Show ni SS II S S H a 5 II m S III 8 S Me m i 0 1111 S O of r. r f fM M. M Map am u p 1 1 o- o oo o 0 a s By VECTOR S S'S S 'S Sa S i t i S IIII 1 II III III II III II iii II III II II II III S no no S by W W. G. G apman t 1 CHA S XVI XVI c 20 20 1 H S Th Thy y were so ni matched chelt that neither s eri l nb able to to budge other Each Ench the wn was ner nerved ed the to b by the realization utmost of his Winton peril But nut was fighting for Sheila Sheila- Sheila whom the next flash showed ho standing quivering ring with fen upon oa the opposite edge Go back I Winton shouted to her Even Eyen the utterance nce meant some In diminution In In Inthe the concentration concen coneen- of ot his muscles and will vItI In Inan an instant he lie felt that De Dc Witt hind had him at an nn advantage The Tue Dutchman's savage age face was thrust Into tnt his own ownS his breath was hot on his lila cheek Me lie felt himself bend backward he grasped at nothingness ne s he tie tell fell dragging his enemy after him WIth With n Q convulsive effort he caught ht at nt and undo c clung cing n t to the projecting ledge His flis feet felt fet for a n hold De Witt who hind had evidently emptied his r re re- volver- volver brought the down butt butt- button on Win VIn tons ton's hands bands Winton Vinton n einno with t. t n n u Across the chasm he heard I Sheila screaming arid and th the J light lightning ng 5 flashes which were almost j i showed ved him her figure I with hardly per Intervals of or darkness dark rDe r I De Witt was wast leaning Cleaning forward fohn rd oyer- oyer over the the chasm chasm his feet upon thit edge edg striving t to to detach Winton 1 his ll hold hOhl Again Ag ant and again the revolves revolver butt came down Wenton heart heard a b ne' ne In lils lIs r. r ir i let one Ie- Ie hand gp swinging pg put rt the l chasm De be Witt bracing himself himself against the wall was pushing his strength i i i f. f S t Suddenly Winton remembered a a sch schOol trick oI trIck If he himself should let himself go De Do Witts Witt's own Impetus would nl carry nr y after a Cud ild he fre swing fr free I I and cind nd c catch tb the I w opposite bank in In Ifan 1 Ing ng I i- i j S iE I longer oh r i pen pen- l ur i ft T Ing his 4 hand lie plunged d dO I Iward ward ward and and forward Ii By it a 1 miracle he he-fj he 1 t found the edge ge o r 4 on en th the 1 t outer side of h c He lIe swung J 1 lee H J 4 1 t varl rd 5 5 5 S At A t th the same he lie heard D De De DeWitt Witt fall f forward The TIle Dutchman 1 clawed c a d a at t the T rocks vos k missed ss I tb thein 1 l I struck winton j and mU witH a that scream th F FI I echoed echoe above e the hc thunder r he went ent I hurtling down to death J I It was seconds before the distant thud thurl of the Hod body upon the rocks beneath beneath beneath be be- neath the gorge gone told Winton th that t De Dc DeWitt Witt would trouble Sheila no more Winton reached the cave stood up and caught Sheila In his arms She was fainting her lips sought lt his own feebly then her head hen dropped on his shoulder By the next nett flash ash of lightning Winton Winton Win Win- ton measured the gnp gap lIe could atmos al- al mos 1 straddle straddle- it t could he lie be bearing Sh Ua the leap lie e h hesitated Then en with wild jil ild yells yens he tots llO had ha he heard lq D DeWitts DeWItt'S WI rs cry cry cry- c came ime me swarming rup Up toward Cw the thie en en- of the cave thie ine 5 S lr t the distance with th 1 his ces eyes and ir Ir Irl l was whis S a terrific f for l p. p Jin flu unc unconscious n- n S s1 us omi woman woman- i. i hi f ii his lits arms arms lie totter tot- tot ter d' d upon pon the opposite edge but did not fall full The Hot HottentotS were just entering the cave Winton crouching behind the ledge saw them stare about them In amazement ment eDtl He saw that thit the narrow nail orifice widened win wid ened behind him into a larger f cavern An enormous hanging from the roof poised like inen a 41 stone stone rocking upon a sl smaller laller one partly concealed the approach At I Idea ea born born- of If his desperate situation came came to to Winton f If It h he could dislodge ge the st stone ie h he could effectively bal the IIo t from f following fJ h him rn S lIe Jle Ie She et la down o n and put his shoulder cr n against boulder ilia b- b houWer It stirred It po poSh poSh- l- l tion l S lie he he waS wag seen Another tJ S rushed forward Yelling th the Hottentots eha m and hesP T Tie The e foremost t saw sa the S S I. I I tItled i 5 TIt Then n Winton Inton forth all his hiis str n shifted d the thc stoner c V bringing shower downer o n 11 shower of tS It t Cell debris deb lS from from i e roof of of thi ave e VIn VInton ton ton stumbled among the tIle rattling atones and aid catching tag stag staggered c ecI thi th the pa passage But Hut he be turned as the su succession or ot thunderous thunder thunder- ous aug crashes cease an and the None lit he hoard next flash flush None lUlie Hottentots