Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1923-05-19

fore he answered: Its a darned
good thing they missed you. Those
men On top Of the boxes were there
TO protect them. I 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 q
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 it ended in clearing
a 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 strange in the darkness,
The road ends here. l have an idea
that this is where they got their load"
Currie had been peering through
the darkness as the flashes of Bart
leys light shot between the trees. 81
have fool idea, John" he said slow
~, that | know where we are"
You d02" came the eager response
yes. 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 1t. All there is left of 1t Is an old
vault and half a dozen stumbling
tombstones"
l was unable to see Bartley's face,
but his voice was eager.
"A vault! What kind?" he asked.
why" replied Currie, lust a
vault One of those things dug into
the side of a hill where dead bodies
are placed If l am right, there is a
small hill only few yards from
mere"
BARLEY turned and. flashing his
light on the ground, moved 1t slowly
hack and forth as he advanced. Hs
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, Currle," said Bart.
ley.
His light rested on the massive
wooden door of an old-fashloned
burial vault dug out Of the hillside
and fastened securely by a large lock.
As BARLEY examined 1t, he gave a
little whistle We'll, Currie, that may
be an old vault, and an old door but
the lock on 1t Is modern. II has been
placed there within a short time.
am going to open it."
With thin piece OF wire and a bit
Of steel. BARLEY picked the lock. then
flung the door open and turned his
fashlight into the darkness within.
think that Currie and myself both
held our breath as the light swept
back and forth over the walls aud
floor II disclosed nothing more star
Ting than a 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 a lantern on
box and lit it,
The vault was about twenty Eve
feet long and had been dug into tie
side Of th& hill, but the sides ana
roof were of stone Along the walls
were inches for collins, and these were
piled high, and the floor as well, with
hundreds of small boxes. The flame
OF the lantern fickered in a draft and
queer shadows danced on the walls,
while a musty, earthly smell rose hssf
cho6ingly. 1t was not the most pleas
ant place to be IN.
But BARLEY did not seem 10 mind It.
He stood in the center Of the floor.
CHANGING around the vault with such
an amused smile that l knew that
something had pleased him partlcu-
larly Suddenly he vent to the near
est box ripped off the cover, and drew
out q bottle. We crowded around him
as he removed the paper snd dis
closed the label Of a weI-known
brand Of imported whisky
That's what l expected" Barley
commented. I'VE know now what was
on that truck. Captain Lowe won't
have TO hunt any longer for the place
where they hide smuggled whisky