Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1935-06-06

WudI lett IKE d DTlCk uOOT, lllc lcdlucAy
mass about him having broken his fall.
He knew that he had one chance of
life-he counted the seconds of time
which remained to him. :.
If this pit should prove to be iden-
teal with that which he had known In
Singapore, there was still hope-pro-
vided he could hold his breath so long.
One inhalation, he knew, would be
fatal
Standing upright in the fluffy mass
which enveloped him, he visualized his
position. Twelve seconds had elasped.
And since he had not inhaled deeply,
as for dive, his time was short. He
stepped back pace, touched the wall,
CROPPED along it to the left, and knew
that he was under the trap, reached
the angle, CROPPED further and
touched the rung of wooden ladder!
He swung right, placed his feet upon
the rungs, and began to mount.
Five rungs he mounted and seemed
to be free of the damnable feathers.
Higher yet, cautiously. His head
breath he felt about with his left hand.
His lungs were bursting. 1t was agony
to hold out.
He looked up-and saw faint CLEAN
of light through chink in the wood
work above. *. Raising his face
towards it, he began slowly to inhale.
The scent of the drug impregnating the
feathers was nauseating, but the air
was just breathable. He half filled his
lungs. He knew that death must come
at last, if he was forced to remain in
that atmosphere. But, at least, he
had survived.
Came soft footsteps on the floor i'm
mediately above his head.
Jack Rattray, the first officer, walked
out of his cabin onto the boat deck.
1t was a perfect evening The tur-
quoise blue waters of Lake Timsah
mirrored an azure sky. He walked
forward, and stared out across the
bows of the ship to where Ismailia
guarded the uesart. Behind him the
radio cracked.
An operator came out to look for
him. Rattray stared grayely at the
message he brought.
'What shall l do about it?" asked
the Marconi man. 81 know Mr.. Kear-
ney is a friend of yours. It's rather
awful to think he doesn't know what.
happened"
Poor old Matt" muttered Rattray.
1--WE been expecting this any moment"
He looked up. 81 suppose there's no
news?"
None whatever, Mr.. Rattray, about
either of them"
Jack Rattray, staring hard at the
flimsy, suddenly looked up. Il may be
wrong" he admitted, "but honestly, if
I'd been in the Old Mans shoes, I'd
have showed Doctor Oestler ashore at
Port Said, or else chucked him into the
Canal! They were both old
friends of mine-what the devil can we
answer? After all, there's still
chance she may be discovered. Can't
we sort of break the news gently?"
WELL" said the Marconi man, 81
might reply, Miss Kearney went ashore
at Port Said. Advise communicate
agents-or something Of that sort"
"That'll do" said Rattray Hes
sure to send a message to me when he
gets it. In the meantime, | shall have
to think how I'm going to reply. But
don't be surprised, my lad, if you hear
the sound of loud splash in the Red
sea. It'll only be Doctor Oestler.'
Dawson Haig had heard every word
of the conversation between Mo
manned and Joseph. 1t had been con
Quoted directly above his head, as he
crouched below the trap. Since he
knew no eastern tongue, he was CRATE.
full to both for speaking English.
The creaky tones of old Mohammed
were unmistakable. Mohammed was
the proprietor. And he suspected Jo-
seph to be none other than the fortune
teller whom he had followed ashore.
Later, he was to consider this matter
of language again-more coolly: the
curious circumstance that these two
did not address each other in Arabic.
1t was destined to play a big part in
his lone campaign against the powers
of Yuan Hee See.
He detected the presence of Joseph
as he knelt above the trap, listening.
:. he heard his retreating foot
steps, Then he inhaled again. cautiGus.
ly, and standing there in that drug
laden pit, thought hard and swiftly.
The light shining through the chink
| aided his calculations that the hinged
end of the trap was to his left, and
that which opened, to his right. There
was no ring on the underside but ne
was not defeated. He carried pocket
knife which was kind of small ar
mory, containing amongst its arma-
ments strong corkscrew. 1t was pitt
fully short, but since it represented