Part 26 (1/2)

”It isn't anything--I just got up to get a drink,” quickly explained Jack, wishi+ng he had kept still ”Sorry to have disturbed you”

”I haven't been asleep,” Jennie confessed, calling down the stairway

”Isn't it nearly ?”

”A little after twelve,” Jack reported, striking aback to his couch he soon found hi off into a comfortable doze He really needed natural sleep after his experience that day, and a little later he found it stealing over him He turned on his side, and, before he knew it, was oblivious to his surroundings

How long he slept Jack did not know, but he aith a start, and he was at once aware that his awakening had been caused by some sudden noise For a moment he was so confused that he could not think clearly, or recall where he was

He passed his hand across his head, and this slight action seemed to make his brain work Then he sat up He was at once aware that soht shi+ning in through the roo, and as there were no street lights in Golden Crossing, the express rider at once realized that soht into the room since he had fallen asleep

Jack was about to call out, thinking perhaps his aunt or cousin had coo and see who it is,” he thought A wild idea caht out his revolver

”If it's any of the outlaws I'll be ready,” hewith the silence of a cat, Jack, who had taken off his shoes, tiptoed to the door between the two rooms As he advanced he could hear a succession of s sound Then came the tinkle of metal on metal--a faint sound that would not have been audible but for the deep silence over the place Then Jack saw a flicker of the light, as though soh to it to produce a shadow

Then, as Jack looked, he saw the outlines of a ain came the tinkle of metal on metal

All at once the truth flashed into Jack'sto blow open the safe” was his thought ”It's the outlaws!

I've caught 'e to blow it open!”

Heeach board with his foot advanced, to guard against a creak, finally to reach the door that opened into the roo on the floor in front of the strong box, was a masked man He was in front of the safe, and a partly-opened dark lantern gave light enough for Jack to see as going on

The safe was not open, but, as Jack looked, and as he was about to give the co back and slide, on rubber-soled shoes, to a far corner

There was a tiny curl of smoke near the door of the safe Jack realized, too late, what it was--the fuse attached to a charge of nitroglycerine The safe was about to be blown open

And then, ere Jack could spring forward and tear loose the fuse, the explosion came

It was not loud, but the force of if blew Jack backward, knocking hi and, for the moment, he lost consciousness

CHAPTER XXIII

THE ESCAPE