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Show By Herbert Robinson ? Adapted from the Pntheserial by 4' Frank Leon Smith d Copyright by Pathe Exchange, Inc. J CHAPTER IX J n Hungry Flames ! Out In Haunted Valley, Ruth I your remark and I have come to V r- Ranger's cowboy companion was be- offer you a ten-day extension on ! r tl coming greatly worried, ho cc q. not And his lovely employer could not understand how she . disappeared. However, ho fin II managed to pick up her trail wl led to the grotto. As the c 0. puncher approached, he heard e, cries for help. There was no of reaching her at that entrance i't the cowboy made his way aroun 0 tho other opening. Here he II L the iron bars and after a terrific . fort managed to extrlcato tho :l from her perilous position. While this was going on, Hi R Malllnson was making the last m to incriminate Craig Tn the eyei c- the girl he loved. Malllnson carried Craig, unconscious, from cr office, and ordered his men to rt posit him in a gulch facing , grotto. Consequently, ' as I emerged, sho found Craig lylnj the ground coming back to 'r, iclousness. In "Well, what havo you got ir, say?" the girl asked c- "I I heard your voice thrc ths radio," Cratg answered, "but ifore I could rnswer I was attai 'from behind. Brennon gave me M key to the office adjoining Mallln w Jand the radio was turned et iHaunted Valley. I tell you, R du this Is all a part of Malllni deviltry. The room Is part of office." hn "Prove your statement, "B Craig. Show us this myster room where you were so brutall; ! tacked." a Craig whirled around and sau smiling face of Malllnson. It ar him deeper to see that Ruth by turned the smile. Evidently Mo son was succeeding In winning ' the girl's faith. And now Malll Insisted that they return to his flee he wanted proof. Craig re. extremely puzzled, ed "Is this the office where all nd dreadful things happened, Craig?" Malllnson asked. The i . .. Craig saw before him was the i ' room he had been confined in, tho furniture was missing and showed itself everywhere. " office has keen vacant for monl Malllnson imlled. Craig was nf 'shed. " all Ruth," he -faltered, ihero is sc H thing queer about this." er Ruth looked from one man to T other. "I must have time to thl , sho answered. 01 Eugene Craig saw there nothing to do but leave the of he He soon found himself on the st to and walking around to the sld re tho building. Hero he was as ,r ished to see a van standing. jd office furniture pn the slaev about to be loaded. As the wi men were probably on the elevi III Craig hastened to examine co pieces. ik A large oak desk occupied his to tentlon first. He chanced to ope R drawer and saw 6ome papers I ,,j Interested him at once. Three newspaper clippings calling the p He's attention to the deaths 'r Dirks, Denslow and Sharkey. T lo there, was a small pleco of wl s paper on which were Inscribed f r names: Dirks', Denslow's, Sharki j and his own. The first three nai ,f had checks opposite them. Ci smiled. Evidently It was his t next. However, the young man B termlned to have It out with N s Union at once. In his office, Henry Mallln n was questioning his secretary, n "Did you get all the papers t were In the other room?'' he ask e Vivian Delamar nodded. "You aura then," he continued, "noth kl was left In Sharkey'a desk?" "Quite." the girl answered bef d leaving the room. - "Hero are some papers that w 1. not removed from Sharkey's des! j Malllnson whirled around in j chair and beheld Craig standing hind him. That young man I cleverly entered through Malllnsc s secret panel. 0 "You are a clever man, Mai aon," Craig went on, "and I h going to prove to Miss Ranger ) d now clever you are." With that e left the room. a In the offices of Ranger, I . Ruth had left orders that sne .wo see no one no one excepting He 0 Malllnson. Craig was up ogalnsi ' "Then unless Lost River Dan: d completed this week, you cannot the million," her vlce-prestd Weatherby, was saying. "Yes," the girl answered, " things are In a serious condlt ,r They have Just taken our best glneer to the hospital. The dan "j completely tied up." a At that moment, Malllnson en - ed. "Ruth," he said, "I overht iuiu yuur juiiii, ii mui win ncip yon. and Ruth was profuso In her thanks to had Malllnson and Weatherby also ally showed his appreciation. ,-: ilch As the girl left the office, she en- ' ow- countered Crnlg. "Sharkey was her right about Malllnson," Craig began, ;. way "he Is at the bottom of all your .so troubles." f, J l Ruth looked at Craig curiously. , nc.a 'I beg your pardon," she replied, u ,'. "Mr. Malllnson has just demon- t gitl strated his friendship In a very welcome manner. But If you want " ii :nry to really serve me. go and take "$ tep charge at Lost River Immediately. 