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Show ' jgf TURNING POINT II v' Mary Imlay Taylor xljjptz Ml!t$C W.N. U. RELEASE THE STORY THUS FAR: Sherwln realized Jordan might return to the cabin, cab-in, but he did not want to leave the country until he bad evened the score with his cousin, Stcnhart. He recalled the way his uncle had died, stabbed by a knife. Stcnhart had sworn that he bad seen Sherwln wield the knife. Perjury that brought prison and escape by & tunnel. At the ranch, Stcnhart urycd Jane to marry him at once, but she rides away before breakfast without answering. an-swering. Still weak, Stenhart rides after ber. He saw Jane get off her borse and So up an old trail. He followed. When Sherwln awoke be explored In the vicinity vicin-ity of the cabin and discovered an old cave and a rope. CHATTER VIII A man bound securely and hidden In that unknown cavern, beyond reach of the sun, beyond the sound of human voices, might taste something some-thing of the misery of a prison! And, If he stayed there long enough, he would die. It was a scheme so imple and so hideous that it appealed ap-pealed at once to his ferocious passion pas-sion for revenge. It would be easy, too, if only he could get Stenhart by himself; with all his wily skill In shielding himself at the expense of others, all his bravado, Stenhart . was, at heart, a coward. Ah, how well Sherwin knew thatl How the shifty eye had cringed away from his cousin's when he took the oath In court and lied. Lied a young man into prison for life for what? So that there might be no one to dispute dis-pute that will, the will that the old uncle meant to change in Sherwin's favor. To secure himself in that he had sworn to a lie. He stood in the full glory of the morning. The far off heights were shorn of their shadows and melted like peaks of gold Into the golden sky. By contrast the nearer hills were darkly wooded, glancing with lights and shadows, and far up' an eagle soared. Something new and mighty swept into his soul; he seemed to hear the voices of the wilderness crying to him: "Vengeance "Ven-geance hs Mine!" For a single Instant In-stant his very soul was shaken, then he turned and walked to the far edge of the little clearing. There, through a window in the foliage, he glimpsed the lower road, running like a white ribbon far beyond the ravine. As he glanced down at it he saw a man riding slowly across his vista and he gasped for breath. The uplifted moment plunged deep down Into the chasm of his hate it was Stenhart! He did not question why he came thus. Instinctively he knew that the man was on an errand of betrayal, be-trayal, but his own heart leaped fiercely; he had seen him first, he was alone. Holding the rope upon his arm, he felt for the pistol In his shoulder-holster; knew it to be loaded and ready. With a kind of savage Joy he turned and began to descend the dangerous path on the ledge of the ravine, and its very danger thrilled him. How easy to thrust a man over here in a struggle! strug-gle! He glanced down at the boiling boil-ing water far below and smiled grimly; either way, his weapons were ready to his hand. He did not walk fast, he took time to order his thoughts; the man should have his chance, a chance he had never given him, to fight for his life. Sherwin scorned to stab in the dark as the other did, to kill wim lies! Imprisonment for life and he was so young then! He thought of the cavern, its gloom. Its dripping walls, and he laid a caressing caress-ing hand on the coll of rope upon his arm. Torn with the evil forces of his passions, sure that revenge was near, he turned the corner of the ledge and saw a figure coming toward him. Not Stenhart so soon! No, a slighter, younger figure, a white face, clear eyes Jane! Jane, looking at his hardened face, his grim lips, wavered. Her courage which had been high went down in sheer terror of him; he hated her suddenly she felt it. Then, having come so far, she would not be utterly dismayed. She came on weakly, catching atv the trailing limbs of nearby trees. "I guessed where Mae had taken tak-en you. I've come to ask you one Question," she faltered, "I " She could not go on and he would not help her. He stood there looking look-ing at her and she saw only his inexorable eyes. At last she could cot endure them; she lifted her shaking hands and hid her face. "1 came to ask you to " Her voice broke and then rose almost to