TS 4 CHAPTER XiV—Continued. er] es With the instant all strength left Keljeen. The knife dropped from his fingeYs and he rested motionless, scarcely breathing, his eyes staring up inte the dark, He had won; he was not seriously hurt, yet for the mo- ment could not even realize his vie tory. Yet gradually he knew; the knife he had wielded—the knife—he had killed the man. Whoever he was he had killed him; he lay there now beside him In the dark—dead. The very horror of it started anew the blood In his velns, that dead man lying there, motionless, becoming cold, with open eyes staring up at the tunnel roof. And. he had killed him-—killed him with the knife. Yet it had been a fair fight, man to man, and one of them had to dle. He could breathe better now, and he sat up, trembling and shrinking back from contact with the dead body. He could not see ft, but he knew it was there, Kellegn struck a match, which gave forth al first a dim, spectral light be tween his trembling fingers, then glowed Into a sudden flame. He thrust it forward over the body of the dead man, and stared down at the up- turned face. For a moment not a muscle relaxed, his form that of a statue, as his eyes searched those ghastly features. Where had he seen the man before? that hairy face? those long, misshapen arms? Dead! Of course he was dead—but who was he? Somewhere In his memory, dim. Indistinet, clung a recollection which would not betome wholly clear. Then the vision came, his lips uttering na startled exclamation, “By G—d! 1 know now; it's Man- uel Gomez! It’s the ape-man!” Manuel Gomez—the murderer, the outlaw, the dread scourge of northern Mexico, that bloodthirsty wretch whose ‘erines had made him an obhlect of detestation hoth sides of the line for years. M el Gomez, the killer of women and children, the destroyer of towns, raider, thief, bandit and In- surrecto—the ape-man! Keélleen had never seen him before, but he knew: there could be no other like that, and every story he previously had heard of the fellow came trooping back to his mind in vivid memory—cruel, re- morseless, without mercy, hunted like a wild beast, yet ever escaping the tolls, he had left a trall of hlood over all that land. Well, he was dead now! Yet how came he to he there? Was this his hiding place? or was the man there for some new crime? If so— what? And Bob Meager? Juan San- chez? Were they also sharers In his villainy? Could they be members of this fiend's gang? Was it frem here he led his hellhounds over the desert and plain? The recurrence of these names In- stantly brought back to Kelleen a realization of his own peril. Gomez was dead, killed by his hand, Unwit- tingly, unknowingly, there in the dark, In desperate combat, he had avenged a hundred murders by the thrust of a knife. But these others—they were still allve; they would surely come. There could be no doubt of that. All that Deborah had told flashed across his mind-—her encounter with. this same Mexican ruffian--why, she had even described the fellow’s long, ape- like arms, but he never once had thought of Gomez-—of her creeping on- ward along the tunnel: the sudden change In its direction, and her stum- bilng over a dead body In the dark. He recalled the story of hey escape, creeping up that nafrow passage, through which she could barely squeeze her slender hody;: the firing after her from below. and her aim- less shot sent In return: then the des perate struggle which ended on the desert above. And what then? Meas- ger, Bob Meager, going straight to that same hole and eslling down for Man- uvel—using his very name, Well, there was no Manuel now on guard ‘there, but he could not face these other two alone, and they would surely be there by dawn at least. He arose to his feet, stil} dazed and con- fused, hardly able to tell directions, but driven by a wild Impulse to escape, to get safely out of that silent black- ness, that grave, In which he felt smothered and imprisoned. His grop- Ing fingers discovered a crevice in the stone, as though the solid rock had been rent asunder, a deep, Irregular gash yawning the tength of his arm. He even advanced a step into the strange fissure, wondering at its exist. ence, tempted to explore its secret, when they came! He heard them pressing aside the vines and clamber Ing to the top bf the rock which helped conceal the entrance. They did this ap- parently without fear, with no impend- Ing sense of danger, and then dropped to the floor of the tunnel, There were two of them: he could tell