Part 36 (1/2)

She put them together. They were pieces of the envelope of the letter which we had decided to send to Was.h.i.+ngton.

”Which way did they take him?” she asked, looking all about but discovering no trail.

She was plainly at a loss what course to pursue.

”What would Craig do?” she asked herself.

Finding no answer, she stood thinking a moment, slowly tearing the envelope to pieces. If she were to do anything at all, it must be done quickly. Suddenly an idea seemed to occur to her. She threw the pieces of paper into the air and let them blow away. It was unscientific detection, perhaps, but the wind actually took them and carried them in the direction in which the men had forced me to walk.

”That's it!” cried Elaine to herself. ”I'll follow that direction.”

Meanwhile, the men had hurried me off along a trail that led to the foot of a cliff. Then the trail wound up the cliff. We climbed it until we reached the top.

There in the rock was a rude stairway. I drew back. But one man drew a gun and the other preceded me down. Along the steep stone steps cut out in the face of the rock, they forced me.

Below, in a rift in the very wall of the cliff, was a cave in which already were two more of Del Mar's men, talking in low tones, in the dim light.

As we made our way down the breakneck stairway, the foremost of my captors stepped on a large flat rock. As he did so, it gave way slightly under his foot.

A light in the cave flashed up. Under the rock was a secret electric connection which operated a lamp.

”Some one coming,” muttered the two men, on guard instantly.

It was a somewhat precarious footing as we descended and for the moment I was more concerned for my safety from a fall than anything else. Once my foot did slip and a shower of pebbles and small pieces of rock started down the face of the cliff.

As we pa.s.sed down, the man behind me, still keeping me covered, raised the flat stone on the top step. Carefully, he reset the connection of the alarm rock, a series of metal points that bent under the weight of a person and made a contact which signalled down in the cavern the approach of any one who did not know the secret.

As he did so, the light in the cavern went out. ”It's all right,” said one of the men down there, with a look of relief.

We now went down the perilous stairway until we came to the cave.

”I've got a prisoner--orders of the Chief,” growled one of my captors, thrusting me in roughly.

They forced me into a corner where they tied me again, hand and foot.

Then they began debating in low, sinister tones, what was to be done with me next. Once in a while I could catch a word. Fear made my senses hypersensitive.

They were arguing whether they should make away with me now or later!

Finally the leader rose. ”It's three to one,” I heard him mutter. ”He dies now.”

He turned and took a menacing step toward me.

”Hands up!”

It was a shrill, firm voice that rang out at the mouth of the cave as a figure cut off what little light there was.

Elaine pa.s.sed along, hunting for the trail. Suddenly a shower of pebbles came falling down from a cliff above her. Some of them hit her and she looked up quickly.