Show F t Everlasting l Whisp er erm m fp t 4 r I 6 W M a qa l a d q y 0 C n ec CHAPTER Continued X-Continued X Continued 14 14 My Iy life lire Is my own to do with It as I please I do not please to obey your commands Her tortured tortu d heart surged up Dp In wild triumph j as he turned It sank sickly as ns he came back lie Ie had aPiece a apiece apiece piece of ot rope In his hand You would tie me mel I she gasped Mel gasped Me I No Ao he said tersely As is though you were here any other fractious animal refusIng discipline when refusal means menns death I am going to whip whipyou whipyou whipyou you I 1 O G G dl I screamed Gloria Oh my G-d G G d I For again he but said simply the HIe thing which he meant to do And she knew v While I count three said King And steadily though there was a pallor on his own face Cace whIch should have hae told her the terrible re- re relentlessness re- re relentlessness re of ot his Intention he be counted One two three She willed to move moye to obey at this tardy second but something within her stronger than herself held her back I wont won't I she screamed The blow v fell swiftly I IThe The pain was Immediate hot anti and searing and Gloria shrieked once shrieked only and and then grew still She Mapped her hands an looked at him her face as white as a dead girls girl's her eyes eyes as ns unfathomable as asa osa n a maniacs maniac's A lash flash as of ot white tire fire flared through her brain Some Some- Something Something Something thing had hud been killed within heror her her- heror her heror or something had been born bom I wont won't go with you YOU ou she crIed You may beat me you ou may kill killme killme killme me if you ou like unthinkable brute that you u arc are I will not Coil follow ow you YO y i-y jJ I- I II T I will never follow one oni step a You will do what I 1 tell you to todo todo todo do he lie said sahl thickly thickly- It Is the only way I will make you Blazing eyes ees burning In a white death death death- white face Cace gave sae him his only an answer an- an answer answer Ills own face now nov was noless no noless noless less white Iron bodied as he was he be was trembling Yet he lifted the rope To strike the second blow She could not restrain a shudder ot of her ber flesh llesh But she meant what f she he had said or what some re- re reborn re- re reborn re reborn born Gloria had said for Cor her he might kill her but she would not follow him And then Mark King as he was about to strike stayed his hand at atthe atthe atthe the last moment and hurled hurled the rope far from him and whirled and left lefther lefther lefther her Some way he lie came to the base ot of the cliffs lie Ie was conscious ot of but one fact In all the world about It everything e else turned and spun as sweep the bodies of ot the sky about the sun lie fie Mark King had bad struck a n woman De DC had struck Gloria Ills His friends friend's daughter daughter Bens daughter tie fIe who had held him I 1 i J JI I 4 The Pain Was Immediate Hot and Searing and Gloria Shrieked self seH a man had struck a woman woman-a woman girl 1 I A little defenseless girl He De would have given ten years of oC thE span of ot his life lICe to have the deed ot of one mad moment wiped clean What could l I do She would perish without help hence he must help her But how There was but butone butone butone one possible answer Ue Ile must leave her and get back the thc shortest and andS andsen way to civilization trustworthy taco Dlen S sen n other men I S her cr That would mean sev sevel el s 's alone for Gloria but what else was there In a distressed mental condition In which the only solid ground be be- beneath beneath neath him was his determination to todo todo todo do to the uttermost that lay with with- withIn within within in him for Gloria he broke Into mutterings Ive l got to leave her tier She wont won't ont go with me That means l Ive I've e got to leave leafe her every scrap of food two we have ha between us I can go two days without eating I cnn cant I Her Der one danger Is Brodle Brodie Otherwise she would be safe enough for four tour or five days I can get out In two days back In In two days Somehow Allow five days to coyer cover accidents FIve da days s 's she can stick It out five days It If I dont don't take a scrap of her food awa away from her Oh OhI I can make It It Is up lip to me to tomake tomake tomake make It Ill I'll get a fish sooner or or later or a rabbit A man can eat his boots After Arter a long time long time he went went back to the cave cae Gloria faced him as he came In Her Der head was up there were spots of oC color In her ber cheeks In In her eyes was a new look She had found Cound herself herselt Or she was finding find find- findIng finding ing herself he Her spirit had risen un undaunted daunted In a crisis In a clash of wills hers had not gone gODe down before be before t fore re his Rather nather it had been hers that had triumphed With head bead erect she awaited his speech Ue lie began saying very simply what he had decided must be said The first fir t thing tiling In the mornIn morning he be told her I am going over the ridge and to the headwaters of oC the theother theother theother other fork Cork Ive I've got ot a n bunch hunch a bears bear's In there It will probably be he dark d before