that by the sound-—-Meager and Sanchez. But where, thén, was Debornh Meredith! - CHAPTER XV The Light Goes Out. Kelleen waited In an agony of sus se. his thought with the missing \ rather than on his own peril, or nearness" of those men groping blindly toward him In the darkness. That they were surprised, startled at not being greeted by Gomez was plains ly evidenced from the first gruff utter ance reaching his ears “Where the h-1 Is the fellow?” Meager exclaimed angrily. “I told you I called him from up above and got no answer. Now, by G-—d! he Isn't even down here” n no chance for his getting away with- out our knowing it. We had our men about here all the time” “Your men!” Meager laughed scorn- fully. “Those greasers; they would only be playthings for Manuel. H-—I, man! you and your gang couldn't even keep your eyes on 'Frisco’" “He sure told me one d--n straight story. He seemed to know about all wns going on. I'd heard a lot about him, knew he was a friend of yours, and supposed him all right.” “And spilled all you knew——d-—n a Mex, anyhow.” “Well, aln't he? “Ain't he what? He ain't nothing Just now. I did run with him a bit, of course, down below the line. But Kelleen Waited in ah Agony of Sus pence. he wasn't invited into his game, and his being with Garrity was Just an ac- cident. At least | took It that way at first. was all a put-up job, 1 ain't exactly made up my mind what the guy was up to—just suspected something was going on. and decided to butt in, | reckon. But, after he got out here snooping around, there wasn't nothing to do but put him out o' the way-— specially after he stole my horse” “I ain't so sure he stole your horse.” “What do you mean?” “Just what I told you before. You're so bullheaded nobody ean tell yon nothing. [ never did think that fellow you shot was alone, to somebody when Fheard him.” “Talking to himself; you never saw nobody but him." “No, 1 didnt; he was up on that rock against the sky, but thére might have been somebody else out o' sight on the ground. You was In such a d—n hurry to ‘get to Casebeer, you wouldn't do anything else” “Course, | knew the ‘Ki1d' was alone, and after that tumble he took wouldn't bother no morc. We had to get Cage beer’s gang out of here before day- light.” : “1 don't know why. You haven't told me much, Why didn’t you let the outfit go on? What did you want to unload the mules here for, and then send them back? “1 didn’t get any chance to tell you. It was after you ®t last night that I got the dope. That's why I had to ride out here myself, by G-—d, on my wedding night.” He laughed out loud, “Say, Sanchez, there's some real girl, let me tell ‘you. Thinks she's knocked me out; rapped me with a gun when I was drunk, and got away, Ded if she didn’t, the little vixen. [I've got to go back and show her what kind of a heeman 1 am when I'm sober.” “She got mad at you?" “Rather that. 1 thought she was the soft sort, but she's a wildeat. Got me the first swipe, but she'll never find me so dead easy the next time. I'l teach her who's boss when 1 get this job out of the way. What was it you asked?” “Why you stopped Casebeer?” “That's what Garrity came to tell me. He'd got on to something, There's a leak somewhere. We couldn't get the stuff through tonight--a bunch of cavalry are up In Box canyon.” “H--1! What brought ‘em there?” “The judge didn't know. He got It from somebody at the post. The ont. fit started south, but that's where they were bound.” “You don’t suppose they know?’ “Sure not-—only suspeet that stuff is being run through again along this trail, All we got to do Is lle low awhile.” y “No one has seen Gomen?” “He hasn't put his head out of this hole. You haven't seen him yourself, Juan. Come on; he must be back In there asleep somewhere now likely. Keep one hand on the wall” “Shall I strike a match, senor? “No, not here; walt till we turn the bend; then It will not show outside, Can't be long now till daylight comes.” Kelleen, silently pressed into the rift of the rock, the dead man at his feet, ‘could mark the passage of the two clearly by the scraping of feet as they we crept up—I “Oh, he’s here all right. There was groped thelr way along the stone floor. Following the opposite wall they would miss any contact with Gomez' body, and there was nothing he could do but stand and let them pass, The two men hand turned the sharp corner, the slight sound of their move- ments ‘ceasing to reach his ears. Then the faint glow of a match reflected along the rock wall, the