a cry of pain "to tell me that it isn't true!" "To what purpose?" he asked hoarsely. "You don't believe me. Ask Stenhart; I know, you see, that he's with you!" "With me?" She lifted her flushed face and looked at him, ami. zed. "What can you mean? I'm alone." Sherwin could not doubt her honesty; hon-esty; she did not know that she was followed. "He's behind you," he said gravely; grave-ly; "he dismounted on the lower road. I saw him Just now." r She gasped, easting a frightened look over her shoulder. "I never thought he could ride o far. He'll " she Bhivercd "he'll betray you!" Sherwln laughed discordantly. "It wouldn't be new; he began that long ago with a lie!" She caught at that, trembling. "It was a lie? Please tell me that, tell me the trutl. I want to believe It!" "So you can convince him?" Sherwin Sher-win mocked her. "He isn't here, I tell you; I came alone!" the girl cried excitedly. "You came alone? Then come here and I'll show you the horse he rode." Sherwin turned as he spoke, walking back toward that vista through the trees. The girl, half dazed by his manner, man-ner, unbelieving that it could be true that Stenhart was with her, followed fol-lowed him. They turned the shoulder shoul-der of the cliff and saw the one clear vista of the lower road, seen over the cedar that thrust itself out below be-low them. "There's the horse," said Sherwin, Sher-win, "and there he is! You see? He followed you, he's going back now he knows where I am." "Ohl" Jane gave a little cry of horror. "He; oh, I can't think he'll tell the sheriff!" "Can't you?" Sherwin's tone was bitter. "You led him here." The girl recoiled at that, not with the horror she had recoiled before, IffPJf Gently, almost reverently, he took her in his arms. but with a flush of pride. Her blue eyes shone. "I did not lead him here," she said coldly, and turned away. She was in a tumult; how dared he accuse her of treachery? She started rapidly, retracing her steps. , "Jane!" She would not turn; she stumbled on. But he overtook her. "Speak to me," he said brokenly. "Forgive me I thought I was strong, but I'm weak; I'm a beggar for a word of kindness. You came here tell me, Jane, you knew it wasn't true of me?" She stood still, looking down, pale and shaken. "You wouldn't answer me. Tell me that you're innocents " she lifted her eyes to his "tell me and I'll believe you!" He loooked at her strangely, he was still iron in his will to kill the perjurer. "I am Innocent of that crime," he said. She leaned back against the cliff behind her, panting, her face flushed and her lips trembled. "Do you believe me, Jane?" he asked hoarsely. "Had I been guilty of that I would never have told you that I loved you." She looked up and their eyes held each other. "I believe you, John," she said simply. For one long moment they looked at each other thus and a strange change swept over the man. He felt it without knowing It, without recognizing recog-nizing this hidden thing that took possession of him; but suddenly the world seemed flooded with light and in It he saw only the face of the girl. Gently, almost reverently, he took her in his arms. Jim Keller, ready for breakfast, found no one about. He shouted to Ah Ling. "Get me some coffee! I wonder where in mischief Jane is?" he added add-ed to himself, testily. Then his mind went back to yesterday and he remembered re-membered her face; she had said little, but he knew her welL "Confound "Con-found it," he thought soberly, "she's got a fancy for that fellowl My fault, too; I'd no business to have a stranger about, a man without credentials." cre-dentials." He drank his coffee hastily and ate little. Fanny Sewell had spoken the day before of going away. Stenhart, Sten-hart, she said, was well. Jim did not mean to let her go, but she was hesitating; he wanted her to marry him but she wanted to work two more years. "Ridiculous Idea!" Jim growled; "I need you more than these sick people!" She had not yet appeared and It angered him to feel that perhaps she did not want a tete-a-tete Just now. He rose from the table, thrusting his hands into his pockets, and walked to and fro in the hall. He began to be more and more puzzled by his sister's absence. "She went on horseback long while ago," Teresa told him. Jim thought of the rustlers. "Where's Mac?" He shot the question at Jose, who had come in from the stables with a message. "Gone down to th' corrals, Meester