Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-07-20
Copyright by Pathe Exchange, Inc.
CHAPTER XIV
DISPUTED Treasure

The rear Of the locomotive was
coming closer and closer TO the pros
trate torn Of Ruth Ranger. liner
suddenly the aviator revived him
self and saw the putting monster
bearing down toward his wrecked
plane. His eyes next fell on tnl
girl, and with mighty effort hl
dragged Ruth and himself from the
track.
But the motor of the plane was
Wedged between the rails and as tn,
engine crashed into it, it was de-
ralled from the track and plungeC
down an embankment. Maillnsor.
and the man Of mystery werl,
Whirled into yeritabIe Inferno OF.
broken machinery, burning Goals and
steam and dirt. Mallinson recov-
ereg! himself i'll a moment and saw,
Ruth staggering to her feet on the
embankment above. He managed
10 dr"g himself into some brush and
conceal himself.
When the smoke had cleared
Ruth and the aviator rushed down
the embankment Mallinson had
disappeared, but the man of mys-
terry was lying inert-aead ltuth
rolled him over and beheld the face
OF Denslow. AS she. rec6ued in.
horror, Che aviator discovered some
papers nearby which the girl recog-
nized as important doeum< IS coIR
corning the valley. .atsy ..
Ar tIaf rr1OTOar1+ +ha N0.trC t10v,, .
paper reporter, Dick Foster, ap-,
peared on the scene and offered t.
guide Ruth back to the secret head
quarters of Mallinson in Haunted
Valley. The girl supposed that her
enemy had also been killed with
Denslow, but at that moment NAL
llnson was actually making new
plans to outWit Ruth.
Meanwhile, Eugene Craig had
taken full charge of the control
ROOM After disconnecting all the
menacing devices, he turned his two
prisoners over to his mysterious col
leagues. Dinny was the next one
to appear on the scene with the old
SpanIard. The latter was greatly
interested in the control room, ana
with Dinny he looked the place over
from begnning 10 end. While they
were making their examination
Craig suddenly came upon som;
papers which seemed to interest anc
excite him. He said nothing about
them but quickly trust them in his
pocket
Mr.. Craig, take a look at tlisr
Young Craig turned and say
Dinny peering through the periscopc
affair. CHANGING through the glaSc
he beheld Ruth and Foster ridin, /,
through the valley, and Mallinso !
and Vivian Delamar coming fror
another direction. Craig's fir,
thought was that Ruth was in dan
ger, and he ran from the place t.
head off Mallinson.
But Ruth and Foster reached tn .
control room in safety and bot (
greeted Dinny warmly Ruth was.
amazed at the place and looked
around with keen interest, Will
Dinny enthusiastically showed he,
around. The next thing of interes.
was the periScope, but as Rut
gazed through, an exclamation o.
surprise escaped her lips She saw.
Craig, in the valley, approaching.
Mallinson and holding some paper
before her enemy. The girl was upse J
at the apparent proof of the com
plicity of the man she loved.
Her attention was directed from
the periscope to the old Spaniard
who was struggling under the weight
of heavy chest Then, turning tci
Ruth, he asked TO see the papers
she had recovered,
This MEANS" he said, chat the
underground river channels Of this
valley contain the richest single.
treasure in the world. You know,
four centuries ago, Spanish expedi-
tons came here looking for silver.
They found q metal resembling sill
yer, but after analyzing the samples,
discovered them to be quite worth
less, Two hundred years later, an
other expedition came, but a cave-in
killed all but one man. He returned
with the tale of vast deposits of rich
ore deposited in the labyrinth of
passages by rivers that once flowed
here"
Guiding them into passage
filled with stone, he continued
There are miles Of these passages,
and most OF them are nearly full OF
lie most precious metal we know
platinum"
You'll FGvc 70 excuse met
TX c';pio6od. "i'm going to hurry
1ck to nv pa9crl This Is the
-ca aat r'oey OF the age, and no
boaY'3 co : 70 hea: Ele 70 itt'