Show I CHAPTER V. V As soon Mon as os Allen and Scott had unarmed unarmed un armed the two men Allen stood guard while Scott w went t through the thicket Into the cave In the rocks where the dogs were still fighting the bear Old Bruin was os standing straight up fighting fighting fight fight- ht ing with his back against the wall lie Ile fell an easy victim to the first shot At the report of the gun nn Allen AlIen knew what had happened He marched the two men through the timber Into the cave ca where the money stolen from Crom the Tampa bank was quickly found Seeing that they had been caught with the goods on them and that the I Iame game ame was 08 up the robbers laid lold the blame me of their capture at the door of liquor While Scott rode over o to Baird ranch to get a n couple of horses so that the prisoners could r ce re e taken to Tampa the two robbers cussed their luck as they told tow how they had celebrated their Successful haul by taking n a little too much whisky which resulted In their falling failing to hobble their horses horses- and without horses bores they were up up p against it U In to the mountains That evening Allen AlIen and Scott Scot rode Into Tampa with their prisoners and turned turne 1 them over o t to the officer It was then that they first heard about the of ot the two girls gins Jim JimEl El Elliot Allot lot was there and nd nd being a close friend of Scott T Teague Mien Allen tuns permitted permitted permitted per per- to to rea read the kidnapers kidnaper's letter For FOP n minute r r two th the news new seemed to stun hi hit bh- bh in Th Then n he Jerked jerke himself together nn and op opened ned up with rUh witha rUha a rapid fire tIre of questions While he did so It was patent that he made mental note of every word In reply to his Ids queries In speaking about what had been done Jim Elliot sal said 1 he had hud Just re re- J j 1 I 0 1 r rI f I 1 I t l I l J u i i I I 1 i l j i 1 I I II II fG f I r Ir I G t Scott Looked Intently c a telegram from Mr Morris instructing Instructing In- In him hila to pay puy over the money money i nn and to follow tollow out the Instructions to the letter I Of course hes he's on his way here said aid Jim but he lie cannot possibly arrive arrive ar nr- rive until the fore Core part of next week You see tec theres there's nothing I 1 can do In Inthis Inthis inthis this matter motter now but to follow out In In In- My God I It Is terrible to sit and think what might happen to those young girls while 1 I am nm absolutely absolute ly Iy powerless to help Mr Elliot Elliot said Allen 1 fully realize the predicament In which you ou are placed You would gladly take ar a any 1 chance chance under the sun to rescue those girls but dare not disobey Instructions Instructions In In- without Jeopardizing their lives lI However with your permission Slon I will attempt to do what I know you would do If you were free fret to act That goes double said Scott for tor torI forI I 1 am am m going In on the deal right now A conference followed An hour later Allen Mien and Scott quietly quiet quietly ly departed from Tampa headed for Shoestring canyon We had bad better leave our horses borses b here re f said Scott as the two entered the thicket Shoestring canyon canyon can can- anyon an- an yon Just over the ridge and It is U about a mile mUe from here bere to the cabin Dismounting and tying their horses hones In the brush Allen and Scott examined their revolvers and then carefully made their way from the ridge of the mountain down Into the canyon Slowly and ca carefully they moved forward forward forward for for- ward until they struck a lonely cabin that was 81 almost completely hidden bidden by pinon trees So far everything favored fa fa- ored them as the moon was dimmed by clouds When within twenty yards of or the cabin robin S Scott ott stopped drew two revolvers ers and held them pointing d directly di dl at the only entrance to the log shack hock It was plain that a thorough understanding had bad been entered Into by these two men for fOE almost ost I Imme n- n t Allen Barrows started to crawl Foot by foot he be made his way until he was directly beneath the only window window window win win- dow In the cabin lying Iring perfectly still and listening anxiously Hearing nothing nothing noth noth- In ing he cautiously rose until he could pee peek Into the window Almost immediately Immediately Imme Imme- he straightened to his full fun hel height ht walked to the door and entered Scott Joined him and said been here for a coons coon's age The dust Is an Inch thick everywhere Well Nell he continued If U we dont don't find them over Baldy peak Ill I'll give gl up for th that thatIs t Is the only place I know of where they could successfully pull pun off nit their little litHe stunt seeing they the are not here Come he he concluded well have to hurry With the moon behind the tIle clouds and no trail to follow tollow It