P.O. Box 47

DEWIS TRANSPORT
& GARAGE CO. LTD.

SILVERTON, B.C.

GENERAL TRUCKING AND CONTRACT HAULING
ALL-WHEEL DRIVE TRUCKS AND POWER WINCH
BULLDOZER AND SNOW PLOW EQUIPMENT
OXY-ACETYLENE AND ELECTRIC WELDING

Phones: Day - 27F_ Nite - 76X

quarters further along the main tunnel.
“This has been a night and no mistake.
Who would have thought that Manfield
would cross my trail again,” he mused.
“Check, and double-check —but he’s
wrecked our plans for fair.” He pulled
out a fat cigar and lighting up, puffed
away reflectively. 7

“When do we make an end?” enquired
Charlie softly. “It is best now.” He
fingered his long knife significantly.

“Easy—easy, Charlie,” replied Spears
soothingly. “We want no murder here
if it can be avoided. Do we, Jake?” he
questioned pointedly.

The saturnine man with a hunted look
in his eyes said, “No, boss, no murder,”
as if in remembrance of some former
dark crime.

“Tf he goes free, the whole outfit bust
up. We kill one man now, and Manfield
knows it. We better make a finish,” urged
Charlie with an expressive gesture of his
slender hands.

“Quite, quite,” agreed Spears, sucking
meditatively on his cigar. “I think we will
have an accident. Jake, you keep guard
and fix some shots outside that room of
yours. The old lead faulted there and
was drilled for another blast. Cut a nice
long fuse and we'll seal her off for keeps.
‘Tis already breaking day, and tonight we
should have word back from Mulsby
about how the land lays, and make our
plans accordingly.”

“You talk business, now,” commented
Charlie dryly.

“Get me a bite to eat and then we'll
get some sleep, but keep a lookout on the
road,’ admonished Spears. “And Jake,
give Manfield some eats, we don’t want
him to starve to death,’ he boomed jest-
ingly.

& oR Oe

The reflections of Detective-Sergeant
Manfield were many, but none of them
brought a ray of comfort. Indeed, blessed
as he was with an optimistic nature and
a powerful physique, he had reluctantly
come to the conclusion that his plight was
grave, when Jake appeared with food.
Pulling out a sheaf knife, he proceeded
to carve canned beef and bread into por-

J. L. WILSON

GENERAL MERCHANT
Phone 27L

Courteous Service - Prompt Deliveries
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SILVERTON B.C.

EIGHTEENTH EDITION

tions. Then, untying Manfield’s wrists,
he flourished his knife towards the table
he had dragged near and growled, “Eat.”

Manfield eased his cramped legs over
the bunk and ate ravenously, while Jake
sat in grim silence, his massive jaws
champing noisily. He eyed Manfield with
a stony stare and all efforts to draw him
into conversation failed miserably. There
was something unnatural about this im-
passive creature, and the silence, broken
only by his wolfish eating, was oppressive.

Charlie appeared at the opening, and
after Jake spoke to him he returned with
a coil of rope which Jake proceeded to
wind around Manfield’s body. Manfield
sensed that Charlie had brought it from
the car, and flung at him, “It’s a good
rope to tie men with, Charlie. Tell me,
did Joe talk?” Somehow he felt better
when Charlie answered, “He cali me,
“Yellow pig’, and die.”

After they left him he tried again to
think a way out, but his head still throbbed
and his body ached with weariness. Try
as he would he could not deny the black
cloak of sleep which fell upon him.

He awoke with senses drawn taut to
the imminence of danger. He could hear a
tap, tap, tap, outside the little room. Then
later, the sharp metallic sound of a heavy
door closing reverberated through the
shaft overhead.

The tapping sound ceased and the black
face of Jake appeared at the opening. He
lit the stove and put on a kettle of water,
turning from this task to cut up bread
and meat. He pulled over the table to
his own bunk on the other side of the
room, ate until the kettle boiled, made
coffee in a pot and took it away with him,
leaving the knife on the table.

Manfield looked longingly at the knife
and a great desire engulfed him. If he
could only reach it there would still be
time to retrieve the situation. The words
beat back fiercely—he must reach it.

Throwing his legs out of the bunk he
sat up, stretched himself and tried his
bonds. Those above his knees had slack-
ened slightly, but the cords at his ankles
were still painfully tight. Try as he would
he could not wriggle forward on his feet.
Then he fell on his knees. Twisting to
and fro with slow persistency he con-
trived at least reach the table and circle it.

DRAMATIC RELEASE

A gasp of triumph gave way to a feel-
ing of dismay as he realized that the knife
lay almost out of reach of his chin. He
must not push it back or it would be lost.
Stretching out his neck full length he

reached over and gently felt its end. If
he pressed it, the knife would shoot back-
ward. He must try again. He stretched
until his neck muscles cracked. Down
came his head, and this time it was fairly
on the handle.

He drew it carefully forward, lost it,
found it again, and finally manoeuvred
it to the edge of the table. Drawing a
deep breath he turned his head sideways,
grasping the handle in his mouth so that

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