Part 27 (1/2)

”There's a Browning there--be careful,” said Cherry, ducking his head and pulling off his hat in one motion ”Here's the other under my arm,”

he put his hand beneath his coat and pulled out a Colt

”Here are the shells for the auto fello listen, you boys,” said Cherry ”Through that gateway at the end of the yard, you couard on it Whether we get away or whether we don't, depends on whether our luck is in or out”

”Look!” he whispered, ”here co open and the officer beckoned Cherry forith a lift of his chin Cherry walked toward him and the officer half turned in the attitude of one as showing another out Cherry's hand shot out, caught thehihs with you,” said Cherry, who had an assortment of literary quotations culled from heaven knohere ”Shout and you sleep alone!”

The -barrelled '45 was stuck in the uessed it, and his hands went up

”Tie him up--he wears braces,” said Cherry ”I'll take that belt of deadly weapons” He pulled one revolver from the man's holster and examined it with an expert's eye ”Not been cleaned for a un”

He strapped the belt about his waist and sighed happily

They gagged the ently upon the bench before they passed through the open door to comparative freedom Cherry locked and bolted the door behind them, and pulled down the outer shutter, hich, on occasions, the gaolerthe light The cells were below the level of the courtyard, and theyhis beat by the gateas a solitary sentry

”Stay here,” whispered Cherry; ”he has seenbackward and forward, and maybe he thinks I'm one of the official classes”

Heup fro the inary co to see whether there were any observers of the act which was to follow

Watching him, they did not see exactly what had happened Suddenly the soldier doubled up like a jack-knife and fell

Cherry bent over hiainst the wall, then, exhibiting reth for so small a man, he picked up the man in his arateway They heard the thud of his body, and, breaking cover, they raced across the yard, joining Cherry, who led the way through the deep arch

Now they saw the outer barrier It consisted of a for, which Malcolh wall On either side of the gateas a squat lodge, and before these were half a dozen soldiers, so in the doorway of the lodges, but all carrying rifles

”This way,” said Cherry under his breath, and turned into the office

The door of the room on his left was open, and into this they walked It was empty, but scarcely had they closed the door than there were footsteps outside Cherry, with a gun in each hand, a hard and ugly grin on his fat face, covered the door, but the footsteps passed

There was a babble of voices outside and a rattle and creak of gates

Malcoluessed it was here that Cherry had written his ”state closed auto was entering the gate, and he pulled his head back

Cherry was at his side

”Soh up,” whispered the latter hoarsely; ”they'll couy we left in the cell told me he'd want this room Try that door!”

He pointed to a tall press and Malinkoff was there in a second The press was evidently used for the storage of stationery There was one shelf, half way up, laden with packages of paper, and Malinkoff lifted one end The other slipped and the packets dropped with a crash But the purring of the auto in the yard was noisy enough to drown the sound unless somebody was outside the door

”Three can squeeze in--you go first, Mr Hay”