FLOYD GIBBONS
Adventurers' Club
"The Latch That Moved in the Night"
By FLOYD GIBBONS
Famous Headline Hunter.
ND today, boys and girls, it’s Mrs. Margaret Alexander of
Princeton, N. J., who tells us of her greatest thrill and
swells the long list of names already in the New Jersey con
tingent of the Adventurers’ club.
You folks who live In the man-made cliffs and canyons of Manhattan
might find it hard to picture yourselves alone In a lonely cabin high up
In the heart of the Rocky mountains, but try and do It. You will ap
preciate Margaret's story all the more.
Margaret was a city gal, too, and was suddenly whisked
away to the rugged gold mining country of Colorado. Dan Alex
ander, her late husband, was made superintendent of the Ruby
mine, out Weston Passway, some thirteen thousand feet above
sea level. That’s plenty high, just about ten times as high as
the Empire State building.
This was all back In D7 when Margaret's son was only four years
old and things weren't so settled and law-abiding In the gold districts as
they are now. The little family occupied a log cabin In the valley, some
miles from the mine and 20 miles away from the nearest neighbor.
Dan Left Margaret an Ivory Handled Six-Shooter.
When Dan had to ride Into town on business, as he did about
once a month, he always left an old ivory handled six-gun with
Margaret. The old gun was a gift from an early prospector and
bad a couple of significant notches in the handle. Margaret
knew how to use it, too.
One winter's day Dan hitched up his horses to the sleigh and rode
off for town after grub. He plnnned to be back that night, but he left
the six gun with Margaret just In case. Town was 21) miles through the
mountain passes.
Well, sir, Margaret says, her husband hadn't been gone many hours
before the snow begnn to fall. And what snow! It was the first real
heavy fall of the winter. All day long ns mother and son played before
the fire In the cozy log cabin the white flakes fell. As the drifts crept
higher and higher ngnlnst the cabin wall Margaret’s fears grew greater
and grenter. How would her husband ever get back?
As idght enme on the prospect of being snow-bound alone with her
baby in the cabin was terrifying.
The baby wasn’t a bit worried, Margaret says, but Just
dropped off to sleep as though nothing was wrong. The anxious
mother envied him. She tried sleeping, herself, but after tossing
for hours, got up, lighted the lamp, and began to write. Suddenly
she sat up straight, fear clutching at her heart.
A Hard-Visaged Mexican Knocked at the Door.
Somebody was rapping on the cabin door!
Margnret couldn’t believe her enrs. A visitor at this hour and dur
ing such a snowfall seemed impossible. She picked up the six-gun nnd
aHhwirtaU I
The Latch on the Door Wa« Slowly Moving.
opened the door. She recognized the visitor ns the cook from the camp,
but she wus not at all renssured. The cook was a hard-vlsaged Mexican
whom she hnd always Instinctively feared.
The man wanted to know If her husband hnd returned with the pro
visions he hnd gone for and Margaret was forced to admit that he had
not come and that In all probability he would not be able to come for
another day.
The Mexican muttered something and shuffled off through the
snow. Why had the man trudged through all the enow In the
da-kness of night to learn something he must have already
known? All thought of sleep now left her and she decided to sit
In a chair, gun In hand, facing the door, for the rest of the night.
The long night wore on. The stillness of the mountains In their soft
white mantle begnn to be frightfully oppressive. Eleven o’clock came and
went. She noticed through the window thnt the snow had stopped falling
and with the promise clenr weather gave for her husband’s early return,
she began to think that her fears and premonition of Impending evil that
possessed her were perhaps imaginary after all.
At Midnight Margaret's Nerves Were on Edge.
Midnight found her dozing In her chair. Suddenly n slight sound
brought every one of her nerves on edge. The sound came from the
door. She sat up tense and stared In the direction from which it came.
And as she did, Margaret says, she felt her hair rise.
The latch on the door was slowly moving!
Margaret brushed her hand across her eyes. She must be dreaming,
she thought. But no, It moved again! She watched the latch, fascinated.
Once more it rose and fell and the slight click told her she was not “see
ing things.” Thoughts of her baby sleeping peacefully In bis little bed
nerved her. She gripped the gun!
“Who’s there?” she asked In a shaking voice.
No answer! She waited. Her heart was In her mouth, she
•ays, but her eye, glued to the sights of her gun, never left the
latch. *
Right Through the Door She Shot Three Times.
The latch moved again—ever so slightly, and Margaret tired! Itlght
through the door she shot three times—stopping only to save the rest of
the bullets for un emergency.
Still not a sound came from outside. Inside the baby woke up crying.
“Is papa shot?" he asked. The question further terrified the mother.
