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Show i3 TURNING POINT Wk By Mary Imlay Taylor Bp, wT W.N.U. RFIFASE W-V V faslor. Cutler unci Slenliurt, turnhiR a sharp curve between two wooilt'd spurs. The trees belnw them hid the brother and sister ns they galloped gal-loped past the creek, and there was a long piece of virgin forest where they could see nothing either way, and the voice of the cataract deadened dead-ened all other sounds. Here nnd there was a glimpse of the wild ravine, but Jim had never seen Mac's little cabin and, as yet, he saw no trail; then he observed Jane reining hi her horse, looking up. Could she see anything? lie struck his spurs Into his own horse and the animal bounded forward. They had come to a sharp curve and Jane, trying to turn aside, lost her chance to escape. Jim's horse, faster than hers, leaped a fallen tree nnd her brother snatched at Tex's bridle and brought him to a standstill. stand-still. Jane struck at his hand with her quirt. "Let me go!" she cried fiercely; fierce-ly; "I've got to go up that trail!" She was pointing with a shaking -i-w? iiNapivvBsanOT Thent as the man he had hunted neither moved nor spoke, he tottered back, stumbled, and fell headlong over the narrow ledge. hand at an opening In the brush, until now unseen. "I swear you won'tl" Jim flung back, red In the face; "you're my sister." The girl struggled, trying to free herself, and both horses plunged. Then, suddenly, she gave a little cry, looking up through the trees. The horses had whirled around the curve and faced the cataract; through widespread branches Jim caught a glimpse of the trail along the ledge, above the precipice, a trail he had never followed, never even seen before. "I'm too late oh, God, I'm too late!" Jane moaned, dropping the reins into Jim's hands and clasping her own against her breast. The white agony of her face smote her brother; in a tumult of feeling, anger and regret, he held the horses steady and tried to follow her eyes. At first, In the broad glare of the sunlight on the high hills, he saw nothing but the white spray of the cataract and the mighty tree-trunks that seemed to rise upward In serried ser-ried ranks, like an army. He could not even hear voices above the roar of the water, but he knew that Cutler's Cut-ler's men were behind them and before be-fore them, creeping up the mountainside, moun-tainside, stealthy and sure, upon their quarry, as the hunter steals upon his game. Suddenly his heart failed him he felt he had done a thing that he might well regret. No matter if the man was a convict, he had no reason to hunt him down; rather, indeed, he had cause to spare him. Jim's face sobered and grew pale. Then Jane flung herself from the saddle and started toward the screened opening of the trail, but, though she was quick, Jim was quicker; he was down in a moment and after her. He caught her and held her, struggling, In his arms. "You're too late, Jane!" he exclaimed ex-claimed hoarsely. "Don't you see? I dol They're bound to meet-look!" meet-look!" He had glimpsed the steep side of the precipice at last, and seen what his sister had been watching. Sherwin was standing beside a cliff, high on the trail. Below him, two hundred feet, dashed the cataract; along the narrow, dizzy ledge, as yet unaware of him, came Stenhart alonel Cautiously, searching, peering this way and that, unaware un-aware that his quarry saw him, waited for him. Those two alone and the chasm at their feet Fate, that mocking siren, had staged the scene for murder; the wild torrent below flung up Its mad spray with a shout. Jane, looking up now, saw that she could not reach Sherwin, could not even cry out to him. She knew of the cave he had told her of It as a way to escape; a warning In time and they would never find him, could not trap him, but she was too late; Stenhart would site him, Stenhart Sten-hart would betray him! She had fought with Jim, hut now she stood still with her brother's arms about her; he could feel her shake from head to foot as she looked up at the two men alone there, on the edge of eternity. The climax had come; they were face to face to Unlit It out, no one could reach them In tlmel Stenhart, moving cautiously, foot by foot, peering, listening, looking back for help help that would never nev-er reach him! Sherwin waiting Jim caught his breath. A cloud had obscured the sun, and as It sailed away he saw Sherwln's face as he crouched, leaning forward, ready! One thrust and Stenhart coming on, unaware of him would go down down. Jane