silence broken by Meager's voice, “There's the lantern, Juan—in that niche, see. Here, turn up the wick” The flame brightened suddenly, but the outer tunnel yet remained black. Only in the distance the light flickered along the walls, casting weird shad ows. One of the men evidently held the lantern up, peering about curl. ously, “He's not here, senor; where's the old devil, anyhow 7 They moved forward with the light, and Kelleen, all fear swiftly lost in his Intense interest, crept on to the curve In the tunnel, from which point he could see thelr dim shadows, Behind him, but unnoticed, daylight began to be visible through the mantle of vines con- cealing the entrance, The dark figure on the floor assumed vague outline, The two men In the lantern glow came to a halt, thrusting the light forward, peering at the object which had at- tracted them. The Mexican Identified it first in a sudden ery. “It's a body, a dead claimed. “He has Manuel I" Menger held back, the coward grip- ping Lim, but Sanchez the lan- tern forward, desperate to learn the truth. His startled voice came down the passage. . “*Tis not Gomez,” he eried, "and no face 1 ever saw before. Perhaps ypu know the man?” man" he ex- been killed— bore a murder—see, he in the back, by G have done this job. become of the old devil? was this kid? What was See If there is anything In lis pocket, Juan. He held It dropped to his knees, rummage through the dead clothes. The Increasing daylight the desert found entrance far above, passage in which d! Gomez must ut = And he hat has who doing the Mexican and began up, as man's of faint, ghastly glimmer, nerves, and he swore gruffly, “Come on" he sald fercely: the light. We'll search every Inch of this d--d hole” Kelleen turned, his first impulse dim glimmer of light now marking the cave entrance. Yet futility of such an effort came to him instantly. There was a better ing like a red star, fired, the glass flickering Into a thon sand pleces, the light instantly extin- guished, swiftly In his mind. He had a but must learn more. Only one method was possible—a confession from Bob Meager. The real secret of SERT a “By G—d! Who are you? he snarled savagely, “What the h—1 do you want?” # “The first is of no Importance, Mea ger,” returned Kelleen with emphasis. “But I'll apswer the latter question. Unbuckle your belt. Go on; I know what you're doing. Yes; take it off. I've got you boys covered; make one false move, and you'll sure taste lead. Now throw that belt about the Mexl can—-sure 1 know who you both are; I came here gunning for you two guys—around his arms—now, d-—n you, draw It tight! Yes—that's exactly what I mean—strap them to his body--" Just what happened 1s not clear, Kelleen could not see; he dare not take a step closer to make sure, The chances are that Sanchez had two guns at his waist, He had discarded one, but the other yet remained. Not cer- tain that he was not outlined against the background of light, he dare not attempt to draw; but now, his hands lowered, as Meager drew the belt about his arms, desperate, bitter with hate, ‘his fingers must have gripped the butt, With one convulsive effort he fired In the direction of the voice. The bullet struck the side wall, sent a splinter of rock tearing into Kelleen's cheek, yet, even as he staggered back half blinded in the flame, he had glimpse of the maddened Mexican, running blindly down the passage. An Instant the fellow stood out clear, his head thrust forward, his arms still held by the belt clasp; then Keljeen pulled trigger, and the runner sprawled out, flat and motignless, Into the very center of that little pool of daylight, It was the swift work of an Instant, then darkness, and Meager's huge hulk crushed Kelleen against the wall in one mad effort to kill, For a moment fyi ing the stranglehold of those clutch goers, | hand, he was forced strangled, visellke grip. Meager's the sharp Kelleen an of relief, a long, fresh breath, of one arn pressing against hip. lay { he had been forced to drop. pernte effort and { backward, resistiessly unable AS head blow to loose that i fell, the however, rock, | him as to permit 80 dazing Underneath the lease his gun he gained possession of {| the weapon, into Meager's side, n you!" he choked. or I'l through you. agely “I)- { (yt “Feel that! uy. blow hole , clear a i you would be a pleasure. Get clear tup! Do you know me now?” The fellow, thoroughly cowed, shrink. | ing back with the point of the revolver | still pressing hard against his but