beCore I 1 get back bacle I may even eyen be gone all night It If I am It will be because I 1 am playing the last card If I dont don't get back tomorrow night It will be because I am trying to break through to civilization Ill I'll outfit a 0 party and send them In for you You have food here to keep you alive allye a week If It you spin It out You threatened once to go to those other men no matter what happens you must not do that You dont don't quite understand what some men are You would be better dead than In their hands Never forget tha that t If It the worst should happen and they came here still you could hide Ill I'll show you the place far tar back In Inthe inthe Inthe the ca cave e Ill I'll bring you plen plenty ty ot of otwood wood I am going to make a n pair of snowshoes sno of a sort for Cor me roe Ill I'll make a n pair for tor you I hope you wont won't need them lie He ran his hand across his brow but continued In a moment his voice unchanged Ill go out before daylight In the morn morn- mornIng morning morning ing It III take me all nil that Is left leCt ot of today to do what must be done first lie He turned then and went about his work ork She went back to the place by the fire terribly moved agitated to the depths of her ber soul torn this way and that But Dut one i I Ithe steady fire tare burned In her bosom the newly kindled white flame Of her resentment Ue He brought fragments of rock to the caves cave's mouth the biggest he could find and in time after atter hours ot of labor he had bidden hidden the great hole as best he could I leaving only at the side a way to pass In and out which could hardly be seen from Crom 1 below If It you will come with with me I will f how bow you your hiding place She lifted her head and looked at him Again she thought swiftly h he was seeking to command to dictate Doubtless In the end she elic would have arisen and gone with him sInce to refuse were madness But Dut he had not waited Ue lie bad had gone alone Into the tile depths of oC the cavern she heard his bis slow measured steps re- re receding re receding ceding she heard them again slow and measured as he came back Its only about thirty paces straight ht back tie lie was saying There 1 I have haye made a little pile of I I rocks you cant can't miss It Tha That t tI I marls marks the place just at the side of i ithe the rock pile That's where I found found I I the gold Theres There's air down clown there I II I that comes up from below And Its It's I Ia a better place to be than here it here anyone should come r She Sho shuddered But Dut he ha had not seen Ue lIe set to work ork making the clumsy snowshoes They had made their scanty sup sup- suppers J pers ers ets after it both were hungry They hind had been hungry thus for tor four Cour days Tomorrow they would be a I great deal hungrier the nest next day they would begin to starve King King got up and went out down the cliffs In the dark for tor a n last load of wood When hen he lie came back she was lying on her bed her face from the light Ue lIe stood a little moment look look- looking ing log at her Then for Cor the last time he spoke to her If It I am long gone yon you under under- understand understand stand why There is not a chance In a n thousand now that those men will find this place If It they do there Is not a chance In another thousand that they will find the middle cave caye You will be safe saCe enough And AmI If It I do not get back tomorrow you will know that within three da days s 's more or four at I most there will be a party In here bere bereI hereto hereto I to bring you ou out CHAPTER XI XIi G i LORIA LOnIA awoke with a start She had not heard King go yet et she knew that she was alone In the cave cae Alone I By Dy now Mark was far away She sprang up and built bunt a n fire fireLess fireLess Less for the warmth though she was as cold to the bo bone than for tor the sense of companionship She came close to the fire and for tor a long time would not move moye from Crom It It The morning wore on She was vaguely a aware vare of ot a difference it 1 was as though a presence though what sort she could not tell had approached were near her all about her She turned and a little glad cry broke from her lips A streak of oC sunshine lay across the rocks at al althe atthe atthe the caves cave's mouth It was like Uke the visit of ot an angel More than that like the face tace of a beloved beloyed friend She ran to the front and looked out Far below her downIn down downIn downIn In the gorge she saw v something movIng And that something plow plo plowing plowing ing laboriously through d depths and drifts of oC loose nutTy Huffy snow was a aman aman man Her lIer thoughts raced It was I SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS I Mark Stark King Kin ing pross prospector tor is 1 I on 00 his Vis way to Ibe th summer home bome of 01 o his partner Ben Gaynor Caynor King Kin end Caynor share thare witha with a desperado Swen Brodie Brodi end and nd bl hi hie crowd knowledge le lc ge of 01 a vast store tore of 01 o hid hidden bidden gold old King Kin Is G impressed SI d by hy Glorias Gloria's youthful h beauty hauty auty Among Amon Garnor Gaynor guests Is X ratton whom King of at t onto kes Gloria Cloria and nd h her hr r mother return to San Francisco In to a spirit of 01 