Evening star., 1941-06-29

QlQQ 90 lHJO Tile GIeen FdTTOL ll'
the first place. If had only :"
He fell to muttering, his voice bit
ter and strained by the knowledge
of what was to happen.
Janielle encouraged him. mo,
father. It's not your fault We did
what we had to. This was going to
happen if We were caught. We all
knew that"
Locke was listening, but from a
great distance His mind was ac-
tive. alert. He twisted his head,
looking around the shack. There
was nothing in it except the chairs
and a rude couch and a table Out
side, darkness had blotted out
everything except the huge, gloomy
lengths of the pine trees. Locke
could barely see them through the
dirty windows. Inside, the light
from the kerosene lamp cast an
eerie glow about the room. Locke
could feel the slight heat from the
flame lick against the back of his
neck.
He twisted the ropes which bound
him. Fretfully he lashed about and
then he managed to grasp an end
that was hanging above his right
wrist. The rope wasn't thick. No
larger than ordinary clothesline.
No! 1t wasn't thick. He almost
yelled that discovery aloud. Then
the other, completing thought
flashed through his mind, staying
with him, pricking his senses into
sharp focus. The lamp! The flame
in the lamp
Trial by Fire.
Locke turned his head. The wick
was high and black curlS of smoke
were twisting up through the smoky,
glass chimney. If he could get the
rope which bound him into that hot
flame, he could burn himself loose!
He heaved his huge shoulders
then, in a hard surge of movement
that strained the muscles in his
back His hands came up on a level
with the table and then over the
top; his armpits slipped over the
edges of the chair, making maneu-
verability easier.
Locke WINGED involuntarily at the
thought of the fire. He would burn
himself severely. He knew that.
His painting career would be lost, he
thought desperately. He would never
be able to hold brush in his
hands again. The promise of fame
that had been his would vanish
Then another thought made Locke
grin mirthlessly. His hands
wouldn't be of any use TO himself
if he was dead; and that was a
certainty within the hour if he
didn't loose his bonds now.
Locke pulled his hands up far
ther and with two fingers he pried
at the base of the lamp chimney.
He could only use one hand and
he had TO hold down the oil res
ervoir. But that was enough. He
groaned aloud then as the fire
scared into his skin. He made a
desperate jab and the lamp CHM
ney fell over on the table and rolled
to the edge, lowering uncertainty.
But it did not drop to the floor.
Jan Cries Out.
Janielle cried out, Jim! What
are you doing? Jim, darling!" Her
voice choked suddenly when she
realized what Locke intended.
Locke grated out, pain threading
into his words. Keep quiet! Tell
me If you hear any one coming!"
Xavier Merrill growled, You can
do it, Jim. Go ahead, there's no
one near"
Locke grimaced tightly as the
flame touched his wrists He could
hear his own flesh sizzle. He
yanked his hands away. The smell
of burning rope and scared flesh
filled the room. Locke ground his
teeth and pushed his wrists back
above the flame This time he was
more fortunate. The flame caught
the rope on the outside of his
wrists. Locke could feel the sweat
pouring from his forehead and
down his eyes. from his back
and down into his legs. His body
became a living fountain of water
as the flame scared through his
bonds. Locke ground his teeth and