made no reply. | widening radius of daylight gave Kel | stuttered, {| but features were invisible “What! not yet? I'm {| Kiar the ‘Fristoe | cross decided Well, Meager, I'm on to your | game, and I'm very much alive. I've got you. Like to make why I don't kill you?” me: then you { would do the job best. | neither plan worked. | pushed harder, “You better spit it out, { sure love to shoot” : Bo { ence? { hiding in here somewhere. Manuel that Manuel Gomez was dead, must be made to talk. The advantages in were altogether on his side, no knowledge of his exact who he was, or whether they one opponent or a dozen. They been taken completely by surprise, startled by the sudden attack, con- fused in the darkness, Hg had both them absolutely at his mercy. The silence was intense after that first startled second. movement, not even the sound breathing audible. The two stood mo tionless, crouched back against the wall, peering Into the blackness from whence that tongue of flame bad leaped into thelr very faces, yet re vealing nothing. They could neither think nor act. Who had fired—Manuel Gomez? some enemy who had trapped them? Were they facing one man, or a dozen? Into what had they blindly walked? Confident of his own safety, realizing that he had the whip hand, Kelleen smiled grimly, every nerve tense, his revolver poised. The situa- tion pleased him. “Drop your guns, both of you!" he commanded sternly. "Quick now! I've got you against the light.” “Who the hej “Stop that! Drop them, or 1 shoot something besides a tanterh, It's a hair trigger I'm playing with.” He heard both weapons fall to the floor, Meager cursing impotently., but the Mexican silent. Kelleen lnughed, “Kick them away €rom you--that's Not bad fellows when properly handled, I see. Now up with your hands, and back against the wall there.” He could not see the fellows, not so much as an outline of them, yot knew they obeyed the order. It was a bluff which worked hecause they half be Heved themselves sllhouetted against that distant gray bar of light far down the passage, targets not to be of unfamiliar In the echoing tunnel, meant business, rasped like a steel file on Meager's nerves, " 4 or “Now, Up With Your Hands!” used to come to him when he needed stuff, byt he never was able to track him—<he was too dn smart for the Judge. That was what 1 came up here for, and mostly the reason why 1 grabbed the ranch--see, Garrity fixed things, because he knew Msnuel had a hl of a lot o' spolls stored away. We wanted a free hand. When 1 come up 1 fired every American, and took on Mexicans | knew, We run Just cattle enough #0 as to get an excuse for exploring the desert. We knew the d-<n slippery cuss was hid around here, but couldn't get onto his hole “Well, go on,” (TO BE CONTINUED) Sayi * Hllustrated. “Hard lines!” murmured the student when he couldn't transinte a passage in Homer.~New Haven Evening Reg ister. 2 Jacket Blouse Is Gay Fall Fashion Favored Garment Is Only Slightly Altered for Pres- ent Season. One of the Interesting aspects of the full blouse fashions Is the continued popularity of the jacquetie, especially for autumn weer, observes » fashion authoriiy in the New York Tribune, The jnrquette was worn so extensive iy during the spring months that it might have beea supposed to have nd a brief and exuberant flowering and an early death. But such is not the cuse.~ It remains with us, but in slightly altered guise The sash has to a considerable ex- tent disappeared, apd where It stays der an outer garment, drape, or In some instances with an folding belt. quette becomes almost At this point indistinguish- the days of late autumn and winter when the coat sult, fur-trimmed and sumptuous, makes its appearance, The keynote of the new blouses Is opulence either of materials or decora. tion. There are blouses of duvetyn, quality. The lines are same usually general luxury is found in such barbaric colors as Chinese yellow, used not only in | embroidery designs but occasionally as a solld color. And there are brilliant and daring combinations of color in | One of the Most Popular Models in Paris at Present. pecially where dark backgrounds are used. In the new Imports every shade fromrpale green to "bright red is seen. follows the dictates of her complexion as well as fashion, With the color, the .Influences of Circular Panels and Flounces Brought Out ers been to avold mistakes and in design. This they have effected by ment. This may sound there is truth In the statement nothing is Impossible