covered her face with her hands, but It was Jim who cried out hoarsely, tried to shout a warning; warn-ing; then, realizing Its futility, he groaned aloud. "Good God, he's going to kill him!" he cried. Sherwin had stepped out from his hiding-place; he seemed to tower, vengeance incarnate. Stenhart stood still an Instant, frozen In his tracks. His drawn pistul fell from his hand; he seemed to shrink together In mortal mor-tal terror. Then, as the man he had hunted neither moved nor spoke, he tottered back, stumbled and fell headlong over the narrow ledge. It had happened In an Instant, In the twinkling of an eye. Sherwin, Sher-win, waiting for his betrayer, saw him untouched, unscathed crumple crum-ple up, reel backward and plunge over the edge of the precipice. So swift was it, that he neither moved nor spoke; for a full minute be stared blankly at the spot where Stenhart had disappeared. A strange sensation swept him, he grew dizzy himself; his head swam, and the hills seemed to rise up about him in awful majesty. He knew nothing of the men who were creeping toward to-ward him through the woods; he believed himself alone, alone with that awful power which had seized , his enemy and brushed him like a fly from the ledge! Slowly he took a step forward and, steadying himself, him-self, looked over the brink. Thirty feet below him that solitary stunted tree thrust out Its dwarfed trunk from the sheer side of the precipice. Sprawled across It, limp, motionless, motion-less, lifeless, hung Stenhart. The white froth of the boiling torrent below be-low him outlined his sprawling limbs, his hanging head, his ghastly upturned face. j He was not dead! Even as Sherwin Sher-win looked, he saw him move his head In the torture of pain and fear; it was more terrible than a swift wiping out of life, for death was playing play-ing a game of hide and seek with him. A movement, almost a breath, and he would go down into eternity, and if he hung there with no mortal mor-tal help at hand he must perish thus! It could not be for long, but Sherwin, looking down at him, knew that he was conscious and saw no help, only the face of the man who had sworn to kill him! Revenge ex- quisite in his torments, was accomplished. accom-plished. Sherwin need but stand there and see him die! Even as he looked, he saw the old tree begin to waver under the dead weight of the fallen body; its roots were loosening in their age-old crevice of rock. In a little while, long before help could reach Stenhart, it would bend downward. down-ward. Annihilation waited there, eternity yawned for him, and he. knew It! Sherwin, grasping a ledge of rock j to steady himself, looked down at the helpless man who had betrayed him. Stenhart, looking up dizzily, saw him and tried to lift a feeble hand In entreaty. It was beyond his1 strength. He hung there, feeling the tree sway beneath him, helpless, at the end of hope. Sherwin straightened himself suddenly; sud-denly; he had heard a distant sound, voices In the woods! Instantly, he divined the truth; Stenhart had again betrayed him, they were after him. But he had ample time to reach his cave, and once there they would not get him, for he knew the other opening and It was safe. Nor couid they save Stenhart; the tree was giving! Five minutes more and he would be avenged! He need not stir a finger, and Jane, who had besought him not to slay, would know that there was no blood upon bis hands! He drew a deep breath; almost at his feet lay the coil of rope that he had dropped when he met Jane. He saw it and remembered the purpose1 he had had in mind. The minutes ; seemed to beat themselves Into his brain, his pulses throbbed, bis lips were parched. He stooped, reached for the rope and, uncoiling it, wound it about the great trunk of a sycamore, syca-more, then, tossing the long end over the side of the abyss, he grasped It and began to descend, hand over hand. The rope swung out and then went taut with his weight. Little by little he lowered himself and, as he went down, he glanced aside at the tree under Stenhart It was yielding, one crack mora in the straining bark and it would snap! Swinging at the rope's end in space, Sherwin, the avenger, risked his life. (TO BE CONTINUE) Jl'ST(UY TIll'S FAR: Sherwin rar- Ai!"ar' r'd'"S " ,ra" ,u',mv' tnns ai-lwd to catrh Uio r;iscal V- aim up tu the gave. Or ho oouUl push uim over the cLIrT. Juno suddenly appeared before htm. "Tell mo It Isn't true," she urged, she did not know that Stenhart was following her until Sherwin told her. "1 am Innoeeut ol Uiat crime," lie told her. taking her Into his arms. Al the ranrh Jim asks about Jane and learns from Stenhart, who has returned, that slie Is up on Ute mountainside with Sherwin. 