currie and myself both
held our breath as the light swept
back and forth over the walls and
floor 1t disclosed nothing more star
ting than number Of boxes, similar
to those we had seen on the truck,
piled one on the other against the
walls. 1t was plain enough where the
load had been gotten.
BARLEY led the way In and closed |
the door behind US. Once more he |
swept the vault with his torch, and |
this time we noticed q lantern on a
box and lit 1t.
The vault was about twenty-five
feet long and had been dug into the
side of the hill, but the sides anu
roof were of stone. Along the walls
we're inches for collins, and these were
piled high, and the floor as well, with
hundreds of small boxes. The flame
If the lantern fiickered in a draft and
queer shadows danced on the walls,
While musty, earthly smell rose half
'hokingly. 1t was not the most pleas
mt place to be in.
But BARLEY did not seem to mind it.
lie stood in the center of the floor.
dancing around the vault with such
n amused smile that 1 knew that
had pleased him particu-
arly. Suddenly he went to the near
st box, ripped off the cover, and drew
ut bottle. We crowded around him
S he removed the paper and dis
osed the label of well-known
rand of imported whisky.
That's what 1 expected" BARLEY
1--WE know now what was
\ that truck. Captain Lowe won't
ave to hunt any longer for the place
here they hide struggled whisky"
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