was a hard rile ride to Baldy peak The sky had Just begun to take on the first signs of ot the theSTa gray STa dawn when the two men alighted Jo to o once a again aIn make their way n cautiously cautiously cau through the timber So quietly did they move that not even the snapping snapping snapping snap snap- ping of a twig was heard hear Suddenly Allen felt Celt his arm seized by a powerful power power- ful grip Scott had halted nn and was sending a silent message with that big bib l right hand hn of or his which grabbed ed Allens Allen's arm ann the message messac spelled extreme caution Carefully they wiggled their wa way on the ground until they the reached a large boulder er Cautiously peering aroun around the rock Scott looked intently then pointed to a n hole In the side of ot the mountain not twenty feet teet awa away Allen understood He Immediately started crawling crawling towards the black hole which Scott covered with two re re- CHAPTER VI I Allen AlIen Barrows Darrows hn had 1 faced danger many times but never did he experience experience ence the sensation that came creeping over him nim as he crawled through the dark hole In the rocks It was not a fear tear for himself but a fear lest a false mO c move ou on his part might result In the death of or the captives which he sought Slowly he crawled In the darkness through a 8 long tunnel pausing occa- occa occa-I occa to listen but hut only the beating of his own heart throbbing with anxIOUS anxious sax sax- ious ous anticipation could he hear henr Amid dense gloom he pressed forward feelIng feeling feel feel- Ing ng his way with greatest precaution His fils heart sank with disappointment Is as h hie found un himself i at t the II e end oft the of-the the of os j y 3 ragged pas passageway Rising on his hands and knees he began an aD Investigation Investigation Investigation gation which resulted In the discovery ery of ot an extremely Irregular excavation atlon leading to the left Following this Allen found himself In to an nn apartment apartment- a large excavation Around It he carefully felt his way Sud Suddenly he stopped stopped large large beads bends of cold perspiration tion stood upon his heated brow- brow there was something alive all not far from him him him-he he sense sensed It With every nerve ner tense he listened Soon he detected detected de de- slow breathing Whether It was a human being or an animal be he did not know Cautiously he crept toward the animated object until convinced convinced convinced con con- vinced he was within striking dis dis- dis Is tance Slowly he got firmly set with both knees slightly off oft the ground his right foot braced against a rock his bis whole form rigid right F For r a moment he hesitated Then like a flash his bis body shot through the darkness darkness and and landed on something soft sott and alive A deep groan choked to a faint gasp and ond Allen found his fingers tightly fastened around a short hort thick neck Feeling th the form fonn of a n man wriggling and fighting fight fight- I lag ing desperately beneath his own body Allen clenched that neck with all the I strength at Ws s command Two power powei powerful ful tul legs les closed around his body like I steel Jaws So tightly lightly was he held that his breath came hard And It U seemed every bone In his body would break Twisting and turning do what he would there was no getting out of ot that vice-like vice grip that was as squeezing the very life out of ot him Deeper and ond I deeper sank his finger nails Into the bearded flesh and tighter and tighter lighter his fingers closed about It Then something something something some some- thing sharp and cold pierced d his side and Something warm ran down do his body Quickly concentrating his entire entire entire en en- tire strength he grabbed the woolly head bead between his hands bands lifted It free from the ground and with all his force snapped napped It on the bard earth In an Instant the form torm lay limp at his feet It was none too soon for tor a knife blade had bad penetrated his arm With a handkerchief Allen gagged the victim and pieces from his badly torn shirt served to tie tle the bands hands and feet Again dropping cautiously on hands and knees Allen crept slowly forward Thus approaching he went bravely through another passage until brought to a halt by a hole bole In the rock Could I It be there was another passage and he hei i had taken the wrong one This he heI I was twos Inclined to believe until he found I an nn opening to the right No sooner bad had he lie entered the new pas passage age than he heard hear something move Instantly he visualized d Mexican Mike lIke lying In tD wait walt for well he knew that It was Don Pedros Pedro's bewhiskered throat thront In which he had already dug his fingers DrawIng Draw Draw- DrawIng Ing tag a ft revolver and ond an electric flash flashlight light licht Allen prepared himself for tor the |