The thought that she had perhaps killed some other child’s papa tortured
her. But she was afraid to open the door and look.
The baby went back to sleep and Margaret back to her lonely
vigil. She sat there rigid until the first streaks of gray lit up the
mountain sky. Dawn gave her courage and she opened the door.
And there on the doorstep, shot through the heart, was—the body of
a FOX!
A Fox Seeking Shelter Was the Target.
Yes. sir, a fox, seeking shelter from the storm, had actually tried to
lift the catch—as the smart animals are capable of doing—and Mar
garet's bullet had hit him as he stood on his hind legs.
'Well, sir, Margaret was sorry she had Bred and she shed a few tears
over the fate of her strange visitor. But Dan, when he returned, shed the
fox's skin and Margaret still has the fur piece to remind her of her night
of terror.
©—WNU Servfc*.
Granite Paper
Granite paper derives Its name
from Its appearance, which is
brought about by mixing short col
ored fibers with the pulp from
which the paper is made. These
fibers are very short and give the
paper a colored ’effect, depending
upon the fibers used, even though
the pulp Itself Is white. Unless
the eyesight Is very superior It Is
necessary to examine this paper with
a magnifying glass in order to dis
tinguish It from colored paper.
Odd Museums
In Fourges, the walled city near
Mont St. Michel, in France, there
la a museum devoted to shoes;
in Itouam, another devoted to the
art of the locksmith: in Arlen, one
to Ashing. Near the site of the Tro
cadero Is a museum devoted to
lighthouses, containing a variety of
models, and near the Prefecture Is
one which by documents and other
exhibits traces the development of
the Parisian police system from
1007.
^BRISBANE
THIS WEEK
If Russia Joined Japan
Not Heroic Action
Lloyd George Hopeful
England Still Safe
Editors talk about Asia, led by
Japan, conquering the world. They
might speculate
on a union be
tween Japan
and Russia.
Improbable,you
will say, truly,
but If Russlun
Japanese hostil
ity could be
changed Into
Russian - Japan
ese agreement a
new world chap
ter might open.
You hear of
Russia's “Red
army,” 1,300,000
Arthur Itrlalinnr .
men, thorough
ly armed, and 7,000,000 reserves.
You see photographs of Russia’s
amphibian tanks, mounted with ma
chine guns, rolling over the land
and swimming rivers; you rend
about Intensive training of tens
of thousands of Russian air pilots,
parachute jumpers, etc., and see
even the broad-shouldered young
Russian women drilling with rides.
Western Europe may have a prob
lem closer at hand than Japnn.
Our British cousins In the Revo
lution cheerfully let loose howling,
scalping Indians on their cousins
In the American colonies, and bol
shevism might cheerfully turn Asi
atic killing efficiency against west
ern “capitalism.”
You remember how cheerfully the
great historian Gibbon predicted
that, In the American war, “with
firmness all may go well," because
"Scotch Highlanders, Irish, Han
overians, Canadians, Indians, etc.,
will all In various shapes be em
ployed."
There Is no reason why Russia
of 1936 should he more squeamish
now than England at the end of the
Eighteenth century.
Lloyd George, who ought to know
about Europe and war since he and
old Clemenceau won the big war,
tells Universal Service this present
war Is "off," France having learned
that “even her most ardent friends
In Europe shrink from war.”
Lloyd George declares that peace
“without derogating from the dig
nity of any of the powers" will be
preserved. If France does not mnke
It Impossible.
Lloyd George says not 1 per cent
of Englishmen would vote for war,
and not 10 per cent for employing
sanctions agalust Germany.
If enough rich Americans go to
England to “escape kidnapers" the
kidnapers may move over after
them, ns professional gamblers fol
low on big ships. London police ar
rested Alfred Molyneux, thirty-one,
trying to extort $1,000 from the
Countess Harbara Ilutton Haug
wttz-lteventlow, offering to reveal
a plot to kidnap her baby. Police
knew by the moderate price It could
not be an American "snatcher" or
confederate. Easily caught, the
young man confessed he had Invent
ed the plot.
With “visibility cut to zero,’’ street
lights burning by day, not visible
across the street, dust storms are
blowing over parts of Oklahoma,
Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico.
lty such displays of nature's pow
er, for which man’s foolishness Is
responsible, fertile areas of the
world have been changed to deserts.
A bill that would have limited
work to five working days of six
hours, or thirty hours a week. Is
dead In congress for the time being.
It would have given workers twer.
ty-four hours MIT on Saturday and
Sunday, eighteen hours off on every
other day—eight hours for sleep,
“ten for what we will.” All that
will come some day, but not by
discouraging Improved machinery.
