Show I The EVERLASTING MT WHISPER fl PER J By y Jacks J Jackson i m Gregory gOry by rl Sons vie Sir CHAPTER VIII VII-Continued VIII 13 13 downto Gloria tr tried tried tred ed to stare him down to wither him with the fire of he her theman scorn to brave by him But the man an all emotion having receded from his eyes was once more lIke so much mach rock but rock endowed with dormant power of n On the Instant It became clear to her that physically King was the master So for the first time she began a certain logical line of thought seeking to shape her own plans Please listen to me seriously King said quietly to her I cant can't talk long to you Heres Here's the point this Is la trove treasure we got here first Its It's up to us to hold It It Can CanI I count on you sticking sUcking on the job your fathers father's and your own job as much as mine until we make a go goor goof goof or of It Glorias Gloria's spite was lively and bitter In her distorted vision blurred by passIonate anger she ehe cried out quickly So now that the odds are agaInst you you come como cringing to tome tome tome me do you Again she was misled Into fancying that she held beld a whip whip- whip hand hand over him Answering your question I would trust Mr Gratton Grattan any day rather than you Be He at least Is not quite the brute and bull bully that you are arc King was hardly disappointed At least you have given ghen a straight answer he muttered That Is something Now he shaped his plans swiftly and carefully knowing where she stood Henceforth he be would merely consider er her his chief handicap with him lIim but against him King stood tood at the caves cave's mouth fronning fro Into the ever thickening ever smother of the storm It struck him clearly and forcefully that he had but one thing to do to trust that his vies DIes did not have han such full as had fallen Into his hands and to see to It that he gave them no help First he would bring with him all nil that he could manage manngE- to carry with the re rest t of his necessary necessary necessary sary load Enough to help Ben nor Gay Gny- Gaynor nor over a n crisis enough raw gold to slam down before some San Fran Francisco cisco capitalist together with a tale which would make any man eager to stake the owner owner to what loan he asked lie He would get provIsions snowshoes a dog team If It necessary a 8 couple of ot trusted men to come with him he would be he back here within the week But first before be went he be would strive to make as sure as a man roan could that BrodIes BrodIe's crowd did not find the golden hoard He De went a second time far tar back into the darkness of the farther tarther cave carrying a smoking torch as before vanishing from Glorias Gloria's eyes She had but to snitch snatch sn up the few tew things she meant to take with her herto to go out out to find her way down the cliffs cliffs- She hesitated and time passed At length King returned She noted that his coat was off of that In It it as In a bag he be carried something heavy beavy This goes with us wherever we wego wego wego go he announced trIumphantly Its Us a big breathing spell for Ben Gaynor He Re dumped It t out there were other lumps like the two he bad brought back the first time It U you can whip up enough en- en endurance endurance en endurance durance for the work ahead of us he be announced Impersonally we stand a good chance of getting out of this Otherwise we stand a whole lot better show v of being caught here and freezing and star v starving ing lag to death A storm like this thisbe he be told her may blow Itself out soon and It may keep on for a long longtime longtime U time e As It Is well we'll j ave our work cut out for us If this keeps up all afternoon and all night He De shrugged you mean that then we wc couldn't get out at all she asked sharply King nodded and be began an his bis Bacon to the last small scrap and lined fat rind coffee cof- cof fee cot tee fee to the once-boiled once dregs In the pot pot coffee he be packed carefully Then he be took up the discarded articles and hid them under some loose dirt In a remote black corner of ot the cave Ten minutes later inter he had first his bis pack then Gloria l gotten d safely down the cliffs a and they started Gloria was at every step by the expectation of ot coming pres pres- presently presently to their horse and of having nothing to do from then on but to hold to the pommel and have bave King lead her on to an ultimate sate safety tySo So when they came to the spot wb King had tethered his bis horse borse Gloria an re was no horse there simply collapsed King tang stared about him with an almost equal conster consler consternation nation I Leaving Gloria he be put down rifle and pack and hurried down Into the hollow where he had tethered his the horse borse Five minutes of reading rending signs In the snow told him the story over the ridge I A bear had hall come up had bad frightened the horse Into break breaking ing Its tether and running SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS Mark King Klof prospector pr tor b I on en hi hie wa way to the th summa horn bom of hit hil hi partner OeD Ben a Gaynor King Kins and md Gaynor thai share with a dee desperado de p rdo Swen Swea Brodie and end bl bk crowd of ofa o a vast v t tor tor of 01 o hidden bidden told