Hotten the least froTh from the tiie tots behind him Winton Il C a S ft r a full tun minute mutch T To lJ amazement saw saw- by Ir bythe ss ge behind 1 tile the little light that the thC p passage 5 completely obliterated The 1 le him was HI 1 IJ l' l Bought It l i t down n I I him was HI 1 IJ l' l Bought It l i t down n had downa S of the stone fall faU All traces es orthe or of miniature miniature landslide slI c a 1 entrance beneath th aiu the had vanished No no no no- no sound could cond penetrate te tried to strike another Winton damp was But the box hox match fizzled cd out 1 the slight 3 another and another tried atel He with Jik r sUIt sUlt stile at Sheila's II hIi sat S wearily lie he would Later he thought arl S n r f feel ci hll fl the by his Now worn out by to tot desIre Intense Intense- he bad ind t nn flu S Bl sleep and put his lie jle heard beard Sheila sigh I about ber er u iF We Ve are Safe dearest J he said tH trIed to nI his his' tone as hopeful tas as one could bowels who was trapped in the of the earth She put p her arms about him In n a dence Indicative of f complete confidence on nf felt And that wIth nothing SheIla hella mattered beside him hlin- I lIe must hare hae later inter Slept f for r some time tIm opening nM hIs e eyes es In ln Incredulous sell self j T he e discovered l a gleam of daylight light far beneath him Sheila he lie whispered lie Je felt her hei stir besIde him Wintoni Win Vin Vinton ton toni I 1 she murmured S Look 1 I he lie said pointing AgaInst the le tiny patch of or light Ight t h he lie saw aw her e face ce and the thc look on It Jt told hm him that that what he hind had hidden from her she had concealed from him Sheila Sheila you ou have slept 7 f Not Not very ver much VInton dear I I You You AOU knew our danger I I had jO you Winton h she answered S 'S ils lie He raised her hands to to his Up lips awed by her courage and faith They began following tIle the trl track ck d down own toward the patch of light It w was as as hardly more than mi an earth ari earth In t the he mountain but freedom was not not far a away a And nd at l last they emerged upon t the he steep hillside and understood the n nature of their location The whole of of the mountain was as I honeycombed on combed with fissures 10 In th the c course oure of ages as ns these crumbled a away an and pie the boulders u d rs above l fell uner un- un d dev et er the pressure of the whole m mass sS' sS t tUll tunnels els had beech beeri T Tie The e ron road which they had traversed had been actually ac- ac t tm Jj a n continuation of the Ue pass pass at t the he of of the he valley of of bon bones bone's s and arid h had ad once been heen open to the sky n t what gaye gan the grea greatest est c confidence was the discovery ery that this was V S the only pass pass' through th the so solid ld I wail mountain mountain wall waIl which extended for several sev ev- ev c eral mi miles in In either either- direction To attu atack attack at at- t tack tu ack them the Hottentots would have to tp o make nake almost a da days day's s detour And nd there here thereas Was t as not the least likelihood hood that S they would do Ills Th They y had bad nothing to o gain by pursuing them now that D De De- DeWitt Witt was dead tt t- t t The sun un w was s rising g when hen they reached the plains ns The ston stony desert it t th e I b f they qU quenched d a JV q IPe arc I safe sa s he said a C I their thirst at ata a a pool formed for i d by the rains ruins in a hollow of and nd set their faces r s In the direction I of of iilo o. o i It was vas a fearful thirsty thirst journey that lay lay before before before before- them There and Ju thirty nf Ues ei to cover coyer and tJi their lr only hope o of surviving ur jit It In lay in the n ability QC rains that aCter The seasonal l do downpour no now see seemed rie well established 1 AhU b iS ca Were re was no alternative the tl their fearS fears fears' und and started There would uld uhl b be Je rl ng t from the tho natives s l In iii t I e However the ieh llon b b faring all the available n e would warriors would either be ed U e ton to nr at me rae worst 0 rf t won would Jd beIn possession r of 1 it AS AS' for the Hottentots and SI th they J would uI In the mountains 1 y the water for an nh nn Inde indefinite tl time 1 s 's since ice all tl eL heJL Instincts w quI J. J J peeping out of of trie lg l t We shall ne t ri nobody said Winton WInton Winton Win- Win ton as ns they the started until e e reach the Tl r- r Once there we we cn can recon recon- n netter noller er and S J lim things are faring the tribesmen wll viL I am m confident ent that warm r n. n ba bare r l. found a Y t t this this- his i first first- prop prophecy ec was wrong yron Izor tji the hl last t foothill faded ended Into the blue blue In loin a u little hIttl dry gully face lice down dow In L the d diy y pit u that lie had scooped with u ns us u angers ers iney me found the the of of a man beside that of t se The The fingers clutched