An Intelligent young man who
fought well In the big war speaks
of “the 2-to-l’’ advantage which
modern methods give to the defense
over the uttaek. To let the other
man or nation come at you, If you
are prepared, has been wise In the
past.
It might be different In future
wnrs, If the attacker, with a couple
of thousand airplanes, dropping ex
plosive bombs and poison gas,
should surprise the enemy. “De
fense” would have no 2-to-l advan
tage over that sort of attack.
Lloyds, the great English Insur
ance concern, at tirst refused to In
sure against war at any price. Now
Lloyds will Insure, otherwise “bet,”
nine and a half to one against war
within six months. Wail Street
wanted this news and of course
cheered up.
The governor of Campeche In
Mexico, rfter keeping all churches
In Ills state closed for more than
a year and a half, now permits all
to reopen.
A fight against religion often
Starts violently, to wind up feebly.
O Ktu* Features Syndicate, Inc.
WNtl Service.
A Charming Needlecraft
Picture to Embroider
WAAAAAAA A A AAA
PATTERN 5297
The old time well—the bucket
hanging there, Just waiting to be
embroidered In Its natural setting.
And what a lovely and colorful wall
hanging you’ll have when finished!
lou can use as many bright threads
as fancy dictates when you begin to
“paint” the old fashioned garden in
lazy-dalsy. French knots, running
and single stitch. And you needn’t
frame the panel—Just line It,and hang
It up.
In -pattern 5297 you will find a
transfer pattern of a wall hanging
15 by 20 Inches; a color chart; mate
rial requirements; illustrations of all
stitches needed : directions for finish^
ing wall hanging.
Send 13 cents in stamps or coins
(coins preferred) to The Sewing Cir
cle, Household Arts Dept., 259 West
Fourteenth Street, New York, N. Y.
Token of the Timei
An Okmulgee (Okla.) hardware
store customer was unfamiliar with
Oklahoma’s new one mill sales tax
tokens until this happened: “Have
you a mill?” asked the clerk after
a dime purchase. “Oh, I've an old
one, but how much are they?” The
clerk sold him a $4.85 sausage mill.
Here artPenkcl
Baking Results/
I sc°^aZ
/:f^> - ”
This actual scoring card
how cakts. baked wi
CLABBER GIRL, show
{erfect scores where
akioi Powder coants.
only I 0 everywhere_
Wrestling With Scowls
Still Sport in Japan
Among the few surviving old
sports in Japan, wrestling still re
tains all the color nnd ceremony of
the past. In the ring, Samuel H. |
[ Walnwrlght, .Tr.. writes In "Tleauty
I In Japan,” wrestlers face each other
with fists on the ground and fierce
looks on their faces. If either is up
set by the scowl of the other, he
calls for time out, each returns to
his corner, sips water and starts all
over again.
JTPIMPLES
y from surface conditions^
'w need not be endured.
rMako your skin clearer j^Ek.
easy and smoother with
soothing
rResino
'
BANK PAYMENT ( SELL TMATOLD
ISnext INe **J «*«£Sf '
S!'- '1*™ ■ - anH&
SKINFLINT/
HE'LL PUT
SOMETHING
OVER ON YOU
IF HE CAN!g
<-what's the
COST OF
OPERATING
THIS TRUCK
R>R A YEAR,
INCLUDING GPS,
MEANNESS MAY^fWOULDN'T TAU^f^*
m LOSE US A SWELL( -IF YOU HAD K\ '* *
;; j order / don> you) mv headaches I?' ||
8 MR. MERRILL f| INDIGESTION
||truck UNE
H1'-SUPPOSE I
woRSE*jp^^H
r y ***»« <g
ffe X flpff A
■M DRIVES ME A
* S our/jf
OF COURSE, you know that children should never
drink coffee. But do you realize that the caffein
in coffee disagrees with many grown-ups, too?
If you are bothered by headaches or indigestion,
or find it difficult to sleep soundly . . . caffein may
be to blame.
Isn’t it worth while to try Postum for 30 days?
Postum contains no caffein. It is simply whole wheat
and bran, roasted and slightly sweetened. It is easy
to make, and costs less than one-half cent a cup. It’s
a delicious drink, too ... and may prove a real help.
A product of General Foods. O iss*. a. r. cone
FREE —let us send you your first week’s supply J
of Postum free! Simply mall the coupon.
General Foods, Battle Creek, Mich. w. n. u_a-ta-aa
Send me, without obligation, a week's supply of Postum.
City_State —
Fill in completely, print name and address.
If you live in Canada, address: General Foods, Ltd.,
Cobourg, Ont. (Offer expires Dec. 31. 1936.)