to a French dressmaker. It has been accomplished by the use of circular panels and flounces on straight-line fall frocks. Circular bands and loops without num- ber are employed and the skirts are often gathered or given a circular ef- fect by a slash at the front or one side. Similar decorations are given below a straight-line wrapped skirts and the apron at front, back or sides Is frequently utilized In a similar manner, Circular insets of fur and overtunics offef opportunities for like effects. Length is likewise compromised by uneven hem lines, longer at back than front or trailing at the sides. Here, too, the ever-present apron comes into play. Skirts for daytime dresses are generally of mgderate length, however, Stenciled Walls Add to Appearance of Home Colors for stenclling can be bought in various shades at almost any paint store. Get a short bristled brush and before painting starts, see that your colors are thinned as directed. Trim your stencils at the top and side If you are stenciling a frieze about the top of your wall. In this way you can get near the celliug and Into corners. incongruous, but Suit of Black Velvet;. Fox Collar and Cuffs Showing a very beautiful suit of black velvet heavily embroidered in bright green and red beads—coliared and cuffed with red fox. early civilization stili dominate the mode. Fushion expresses In a thou sand despotic ways the Persian, the Byzantine, the Karomunjan, Turkestan and peasant motifs. However, to one who looks more deeply than the casual observer, it Is apparent that flower de- signs are fighting thelr way into favor. { Flower colors—rose red, gentiso tlue | &-are much spoken of, There are made of silk so printed that they are almost legible, Designers say that at no time can they remember having such demands made upon them for new patterns The colors are exquisite—an everiast. ing silken rainbow greets your eye Ribbon Powder Cases Made in All Colors As long as women powder thelr noses—and who among us cares to look upon them after they cease doing it ?—they will carry powder cases, and it goes without saying that as lang ns they carry them they will continue to make them of ribbon. One of the very latest models Is fashioned in the shape of n square envelope with the flap curiously adorned with rosebuds of gold-colorpd sealing wax and ting rid bon rosettes In contrasting colors These cases are made up In all colors, so that one has no difficulty in match ing one's frock. Emerald green, coral and peacock blue are among the fa- blouse One of the smartest new Iimporta- tions In dinner gowns has a skirt made entirely of horizontal bands of orchid satin ribbon, and a straight sleeveless bodice so entirely covered with ribbon embroidery that It is almost ble to see what the foundation ma- terial Is. About half-way down the skirt a band of royal blue faille rib. bon appears, encircling the skirt, holding In its fullness slightly, and culminating In two loops on the left Another hand of the fallle rib- bon finishes the skirt at the bottom. A few spider web motifs are done on the ribbon with silver and goid i threads, imposs!. side, ! Thumb tacks should be used to hold the stencil flat against the wall, When you put the color on, use a rotary mo tion, like scrubbing and be sure to Every time you take it from the wall, lay It on a sheet of clean i Tracing Embreidery Patterns. When you want to trace a pattern {upon burlap or such material as Rus | alan crash, especially when the ma- { terial is colored, instead of using the | usual transfer paper and straining the (eyes trying to follow an alm in i i | firmly in place. | the sewing machine and, making the | stitch rather long, stitch the lines of | the pattern instead of tracing them | When the design is complete, pull the | paper away from the stitching, and a clear outline will remain. one that ir is simplicity itself to follow, Vogue of Seed Pearls. Seed pearls are among the old-fashe foned things very much in style today. Seed pearl buckles and eabochons are geen on frocks of many kinda white seed pear! brooches and bracelets are being brought out from grandmother's jewel box or imitated by modern jewel. A SAAS With Black Gowns Bright shoes are being worn, not se much with white as with black cos tumes, A thin black dress is effected by chic women for aftersionn, tea or informal dinner, and the bright shoes have thelr color repeated In a necklace of three or four bead bencelets.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers