The Crime of the Trenches: or, Clif Faraday's Last Cartridge — page 27: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

] f { member I started away with Rollins?” © “OF the Uncas. ‘\ _ “IT remember,’ interrupted Clif, quick- || ly, ‘‘but where is he?” ’ ' “Up there.”’ 2 “Up where ?”’ “Tm pointing.”’ “But I can’t see you point!’ ‘Overhead. rigging of this old building of this old hulk.’’ | **What doing ?”’ S) “QVooking for the mascot of the Un- cas.’’ Clif gave an intelligent start. That was enough for him—the brief information accorded. He could guess out the rest. ‘The talkative gunner’s mate still rat- tling on, Clif groped his way farther into the dark vestibule, stumbled against some stairs, and uttered a low, peculiar whistle. Plainly as if words were spoken, the return call expressed a surprised note of intense welcome. 7 ]]. find my way!’’ vouchsafed Clif, ~ and started up the stairs. ™ + They wound about spirally, ending at a platform. ‘Stop, there!’’ called a prompt voice, a as Clif’s foot moved a loose board. . 1 “This is something of a surprise, P Vic!” “You're happening in on us?” ‘“No.”? | “Ves—how did you come to locate us?’ “Accident. Why! the platform shakes as if it would drop down any minute!’ KS " Get Here you are Now then, ‘Tt will, if you are not cautious. my hand. Step with care. —at the base of thie steeple! let’s hear what brought you ??’ It was a queer place for a colloquy but Clif detailed his remarkable story. “So, get down with me promptly!’ he directed. ‘‘We have work to do, you see ??’ ‘There is some up here, first.’’” ‘©You mean the mascot ?”’ “T mean the white crowned eagle. Tom Warrington has my faithful pledge to recapture it.”’ “But explain how it got here?’ ‘(We traced it ashore. ‘Twenty persons had seen it, and a man had caught it, a WHAT IS THE POWER OF LOVE? . * min, ~ ¥ ys + 4 - “ . » - Pm " r a ee * » gil a *@ +4 . ad * ‘Soda . . ”» aft est SS OOO dr Rollins is up in the top — TRUE BLUE.. 3 - That’s who! You re-— Cuban. We ran him down about five niiles from here. the cainp. Toin insisted on keeping com- I got a trace of your pany with me. mali | ‘* Bruce ?”’ “In the house where you have run Parr to cover—the one opposite here. I could not get word to you as agreed, as the telegraph line was not working. We posted ourselves here on watch.’’ ‘fAnd the eagle ?’’ “Got out of the box where Tom War- rington had cooped it, and somewhere up in the steeple here. That was an hour since. Hear it fluttering up there ?’’ Clif was impatiently anxious to get Mana was nearer than: « through with the trivial side issue in- — truding on what he considered the all- important affair of the hour. ‘If there isa chance to get the eagle, let us do so,’’ he said, ‘‘and have done with it!’? “Tt’s only a question of climbing.”’ “Then put at it, get Warrington the bird, send him away with it, and let you and I proceed to investigate that house youder.’? — 7 ‘Together ?”’ “It may prove a task for two up in that narrow dark chimney of a hole, if Old Terror has got his fighting blood up.’’ ri Move carefully, then, Clif! The can- non balls struck the old church in a dozen spots—the base of the steeple got it worst. ‘Its propped up now with tim- bers from the roof.”’ “Why?” 3 ‘‘T don’t fancy a little episode that occurred down below there just before | caine up.”’ ‘ ‘What was that?’’ ‘Tom and I had been conversing quite freely, never imagining an auditor. A sneeze made us start, I can tell you! and up slouched a man, and out.’’ “Who was he?”’ ‘“Some Spanish tramp who don’t under- stand English, I fervently hope! He’ didn’t appear to notice us, and he stag- gered as if he had just been sleeping off adebauch, but that may have all been put on.’’ ‘*Ror what purpose ?”’ —_ _ ‘- ‘ ‘pe? Sti ® y a” i a) %, gh . eh , 4 . ’ - . » 4) at o Mt Toe ‘ = > . ie , 7 i oo . ‘ * ‘aA ws - . > oe Ql “a, a, Ne aps 7 ow ee A“ an’ ‘ a ‘ a. ~ i ey ; 3A = “he —s * ~ " 4% Vow ™ oy" "4 Petar ’ sae - ity e- : y ~et al * bd ‘eo TP ee a eK v-" ¢ . . . wee at 4 i : a i «ee comicbooks.com ’ “= :