The Winslow mail., 1924-06-20
a1nOndS
Malopo
by
VICTOR
ROUSSEAU
!
byV
upyRroHr ~ VIC cuApr1An

The structure was of brick, but there
the sun that the rains had hardly af-
fected it. Burning brands had lit on
it in half a dozen places.
AS Winton looked wildly about him
he caught sight of Sam going through
extraordinary antics He had began
to tear off his clothes as fast as he
was able, until he stood up bare to the
waist. In spite of their desperate sit
aation Winton was shocked at the
negro's action.
"Haye you gone mad, Sam?" he de-
manded angrily.
But Sam, not satisfied, snatched up
knife and began ripping off the legs
of his trousers at the knees. He
picked up the spear. The transforma-
ton was astounding. Sam Simpson
had evolved into one of the wild ne
groes of the compound.
The roof was blazing. There came
another rush against the door The
yells were Geafening. Winton caught
Sheila to him and tried to reassure
her in the brief interval of recharging
his revolver. But the girl was terror
stricken, and she could hardly hide
her fears. She clung to Winton,
trembling.
"The tunnel!" gasped Sam, drag
ging Winton by the arm.
And the thought of this had not en-
hn fA hod
stood over the hole ever since the
robbery. They pulled it aside. Be
meath it gaped the excavation.
"Get down, SAM" cried Winton as
the savages, believing that Winton
was cOwed, or had no more ammuni-
ton, made a concerted rush. The door
began to splinter.
Sam lowered himself, Winton swung
Sheila down and followed. He meant
to try and replace the safe from below,
but his feet had hardly touched the
soft earth before the door crashed
from its hinges. He dived after his
companions, and heard the mine boys
shouts of discovery. Their feet, which
seemed Immediately overhead, made
the walls of the tunnel tremble. Fine
dust from the conclusion set the three
to choking.
go on with Miss Sheila, Sam,"
whispered Winton.
He leveled his revolver along the
tunnel 1t was quite dark, bat IN
less his ears failed him it would be
impossible to miss his mark.
He heard the natives whispering to-
getherl above, and the sudden silence
made the tunnel eerier than ever.
They were at an immense disadvan-
tage, for it was impossible to hurl
spear within the narrow passage,
though one could be used for thrust
ing with deadly effect. But first the
thruster would have to assume a prone
position, and Winton knew that his
revolver would have thus several Sec
ondS' start of the spear.
He waited, hardly breathing, until
there came to his ears, very family,
the touch Of bare feet upon the
ground, followed by the suppressed
breathing Of man not far away.
One Of the negroes was evidently
at the bottom Of the excavation, but
the excavation Immediately beneath
the safe was wider than the tunnel
itself, and a projecting angle of soft
earth afforded shelter. The manor
mcknight therefore be out Of the
direct line Of fire. Winton drew q
match softly from his pocket and
struck 1t suddenly along the side Of
his revolver butt. The little faring
light revealed the white eyeballs and
peering face of one Of the savages,
not dozen feet distant. Another
face was looking over the shoulder.
Everything above was deathly still.
The mans arm was drawn back, the
spear, with a murderous shovel-blade,
held ready to thrust Winton fired
point-blank into the open mouth.
The match went out simultaneously
with the discharge. There followed
choking cry and the sound Of blood
bubbling from the throat. An out
burst of yells from above rolled in
hideous echo along the tunnel. The
scrambling back like mole, but Win
ton fired again and heard the shuff1ing
stop, as II the bullet had been instan-
taneously fatal. A shower of earth
came rattling down.
And now the faint, reflected flare
that came into the tunnel, and the
roaring from above told Winton that
the cottage was ablaze The sounds
OF shouting grew fainter The negroes
must have been driven out by fire.
Winton raised the body of the man
nearest him and set it in the tunnel
in such way that it formed an OBJ
stacle to anyone approaching from
the rear. He would hear the sound of
its dislo6gment if the attack were
renewed
But the SaVages had had enough of
the tunnel Winton loaded his re-
volver with his last handful of car