Keller." "Did you see Miss Jane go?" "Si, senor." "You saddled for her, I suppose. Hadn't you sense enough to tell Mac? Jordan's somewhere about!" "Meester Stenhar' go after her." Jim stared. That Stenhart was able to ride at all surprised him, but it was a relief to have him with Jane. Lately, Jim had felt that the girl was playing fast and loose with his friend. She would never marry Max, he thought. But this news was reassuring; if Jane a daredevil rider rid-er would slow her pace to suit a half sick man, she must be glad of his company. Jim walked out on the veranda and looked towards the bridge; they might be coming home by now. The sunshine was wonderful, it dazzled him for a moment; then he saw Stenhart coming across the bridge, urging his horse. He was alonel Jim went half way down the slope to meet him. "Hello, Max," he shouted anxiously, anx-iously, "where's Jane?" Stenhart made no reply, he swung himself down from the saddle, looking look-ing haggard. "Come into the house," he said thickly; "too many men about out here!" Jim whitened; he had a strange foreboding. Without a word he turned with Stenhart toward the house, and once he had to steady the man on his feet, he was so exhausted. exhaust-ed. They entered the dim old hall and Stenhart flung himself into a chair, gasping. Jim stood in front of him with a set face. "For God's sake, speak out Max!" he exclaimed. "What's up? Where's my sister?" "She's up the mountainside with Sherwin." Jim drew a hard breath. He was furious, but he controlled himself, sat down on the edge of his desk and looked attentively at Stenhart. It occurred to him that the man might be in a fever from undue exertion and hot responsible. "Will you kindly explain yourself?" your-self?" he said gravely; "you're speaking of my sister." "I'm telling you nothing but the truth," Stenhart replied stubbornly. "She and I had a quarrel this morning. morn-ing. She left me to go out on horseback. horse-back. I followed I had it in mind to overtake her, to try to make it up you understand?" he stopped, biting his lips, and Jim made an impatient gesture of assent. "Go on!" he exclaimed. Stenhart did not look at him. He stared at the bright rectangle of the open door and his fingers drummed on the arms of his chair. "She was a long way ahead, riding rid-ing fast. I followed; she didn't know It. Presently she turned into a mountain trail and dismounted; I could see her through the trees. I got down off my horse and followed; I thought to overtake her on foot more easily. The trail is difficult. It ascends sharply; I found it hard climbing and she got far ahead. Half way up I heard voices and stood still I wasn't an intentional eavesdropper." He drew a hard breath. "I saw them Sherwin had met her!" Jim stiffened. "You mean that my sister, going out alone, as she often does, chanced to meet this this convict?" Stenhart lifted a gray face; there was no doubt now of the misery in his eyes. "She loves him, Jlml" Jim struck his open hand on the desk. "That's an Intolerable thing for even an old friend to say, Max!" Max met his eyes steadily. "It's the truth, Jim!" And then he added add-ed chokingly: "I know!" The sheer passion of that cry, its defeat, its bitterness, carried conviction. con-viction. For an instant Jim, usually usu-ally so even tempered, stared at him; then he swore softly and seized the telephone-receiver. Stenhart snatched at his arm. "What are you going to do?" Jim shook him off. "Get the sheriff sher-iff after him; I know about where Cutler is Hello! Yes?" he began to talk into the receiver. Stenhart, who felt really 111, turned and poured a glass of water. He had drained it when Jim finished telephoning. "Cutler left Manning's two houri ago, headed this way; he'll be here soon. I Max, what are you going to do?" Stenhart was at the door; Jim saw that he walked stiffly. "Come back!" he exclaimed, "you're ill." But Stenhart was climbing into the saddle again; as he mounted he turned a white face toward Jim. "I'm going to meet the sheriff; be doesn't get away this tlmel" "Max I say!" Jim wanted to direct di-rect this thing himself. Even in his rage he remembered Sherwln saving sav-ing him that first night; but Stenhart Sten-hart was off at a gallop, swaying In the saddle. As his rage cooled he thought oi Jane; be must get her before the posse arrived. He heard Stenhart's horse gallop across the bridge. (TO BE CONTINUED) |