u a pocketbook Winton detached it from froin the dead deadman's deadmans deadmanS deadman'S and opened It ft Inside was wasa mans man's gr grasp sp a it single en envelope clope with a name on n It Within the envelope wa was a small stone S The e man h had been Van Vorst The til big big- diamond ll l as thi th the Winton SintOn sat dO down iown besl e the t til and nd hIS shattered S r nerves gave way inv at nt l last last st lie lie burst hit Into helpless laughter laugh laugh- I ter The Irony of the Ue sg situation was was w too roe much for 01 him The outburst calmed him When lie he arose he lie felt Celt a as If the return ot of the I I I I I I a i i i i i I i i i i i t i i i i i i i I I I I III of stone f d' d nIl all the past pasti ending the cycle of had begun with the theft He lie caught Sheila to him We a are c goIng to begin now now begin to live W be le said J He ne I re rei read u her acquiescence In her hap happy S e eyes es And I am om gol going g to have this cut and set for your our engagement ring even en if it Isn't ready rendy before the wedding ring added d Winton I After that they went sent on more more- brisk brisk- I ly Their hunger only made them thell more buo buoyant and resolved to reach their destination before their strength failed Called them But nut as the day grew hotter and the sky remained cloudless their sp speed ed slackened A natural reaction re re- re- re action n and d depression came on them They rested at noon and resumed their Journey journe silently There was no hope of ot gettIng near l that day It was s-as middle afternoon and their thirst had grown almost unendurable I still UIl they hoped would come must come b by nightfall The sun was h way half nr f-nr down own in the west When hen sud- sud enly Winton lifting up his eyes perceived per per- r- r el ed a n horseman approaching tJi them ln uttered r d a glad cr cry For the rider A white man man and he was riding In the white mans mn's fashion with toes turned In ha and and a tight and loose curb was WInton made his second guess that day The Thie Theman man was not not white but coal black he tie seemed seethed to Slacken blacken the time air around him with within in the distance of o of an in aureole It was Sam T t 5 The re all nIl out searching for you ou on and and- nd Miss Sheila I 1 h b he cried N Nedi d' d I took an Idea that that Id I'd strike oil oft this way war I presume pre pr sume that was an nn inference from Intuitive tire dye premises Mr Mi h Garrett r But th thank God you ou are both safe I How How flow about about 1 shouted Win Win- ton 1 S SS r S Safe and nd nd sir It seems seems there ther vas as a detachment of police with a couple of ot Maxims on the way up from Vr before the v ro row began The rhe government had haq been wider awake than we gave them credit for being And tho those thoe e colored nig-colored nig colored aboriginal Ban Ban- Bantus ran his ran right into them They didn't have e 1 much 11 heart for tor fighting after atter they at five hundred yards only lost seven men and not a achild achild achild child or woman hurt burt And the half that hat t Isn't but out looking for for- you ou is putting putting put put- t ting ing the debris underground nd And Mr Garrett 1 going to give I e you OU and Miss 1 Sheila a n triumphal pro pros ce cession slon especially her her hier- Win tons face grew grave glave But a a- glance a at t Sheila made It chai change e SW swiftly S We e wont won't bear mall malice e. e nga against p t Ma Lita- Lita n- n lopo we ope-we l we cant can't now nw he said softly and Sheila agreed S Then he grew ver very serious I Were about finished Sam Plow low far is Right o-er o over yonder answered Sam ten miles away awny Miss Sheila Shella can make It on my horse in an nn l hour ou Sam I see you you haven't a water b ottle bottle S bp Why Mr Garrett weve we've got a al p packhorse l with Ith a water skin If only hadn't left the the clowd We might Ight sight them on the way yay back though md nd Miss Sheila Is sure to come upon jonie onie Yip AT-Yip of nf t them them them- 1 I I If only ml we had had something moist Sam groaned Winton Why Mr Garrett exclaimed SamI Sam I 1 never thought of it H but heres here's some some- I I found sound growing owing in tile i desert I I. I picked two of ot them and I think Ill I'll take the seeds l. l back back- ack and plant them Tm rn glad T r didn't eat at both And from Croin the other side aide of ot his saddle saddle 1 lie lie- detached he-detached it n huge wild watermelon rmel n which he tie lIe divided with his ills knife He handed half lull to Sheila and the other half to Winton S j V The f fruit uit was insipid In flavor but Id it tasted stet to the travelers traves rs I like hike ie nectar I discarded ded the out gnawed-out Sam Sara t lie said A S I II 1 hate to be personal Sum Sara but really really really- u S Pray dont don't mention it answered Sam politely lIte I 0 p I 1 I q n about out those tJ se primeval In jn- jn in Sam Sam S 1 fI E I t j |