1 vi oj will bo down later." 1 hi, Craig was at a loss just how to . $ T' answer. Malllnson, after all, had ' Ihe Botten the upper hand. It was It " jf tilth na,urnl that ho was discouraged. As .4 i on no wa,kel down the corridor, he en- , ' ' countered Dlnny. The youngster v S greeted cheerily. $ t "Listen, Dlnny," Craig confided, "If you see or hear anything sus- Jj niffh Pilous around these diggings, re- ' be- port ,0 mo nt onco ot the llam.' JS -ked Malllnson was extremely pleased , yf "the wlm hlmsolf. As he wondered what ' ' his next movo would be, tho door A ., ' of his office opened and a beautiful but flashy-looking girl entered. -J She evidently did not believe In . $ h,t wasting any time, for she Immedl- ately blurted out to Malllnson: "I 1 Mr must havo flvo hundred dollars. , $ ,i' Brennon is In Jail on your account fn," and 1 haven't a dime. I'm Hazel M f 01 Vernon, his fiancee." 1 , ,no Malllnson could not help but smile. 7$ en an Idea came to him. Jj ... He lost no time in confiding It to his m hi- visitor. "And remember nls name . 'J u""k Is Eugeno Craig call him 'Gene,'" h he finished. n80T "I'll take the Job," Miss Vernon wfla answered. ' With tho contract date close at tn. hand, the main dam at Lost River m- was completed. However, Import- ' ,oom' ant work on tho machinery, spill- inme wavs and Eroding was still unflnlsh- u b't ed. To Eugeno Craig all the credit du8t was due, for he had worked like a Thl, beaver. Ruth was aware of this, ; u. , and sho wondered If, perhaps, she ' ' ' ' had judged the young man too . nu harshly. ' H me- "Yes, Mr. Craig Is sure a hustler,' 4 one of the foremen was confiding to ; tne Ruth. "Things have been humming since he got here." , ' "Beg pardon, where can I find was Gene Craig?" , 'A flcc Ruth and foreman turned and be-reet be-reet held a rather flashy-dressed young v , 0f woman. Ruth felt a bit annoyed Jm ton- over tne familiarity of the girl with ' Jj nfjtn Craig. ' talk "He's In his office over there In jfk. that shed," the foreman answered. ltor Hazel Vernon thanked the man and thd jtarted in that direction. Ruth a watched her for a moment then her . at. curiosity got the better of her and I n a she followed and approached the Ihat shed where the girl entewd. Ruth 1 ,erc did not intend exactly to become an 1 UD. eavesdropper, but she could not help 1 of but overhear a strange conversation. ' i hen "You can't stall me any more," -jj Irite sho heard a feminine voice say, "I . f our wn't stand for it. You Just don't y'B love mo any more and you won't , nei como out and tell mo so. I tell you, . J alg you can't throw me down, you are 3 urn breaking my heart. I I Just can't de- Hve without you." ' T lal- If Ruth was startled, Craig was ) amazed beyond description. He was ) son about to deny any relationship with the girl when she whipped out a hat revolver and attempted to shoot her-ed. her-ed. self- Craig sprang to her side, and ; are the revolver went off, the bullet ! Ing pierced the side of an oil barrel. At ' ' that moment Ruth rushed Into tho ore shack. I "Ruth!" Craig shouted, "don't M ere listen to her, it's a trick a trick to- let" turn you against me." his But Ruth rushed to the girl's side. , be- and In so doing she upset the barrel lad of oil, which ran all over her skirt. m's Craig attempted to Intervene, but without success, and as Ruth nt-lln- tempted to leave the shack she- , am brushed against a blow-torch stand-ust stand-ust Ing Just outside tho door. Craig; he shouted as he saw the flame Ignite the girl's skirt. Ruth, however paid nc, no heed to the proferred assistance uld but plunged into a sluiceway and nry was swept along by tho swift waters, t It. A look of horror passed over i Is Craig's face as he saw just ahead pay of her the water wheel, turning with ent, a deadly rapidity, and he dove into the sluiceway to save Ruth from and being crushed by It. He swam mad- , Ion. ly, overtook the girl, and tried to '' en- swim back with her against tho i Is current But they were steadily thrown back by the current toward a ter- the menacing water wheel. 1 :ord (To be continued) |