gold King Is 4 impressed by b GlOriA Glorias Gloria's youthful beauty Amon Among Amont Gaynor guest is II I Gratton Crotton whom KIn King at once dislike Gloria Corla and b her br r mother return to San Son Francisco In a spirit of o adventure the girl I companies Grotto Cratton on a business bu ine trip At Coloma she be finds find her tether rather badly b hurt Ii H lie give her ber a message for or King KIn Gloria realizes realize r h h bas baa ha compromised I herself by hy her Journ journey with Gratton Cratton H propos prepo prop marriage and Gloria knowin knowing her adventure I Is i th Ur the tAlk t lk of ot San Francisco apparently accept accepts him Gratton ar- ar arranges ranges for lor or the marriage King Kine Kin unseen by Gloria watches the c ceremony remony from ITom roin D a window window At the Lilt last moment the lh girl Irl refuses refuse to utter the requisite yes yu ye King ent enters ra and Gloria ap appeals Db to him for lor protection Gratton dismissed di diml ml sed reveal reveals hl hi knowledge of the treasure and makes make threat ats With his bis hi departure ture Kin King heartened by Glorias Gloria's Gloria ap appeal to him urge her ber to marry marTY him bim Really ReaDy In love with him and seeing a way out of 01 her br b r dilemma th Ur the girl iri irl consents consent Gaynor Caynor message menace to King Km reveals the approximate location of the tr treasure and end uru urges Kin King ing to so go at once and secure It After the wedding c ceremony remony Gloria n the necessity for tor rest rut after lifter her trying experience King Kins leave leaves her end prepares for his bit trip N Next morning Gloria on going with him bim hi On the Journey her ber overwrought nerve give way in hysteria 4 the she admits adroit to 10 King r that he married him only to lave tave are her ber name from Irom coulp go lp King renounce her but refuses f to take her ber borne home declaring he I Is under promise to her ber father lather to les I les-ie les no time seeking reeking the gold rold She Sh unable to find her ber way home bome alone b ha has to ec ac- ac company compan ny him Her Het hors bone goes gat roc Lun lame and tb they y bars ban to abandon It but King Ki Kion k keep p on He H finds the gold rold Gloria resents reseals hi his giving h her r orders She he baa I seen em amok mok from a campfire and threatens to make her way to It It King know th the party must be tx Brodie BrodI Brodle's and of COUT course forbids It I King came back slowly and sat down do on his pack ills His lips tight tight- tightened tightened ened The afternoon was passing and the dark would come early Are Are you up to crowding ahead on foot he called to Gloria She Slie moaned miserably I am sick I am dying I I cant can't go on King grunted disgustedly Well go back to the cave for tor the nIght after all he lie told her quietly Stand Stan up I But Glorias Gloria's head moved ed the slightest bit In sidewise negation her pale lips stirring soundlessly What asked King I cant can't came her lier whisper Youve got to he be Informed her crisply Do you want to lie here bere j I and dl die e tonight I dont don't care said Gloria list list- listlessly listlessly list listlessly lessly He lie turned awa away took up his pack and gun set his back square upon her and trudged oft off toward the only shelter that was theirs He e edid did not turn to look behind hIm until he had gone fully half halt of the wa way to the cave Then he dropped his bur burden en and went back to her lIe He had meant to storm at her bel herto to stir her Into activity Ity by the lash lash- lashIngs lashings ings lags of his rage But Instead he stooped and gathered her up Into his arms and carried her through the storm shielding her body all that he could The climb was hard and slow and more than ever before filled with danger But in the end It was done again they were In Gus Ingles Ingle's cave care King built a fire left Gloria lying by it and went back for his pack When he returned she iad not moved Ue lIe made a bed bedfor bedfor bedfor for her bel placed her ber on It and cov coy covered covered ered Bred her with his own blanket hanket Then lie he boiled some coffee and made her drink It It She obeyed again and dropped back upon her hard bed and shut her bel eyes ees With a quick quickening ening alarm In his eyes be he stood by the smoky fire staring at nt her bel to hardship her deli dell delicate delicate cate body was already beaten with still further farther hardship to come might she not die not die And what would Mark King say to Ben Den Gay Gay- Gaynor Gaynor Gaynor nor even If be he brought back much raw red gold If It It had cost the lIfe of Ben Gaynor's daughter He e drew off ot her boots and stock stock- stockIngs stockings ings hugs and found that her feet teet were terrIbly cold lie He e wrapped them In hot bot blankets and hastened to set a pot of water on the coals the water warmed he be knelt and chafed her feet between his palms Finally the dead white began to give place to a faint taint pinkness like Uke n a blush and again he put the blan blanket ket about them She had not moved mo nc He e hesItated a moment then the urgent teed being more evident he began swift swiftly t- t ly to undo her outer garments The boyish shirt he be unbuttoned and man