The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-01-17
szS KID lis96
By MEDORA FIELD

see which one of the combatants
had been shot.
"All right, Buddy" I heard
Spike say hoarsely. Didn't mean
to do it, but you asked for it. Well,
you and the old man can stay
here and rot together. I'll corne
back and get the dough when the
place is clear" Only q groan an
swered him"
where's that damn flashlight?"
Spike grunted. Guess it broke
when it fell. All :" A long sigh
of satisfaction and a scratching
sound seemed to indicate that he
had found matches in his pocket,
then above the screen was the
sickly glow of a feeble light.
want to make you present,
Buddy" said Spike throatily, lust
in case they ever find you. Gonna
let it look like suicide. Sweet of
me, amt it? Well, / amt so keen
about runnin' into the cops with
the wrong gun on me at place
like this. Not under all the cir
cumstances." Heavy breathing and
fumbling sounds made it all too
easy to imagine what must be TAX
ing place on the other side of the
screen.
"All set now," Spike said final
ly, muttering a curse as his light
died out. Last one l had. HoW'm
/ gonna find that damn trick door
catch in the dark? May have to
wait while, anyway, if the cops
are too plentiful"
Spike shuffied through the door,
evidently feeling his way. ! was
shaking from head to foot. but !
knew what I must do. waited
until he reached the steps, then !
dashed around the screen with my
fiashlight and, averting my eyes
from that figure on the floor, /
grabbed up the gun and was be-
hind Spike in flash.
Capture
HANDS up" l ordered. 1--WE
L L got you covered" Perhaps, /
had learned that from the movies,
but it must have sounded convinc-
ing, for with the flashlight trained
on him / could see Spikes hands
waver slowly upward, while he
swore beneath his breath. Thank
heaven, / was able to hold that
flash fairly steady too.
"All right" / said, "go on. Open
that door, but keep your hands
up"
HELL" he growled, "how'm I
gonna keep EN- up and open the
door,"
Perhaps he was not assembling,
but wasn't trusting. Zone little
move the wrong way" I warned,
land it will be good night for you"
Watching closely in order that
/ might note the location of the
trap-door spring, as well as any
false move oh his part, l man
aged to keep both the flash and
the gun trained on him without
undue wavering. A lever off ;. to
the right apparently controlled
the action of the door, for with his
hands still above his head Spike
reached out and grasped it. No
doubt, in my wild grabbing as /
fell, had touched that lever and
thus closed the door behind me-
The trap door was opening.
Now ! had my greatest danger to
face. Walking up the stairs behind
him as | was, it would be easy for
him to turn and rush me. Or with
equal facility, once he was on the
landing above, he could close the
door in my face and make dash
for it.
"All right" I ordered, when
was halfway up the steps,
march" Unconsciously / was
handing back to him the words he
had used only a few minutes be-
fore in the secret room.
1t seemed to me that he hurried
just little more than was neces-
sary. Perhaps it was only that l
myself was pretty near the break
ing point. Anyway, | turned loose
and fired a shot off to his right.
Let him run now, if he chose.
Let him shut the door behind him.
That shot would bring others run
ming.
He let out an unearthly yell as
the bullet whizzed past, a yell that
met and mingled with another
that was also like nothing | had
ever heard before a strange,
blood-curdling, atavistic cry that
could have come only from the
wild heart of Africa.
As my head emerged above the
opening | could hear Andrew.
even before could see him.
Don't shoot no mo-. Miss Sallyf"
he screamed, his voice full of saw
age exultation. Il got my razor
on him."
Doors were opening. Feet were
coming from all directions. Rob.
erts was first TO reach the scene
and even in all the excitement |
was struck with the look of be-
wilderment on his face. But he
lost no time putting handouts on
our whimpering, cringing pris-
oneF.
Il thought" said Roberts. his
tone all perplexitv, anyway, he's
gone and Mr.. Dodson was so
sure"
Down there" I said, pointing
toward the still open trap door.
Get a doctor"
They told me afterward that
il was Roberts who caught me as
|, who had been so calmly conf
dent short while before, crum-
pied weakly in a faint.
To be continued
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