Show I i I I 1 ce e that plunge and escape esal unhurt It couldn't b be done I 1 tell you yet he could cold crawl but hut that would all Why he lie went down dawn head hlad first sow saw him go out the window and at lit drop would daze n R cat ot Say oily orty maybe mohe the stiff dropped down downto I to this eel cellar tar way Lets Let's take lake aalt n Q iok nIt alt Th The light streamed In through the arrow op opening and scram scram- ted ed I cautiously out down the rutted ratted steps est drawing himself securely hack hock hind the protection of ot his barrel iw w v the lantern thrust forward and face behind It In peering the shad shad- ws The fellow tellow did not advance ato rte Ito the rooms room but did press press- g Sg 1 his way wRy roughly past and stand stand- ng mug there liners full rull In the th glow of ot II light Jh t. t about Into the dim shadows le Ie evidently saw nothing to arouse for hIs Ids voice was angry Ith disgust Not n a d n I-fl n sign here Shorty It oils lols like the fellow maybe did dill g getway get t way t way lint Hut It beats heats me how There Int no flU place now for us to look but buthe buthe he alley An If It he there Then well we'll hop hap this dump damp mighty widen Im I'm telling you jou With that uy loose It wont won't he be healthy for me Inn ranging around here Ho aint got tt th goods on you has hasie hase ie e No he aInt got the gOOI goods but hilt he hes s dead wise to s thins things s. s ami and he liE I get gt out of ot that upstairs getting hurt Hell He'll he be sore pore J right and will raise rule all the h I h I can 1111 an Its It's safer to keep keen out of or the then theU thea U a y I An An n what about that other ether buck buckhart hart It wont want do to have hU lim hm eked up liP It If this tills guy gets the harness Us ha to take tole n a look 1001 around hertz here That aint his bis style Shorty he hent nut nt spiel pIt anything to till thin cops about Is row lIes lIe's an or e ex soldier n II cap cap- n and hes he's nuts on the girl That's ly my he lie dipped Into tills this mess lIIs trying mess trying save san her see her see Maybe he lie wont won't be he kern keen now no after the sung nail dance donee gave Jn him upstairs Im I'm half In In- wed ned to think the Hu guy will drop out Irely d n of-n n glad 1111 to get Itt off oft IIII e v he believes rs she I Is as 9 rotten rutten as ns rest of ot us os Hut But I 1 sure mIlY sure mayhe may may- he Ile Is 19 the kind that Micks t That's y I 1 dont don't take toke any chances just r. r Things quite ripe for aa a u un n a away see 11 f ee Sure Suro she ho gave C him some straight fT T. T hl Trey hey Hh She C certainly did flit she's as ns smart sir she Is III good goad looking It somehow it t l' l me mo this Ju guy Is going to tn I her IlIr her IIII any more Im I'm figuring t lies lie's out of or It t truth U his life ho hope e t i on the answer an and Turner were absent for tor some little while the round of ot their voices ceased but hut the distant Clicker nf of the tho lantern enabled 1 West Nest to trace their progress up hp the aUtY and then hack back again They returned In no pleasant humor convinced that their expected victim hall hail escaped 1 nr safety safely IY but hut made m no further effort to search the tho yard West Welt confident at nt last that the way was clear wriggled out from his place of nt concealment behind the th barrel horrel and stood strod erect lie felt stronger now and amt In less paIn convinced con eon vinced that lint hIs bis Injuries were wre In no tw degree serious The darkness was S so Intense he had to grope hI his way forward for tor- word ward anxious to make no nn noise which ml might ht betray hIs bis presence Jn In the Intensity of ot the lie gloom his sense sene of ot direction failed frilled taking him somewhat t furl her hack back before be lie finally located the exact position of ot tho those e outer steps Then as liS he be turned abruptly hs h's tint foot tame nine In contact with an obstacle on time the floor For or nn an Instant he lie could not determine what It Il was as thou then with a n thrill of ot horror he the presence of or a n human body There no sound no nun movement move e e III ment fl t and W West Nest t drew row hack back from contact eon con tnt tact with the object shrinking In horror Then he gripped himself whoever sternly whoever hlll whatever this was he Ire must mut know Alive or dead he must 11 determine the truth He lIe brat bent over pr feeling with hands In the darkness The fles flesh h rm I It was wnM no cold corpse he touched but hut n a ln human being n ay I t tied 11 like 0 n II mummy II unable un UIl II able h II to move mo hand or foot font Then n ns as suddenly hula his groping finger eager eazer enough now discovered IJ the JU l of lit Ibe silence the nun man was Jn gagged III cruelly gagged helpless to utter mutter a Q sound The fhe owe Olle realized West SI world worked rapidly If It this bound man v a Veston the quicker he timid could herd he ne rd released eased tIe tle better hail had already al nl ready rendy revealed his plans and and II I might ht appear at nt nay any moment for tor time the purpose pur pose Ilose of ot executing them If It escape I to he be achieved It must bo ho accomplished I at nt once In the darkness his lingers could do nothing with time the knot but hut the sharp blade of ot n a knife kalfe quickly severed Bennt the twisted doth c and the gag was Instantly removed from rum bet between vien the time clenched ench 11 teeth The lime tuna man moaned breathing heavily lIy but hut no other sound while West Vest IIla slashed at nt the cords lashing his limbs finally freeing them entirely Not this had been accomplished did he pause long hough h to musk auk There huts that's the time last Tow Now ow who are lire you yu you Sexton 7 I Yes sir weakly and ond In a Q mere C 1 Time The narrow alley was much yet ret still dark enough to conceal their thelt movements as os they clung close chose to the deeper shadows Except for far an on old cart It was unoccupied the time surface covered o with ashes uhs P so packed as ns to leave no trace of or wll wheels el Ahead of or hem at the tho end of ot the block glowed I 1 bl 1 Ill Iii De JUt Just Behind You the only street lamp lump villi visible hIp Sexton h by now III largely recovered from his hie 1111 Into experiences broke Into n II run with Ith West following ving from franc the nip ate nt neighborhood unseen Suddenly Sexton stumbled limit hilt arose almost Instantly In In- to his f fret feet 1 grasping something whIch g gleamed like Ilko silver sliver In III his hand Not hurt are ore your asked West anxiously I Nil No what's t this I T found The other took it Impatiently What I h is It Why n small pocket f Knife Irl of nr course nurMI Come Cone on mm millO dont don't on stand moon mooning In lucre thore Ho lie slipped the article carelessly I Into his hiM poel pocket t pr MM where does the knife tome come In TO JIBS Btu CONTINUED d Tomorrow U Is the stone over ninny many A business man has lias stumbled I ry |