man- managed managed managed aged to remove lie He noted her bel un undergarments silken and foolish lit little tie tle things with amazement she had bad known no better than to wear such nonsensical affairs on a trip like this I Good G-d G G d what dId she know But he lie did not pause In his labors until he be bad slipped on off the wet clothing Then he be wrapped her In another warm blanket and placed her on her bed her feet teet to the blaze All of the time she probably was hardly conscious Now only she opened her eyes stirred slightly eased herself Into a new poSition cuddled her face against a bare arm sighed and went to sleep CHAPTER IX A LL night King kept his fire blaz- blaz blazIng blazing blaz-AA blaz ALL A Ing Ills nerves were frayed Within his soul he prayed mutely that when morning came Gloria would be alive alI With the first sickly streaks of dawn he came to stoop over the girl Irl and listen to her breathing Then he be descended the cliffs for more wood In the noose of his rope be dragged up the cliff much dead deadwood deadwood deadwood wood While be he waited for lor the cof cof- coffee fee tee to boll he took careful stock of 01 provisions ons For two people there was enough for some twenty meals food for about a week He De even counted his rounds of ammunition here alone he be was affluent lie He had bad badIn hadin hadin In the neighborhood of a hundred cartridges for tor the rifle ride While he was setting the gun aside he felt GlorIas GlorIa's eyes upon him De Ill ad- ad addressed ad addressed dressed her with prompt frankness Inside fifteen minutes wee weve we've got gotto gotto gotto to be on our way out As we go gowell well we'll look for the horse But find It or not were we're going The storm Is over then No 0 But we ve are not going to wait We have food for only six or seven days at the most She let her eyes droop to the fire so that the ll lids ls hid them from him It was not yet full day it was still snowIng Gratton and the men with hIm would of course have ample supplies She yearned feverIshly to be rid of King and his Intolerable domineering I am tired out she said faIntly still not looking up I cant can't go goon goon goon on lie stared at her bel There was a alush flush on her cheeks Ills old fear surged back on him Gloria was go- go goIng going go going ing to lIe diel didi I So he did what Gloria had counted on having him do he be hastened to serve ser her a piping hot piping breakfast of ot crisp bacon hot cakes and jam Hers was the victory Mark King was again waiting on I onI her her hand and foot toot sacrificing for tor I am going to look for the horse he told her But dont don't count too much on my success When he be had gone she scram scrambled bled up and went vent to peer out No sound out there She sought eager eager- eagerly eagerly ly Iy for some sign of Gratton There I was none But he be would come soon I he be must She would walt wait waft hopIng for Gratton's coming before Kings King's return Making Slaking his way back to the point where Buck had bad broken his tether King came to the place whence the horse borse had fled fied Ue He knew that be be- beyond beyond beyond yond two ridges was the valley of the giant sequoias There a horse would find water shelter and grass If I he failed to find the animal there well well then Buck was well on the trail or lost to King In one of a thousand places When at last he came to the grove of big trees as he be had more than half halt expected be he found noth noth- nothIng noth- noth nothing nothing ing Gloria told herself herselt when King had gone that she was glad to tobe tobe tobe be alone Five FI minutes later she began to stir restlessly another five minutes and already she ehe was lIstening for his return She drew on her boots and walked up and down Repeatedly she was tempted to go forth goforth and seek Gratton to hunt bunt up and down until at last she camE cameto cameto to him She sought to tell herself that she was not afraid of the snow of being lost of being unable to find Gratton But she could not climb down the cliff cUrt she knew v that she would fall tall Dizzy and sick shiv- shiv shivering shiv shivering ering with dread and cold she turned back ack always She Site let her fire die down not no- no noticing noticing no noticing It Then the cold reminded her ber and she worked long building another She knew where a block of matches was she had seen King set it carefully away In her ex- ex excitement ex excitement she struck dozens of matches dropping the burnt ends about her At last the fire blazed up and slit she warmed her herself elt Then she was con con- conscious conscious of a stran strange e faintness and realized that she was hungry She opened a tin of sardines and came back to the fire with It In her bel hands She had no clear concep concep- tion conception concepion ion of the deed when half halt of the fish consumed the smelly stuff stuer revolted her and she hurled the remaining part Into Inlo the bed of coals King stamped the loose Snow from his boots and came In Gloria stood confronting him tense rI rigid faced ld white faced her bands stiff at her sides The The- surge of her relief liba like lib a suddenly released current Impact ing Impacting with that other oilier current of her heri unleashed un anger cr made of her ber con |