*» MILVIN PURVIS *ar •■MAW
MELVIN PURVIS,
formerly Ameri
- ca’s ace G-Man,
who directed the capture of
Dillinger, "Pretty Boy” Floyd,
"Baby Face" Nelson, and many
others. Mr. Purvis herein re
veals the methods used in cap
turing criminals. Names have,
of course, beenchanged. Today
Melvin Purvis describes the
capture of the "Barkus Gang”
—which had just raided a bank
in a small Illinois town. When
the G-Men arrived there were
no clues until .. .
the SCRAM CHART
THEY WERE USING FOR
A GETAWAYl YOU BET
MR PURVIS. OOES THIS IT MEANS SOMETHING!
MEAN ANYTHING? IT ^
BLEW OUT THE WINDOW
OF THAT GANG'S CAR
AS IT SPED PAST
MY GROCERY.
a 11. f' /IV S*
HERE'S HOW A SCRAM CHART WORKS: SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE THE
ROBBERY, THE BANDIT CAR DRIVES CAREFULLY OVER THE ROUTE
PLANNED FOR THE GET-AWAY, SELECTING LITTLE-USED ROADS. EXACT
MILEAGES ARE NOTED ON THE CHART. WHEN THE BANDIT CAR DRIVES
UP TO THE BANK, THE MILEAGE GAUGE IS SET AT ZERO. WHEN THE
CAR ROARS AWAY FROM THE SCENE OF THE ROBBERY, A BANOIT
CALLS OFF THE MILEAGES AT WHICH TURNS ARE TO BE MADE.
•3/IOTHS OF A MILE, RIGHT TURN...2-1/2 MILES, LEFT TURN." ETC.
I"’?
1#t
G**
G^°
MV HUNCH IS THAT WHEN THEY LOST THAT V
SCRAM CHART, THEY HAD TO CHANGE THEIR B
WHOLE PLAN OF GET AWAY I THINK THEY'LL B
KEEP ON THE MAIN HIGHWAY TO THE BORDER B
-AND I'M GOING TO MEAD THEM OFF! I Jj|
KNOW A SHORT CUT TO THE CROSS ROAD... I
STEP OH IT AND WE'U CATCH BARKUS YET!®
AT THE CROSSROADS
THERE THEV GO!
WE RE TOO LATE
TO STOP THEM!
f STICK tM UP, JOE \ f )
| barkus! weve j j its melvin purvis! j
I GOT VOU AND YOUR I L, /
I GANO OEAO TO J y—
V RIGHTS THIS time! J ^ v
(t t* m - _ . i Cl m
/JOIN MY JUNIOR G-MEN!
I BOYS AND GIRLS!.. I'LL SEND YOU FREI this regulation size junior
V G-MAN BADGE...ENROLL YOU ON THE SECRET ROLL OF MY JUNIOR G-MEN... ANO SEND
I YOU A BIG EXCITING BOOK THAT TELLS YOU ALL ABOUT CLUES. SECRET COOES. INVISIBLE
eled in blue. I WRITING, SELF-DEFENSE... OTHER 'INSIDE* INFORMATION THAT ONLY G-MEN KNOW...READ
V BELOW M0W 10 J0IN AN0 GET THE8E AN0 MV ,B OTHSS free gifts!
'"POST toasties are the finest
^breakfast treat ever!” says
Melvin Purvis—"I eat ’em for
breakfast every morning!” And
when you taste those crisp, golden
flakes, you’ll agree with him!
For Post Toasties are made from
the tender, sweet little hearts of
the corn, where most of the flavor
is. And each golden flake is toasted
double crisp so it keeps its crunchy
goodness longer in milk ox cream.
Get Post Toasties, "The Better
Corn Flakes" ; ; ; and join the
Junior G-Man Corps!
TO JOINt send coupon (at right)
with 2 Post Toasties box-tops to
Melvin Purvis. He’ll send official
Junior G-Man baflge, Instruction
Manual for Junior G-Men, acd a
big catalog showing many OTHER
FREE PRIZES.
A POST CEREAL
MADE BY GENERAL FOODS
,
, MELVIN PURVIS, w * r 8'J3"38 I
j */• Post Toasties, Battle Creelc, Michigan j
■ Please send me the Official Badge, Instruction J
• Manual, and catalog of FREE PRIZES. Here are 1
, my 2 Post Toasties box-tops. Boy ( ) Girl ( ). I
| Name___J
J Address____ I
i * I
^{Offerexpires Dec. 31.1936 andisgoodonlyinUS. A.)
*“ "* “* "* "" * "" •* “““ *— —■ mm mmm