6tenhart tells that he saw Jane and Sherwin Sher-win making love. Jim Is furious and caUs uie sheriff, but learns the sheriff is on the way over looking for Jordan. Stenhart Sten-hart rides off to guide the sheriff. CHAPTER IX It occurred to him that It would be terrible to have the sneritT find Jane with this man. He drummed with his fingers on the edge of his desk, his face white. He had Just telephoned tele-phoned to the stables for his horse when a door opened and old Teresa came toward him, a paper in her hand. Jim looked around Impatiently. Impatient-ly. "You'll read this for me, senor?" The little brown woman thrust the paper in his hand. It was the picture of Sherwin; below be-low it was printed a description of the crime. Jim frowned. "This Isn't pleasant reading, Teresa, Tere-sa, and it wouldn't Interest you!" She caught at his sleeve. "Read it, senor!" she begged. Half annoyed, Jim complied. "Madre de Dios, it's as he said!" she mumbled, her eyes dilated. "He's got a devil!" The old woman caught at his sleeve, pointing. Through the open door she could glimpse Stenhart's disappearing figure, high up the road. "He's got a devil!" she mumbled, crossing herself. Then she caught at his coat and clung to it, keeping him from the door. "Madre de Dios, don't let Jane marry heem, senor 1" she begged. Jim, tried to the limit, shook her off. "Oh, mind your own business, Teresa!" he growled. She covered her face with her shaking hands and he heard her praying Spanish as he ran down the slope. He must get to Jane before Stenhart unleashed the sheriff's gang! He was honestly worried. Second thought had cooled his rage; he remembered that he owed something some-thing to this fugitive that he was hounding. Then he saw his sister. She had just swung herself from the saddle down by the stables, and as she turned he saw how pale she was. Jane had never looked like this! "The devil take that fellow!" Jim muttered to himself, wrathful again. Then he spoke sharply. "Where have you been?" Jane took no notice of his tone. She came up, panting. "What's the matter?" she gasped. "Perhaps you know better than I do," he replied ironically. Jane caught at his arm with shaking shak-ing hands. "What does it mean? I aw Stenhart meet the sheriff on the upper road tell me quick, quick!" Jim eyed her coldly. "I 'phoned for Cutler. He's going to take that jailbird, Sherwin, back to Rhode Island, and I'm going to help him that's all!" Jane's hand dropped from his arm. She turned deathly white, and for a moment she swayed on her feet. Jim threw an arm around her. "My God, Jane, you don't care for a murderer?" She pushed him away from her with both hands. "He saved your life and you've betrayed him you Judas!" she cried. "Jane " he tried to restrain her but she broke away, ran back to her horse and leaped into the saddle. Jim made an ineffectual snatch for the reins. "Where are you going, you mad woman?" he shouted at her. She turned and lojked back at -r-ajs-li.rn, haggard and broken. "I'm go-ng go-ng to warn him something dread-' dread-' ,will happen. if he meets Sten- . .. . " ' Gtop wait, I'm coming!" Jim cried, but she was gone at a gallop. Her brother turned and shouted for his horse. Jose had saddled it and Jim flung himself Into the saddle sad-dle and was off in an Instant. Jane was well in the lead, riding recklessly, reck-lessly, but Tex was tired; Jim's horse was fresh and the distance between be-tween them grew less and less as he reached the bridge, crossed it, and raced on. He could see now, as he turned the loop, that Stenhart had met Cutler on the upper road; they were far ahead. The posse had divided, di-vided, too, and, as Jim rode on, he made out their plan; they meant to cut Sherwin off, pen him on the hillside, and then beat the bushes. If Jane reached his hiding-place first, if she knew of some secret trail, she would be trapped with him! T3ie blood rushed to Jim's face at the thought; he cursed his folly for giving Stenhart this chance. "He's mad with Jealousy!" he thought, and urged his horse. But Jane was still ahead and Bhe had taken an unexpected turn to the right Jim remembered that he did not know where the man was hidden. hid-den. But Stenhart did, he had tracked her, and Stenhart was going go-ing toward the cataract when he glimpsed him last through the trees. Ob the upper road they traveled |