adventure the th girl accompanies Cralton Cratton on a business buin SI trip At Coloma the she find finds cr er er lather father badly hurt He gives aives her a message for tor King Gloria Cloria realties realize she abe h has haj compromised compromis d db drull b herself rull r elf by hy her journey with Cratton He propose marriage and Gloria Clori knowing tr hu her adventure is I lb the talk laU of San Sao Francisco apparently oll accepts acc him Gratton Cratton u sr ranges e for lor or the tho marriage m King Kin unseen un een by hy Gloria the th ceremony ony from Irom a window At the th Lot lut mom moment ut the th girl firl refuses retus s to utter the th lb requisite yes yc Kin King enters and end Gloria Cloria appeals to him for lor prot protection Cratton Gratton dismissed r reveals hi his knowledge e of 01 the th treasure and makes make threats With his d departure King heartened by hy Glorias Gloria's Clo Gloria appeal to him urges her ber to marry him Really In to love lova with him and seeing e in ing a 1 way wa out of 01 her dilemma uuna th the girl iri consents consent Gaynor message to King Kina reveals renalt th the approximate location of the th treasure and sod urge King to go 0 at one once and secure It It Alter After Alt r the wedding w ding ceremony Gloria Cloria asserting the necessity n C for rest after alt r her trying experience experienc King leaves leans her h r and prepares for hi his trip Next morning Gloria Insist iD on ou going with him bun On 00 tt lb the Journey her ov overwrought nerves ves give tv way In hysteria she ahe b admits to King that the ahe malTi married him bin only to save an h her hr r nAme nam from gossip King Kint renounces renounce her but refuse to take her home bome declaring he h I Is 1 under UDder promise pro pro- to her ber father to lose loseno no 00 time a seeking c king kin the th gold old Sh She unable to find and b her r way home bome bom aloo alone hu ha ba to ac- ac accompany ac company him Her horse horae hors tots goes goe Iam lame and they have bay to abandon It but King Klog K k keeps p 00 on He finds the th gold old Gloria resents resent ru ob his giving h her hr r orders orden She Sh baa ha seen o amok from a campfire and to make maJe mak her way to it King knows knot the party must he b Brodie and of course forbids forbid it It With Wilb all aU the gold old he be b can cajah carry h he arranges to start bade back back but finds find his hia hi horse hora has ha brok broken broko o way sway They are fore forced d to return to the th cave cov King He Ue was coming back to her No oIt It was not King it was Swen Brodie Brodle 1 l She began to tremble violently but fascinated she clung to the rocks and watched The man struggling weakly against the pitiless wilderness wallowing In the snow seemed to tomake tomake tomake make his way along the gorge Inch by Inch Ue lle carried something on his back something to which he be clung tenaciously ly Ue Ie stopped and looked about him how him how her heart beart pounded then beni I Ue lle was looking for Cor something seeking something I IIer Her Ier I t She Slie remained motionless power power- powerless less powerless to move though she remembered remembered Kings King's word of the hiding biding place where she slie would be safe she peered out fascinated In time the man came closer and the first sU suspicion entered her mind that after aeter all It might not be Bro Dro Brodie Brodie die Then Thea he looked up It was Gratton Cratton I 1 Gratton Cratton alone Gratton Cratton In n a mad attempt to make haste where haste was Impossible Ue lle was escaping from something Then what t lle le had left leCt the other men he was run run- running running running ning away from them A sudden spurt of oC pity for Cor him entered her heart he seemed so beaten and be be- bewildered bewildered bewildered and frantic and terrified who better than she could with one In Gratton's predicament predicament ament Then f she he he forgot everything saving that they had bad been friends that they were bound In a common tate fate She leaned as far Cur out as she could he was Just below now she called to him You Yon Youl I had Dad not the silence been so complete his gasping voice olce would hn have e failed Called to reach her as It na was she barely heard beard it It You Gloria My have G-d-have G d have I gone mad The mans man's of ot so few days ago appeared now In the blessed light of oC circumstance a pardonable a offense otTense Here II ere when no considerations existed save the eternal and vital ones all of Grat Grat- Grat Gratton's Gratton's tons ton's futile trickery was as though It had never been lIeD She was call call- calling callIng Ing to him again urging him to clamber up the cliff bidding him hurry before he was seen feen And then before her ner eager eyes he slumped down where he stood lying In the snow v I 1 cant can't Ive I've gone through I h-I h already I nearly arn-nearly am nearly dead I couldn't climb nl up there I- I I Oil Oh G-d G G d wh why did 1 I my lily ever come Into this Inferno 1 I I But nut It Is 18 so easy she ehe cried to him forgetful of ot her own terror at mounting up tip here I 1 have hn done It I cant can't be he said miserably It was all I could do to get this Oils farI tar far I-I I I think I am dying d dying dying- |