Show THE 11 1 r TIMBER i 1 IMBE LL QUEEN V U E E by herbert crooker adapted from the pathe photoplay serial screal by val cleveland copyrighted Copyright pl by paths pathe exchange inc chapter I 1 TUB THE RUNAWAY BOX CAR nestling serenely under the shad aws of its towering giants was the hamlet of big timber on silver lake the beauty of 0 the surround ing country was not marred by the commercial touches ot of civilization indeed the towering kings ot of the forest seemed to stand thre threateningly against any such invasion the undisputed regent ot of the one remaining vast timber tract not con trolled strolled by the timber trust was ruth reading a friend of the smaller land owners nad known by all who loved her as ibe timber queen ruths castle iu in this wooded wildness was known knon as timber hall a sturdy it little atle bt ining alow made ot of logs and fashioned toy her over ever comfort As our story opens we make the acquaintance ot of james cluxton an unscrupulous young gentlemen who is to be ruths cousin and the young lady will the terms ol of her granta therB will must ia be married before tier liar twenty first farst birthday in order to retail the ownership it if her timber tracts otherwise the lands wll wit be la ia merited by cluxton ruth kuth is en ell to Clu cluxton iton who docs not know that it if ruth falls fails to la malery aai ry be before forell she comes of age the timber lands will be inherited zy ly ii insela while cluxton was a eAl gagel tit in deep thought he was thinking of the frisco sawmills and the timber trust frust a husry husky looking individual put in ills his appearance 1 I just canned don macley announced bull joyce I 1 boss ot thase same frisco sawmills and a tool of cluxton he sald said it was crooked work to short measure loga for sonia some of our customers can you imagine that further conversation couver conver was inter erupted bupte d by the sudden appear of the lovely miss reading herself har seir clad in a brait knickerbocker suit and cape she made ai a ratty natty appear outline of her lithe figure james cluxton exclaimed with li pleasure lamasure masure at the sight of tier her fad nd walking to list her side seized her hand in fit his and bent his lips to hers plesse please dont the girl protest ed 1 I am allowing this only because it was kas my fai feA thors hors wish that we marry Aj A slight frown passe passed 17 over face laola lie decided to change the subject say ruth ho he began joe brindle to sell his timber tract to the wont you yell help nio me out olit with the matter ruth deliberated for mo monet then only on oft one cne condition P she answered and that Is that tho the squatters quitters on his property will not be dib disturbed 1 suppose wahnit you want Is just the option james cluxton nodded with a friendly handshake and a smile in the direction of bull joyce dutli mounted her hors and galloped off it so BO happened that joe brindle brandle pioneer timber owner had a soil soft spot in ill hi await iv ait tor for the timber queen at ahr ainu ruth puth made tier her appi app n in I 1 h w lb ih tn in company with it i ith IKI i lan la N N 1 with a t 1 mi anjul iiii d p v 11 1 who 01 it 1 im m u it ln an enemy of the people and nothing els cons ins pi itly istir ruth had dial bcd w aul wul th abo op tion it it hi 11 i 1 ri 0 t i ig ovod with cihi a hi i yes yah why in did you do that joe lie he demandel do nando thein folks are afe a bunch of double coss ers era everyone ol of them yo you aint fair with the squatter antl anti im eoin to tell era sa so consequently as ruth rode ily fly through the vast ds she was extremely surprised to see a group of squatters arms J rido ride out of the underbrush did and confront lire squint Squi lit smith had acted actea swiftly sirry miss ruth one ano ot of the horsemen announced shifting uneasily in his saddle sorry but bul well have to hold you for tiree days austil that there opinion expires until ruth gasped in arnz ement we w wont ont harm yo ya u 5 continued the spokesman wo we just want make sure that the option dont get into hands hand ruth hesitated for or a moment the thought shot through her head that a swift dash tor for freedom would be the thing to do with tier her horo hor e she could outstrip hey her captors shei she quickly dismissed the thought she had bad no desire to place herself in a suspicious position by her ho friends the squatters the girl decided to go with them her would be quickly notel noted ali aej cluxton would no doubt seethaa see that help came two days lator later there was a hurried conference called in fit the office of the frisco timber syndicate Syndi catu cluxton was extremely worried over the ot of ruth huth and the option as were his bis partners well the whole thing la is this 1 cluxton said helplessly ashes disappeared and I 1 dare not rala raile ral a an alarm the natives would te suspicious pi cious clous at that moment the suave vance Clax Clui tons secretary ark entered the conference conte renco room 1 I just heard lem barrows boasting that ruth is in some cabin in the woods kocias he h announced noun lioun ced then ts up to you to find tier her declared the chairman turning 0 to cluxton and get that option before it expires tomorrow A sudden streak of fear ear passed through james 11 1 I I 1 cant go he stammered then an idea struck him dou don mackay is out ol of work he exclaimed ile he may need money why not get him vance left the assemblage assemblage and returned some moments later with young mr mackay a towering giant who smiled with amusement at tho the anxious group beffie him A housand dollars and your old job it you bring miss reading or the option to us offered cluxton A look ot of alarm passed over dons good looking tace miss claimed the situation was then exe beading idling where Is she lie h plaines to almo him ill tell you he finally ainaly sald said it miss Reat ling is in danger dan ger ill find her As for or your money and the job you can just put it back in fit your pipe and smoke it OR on the morning of the third day ruth was awakened from her reverie by the sound of a gun shot site she sprang to tier her foot feet and pearel out the small barred window of the shanty at last bastl f help had como come considerable murmuring murmur ings reached her ears it w that cal IT r pu ii 1 11 iii 3 to tl th poil doby 1 tion lion ot of their attackers A shot from behind a clump ot of underbrush drew them 91 al in that direction andrud and suddenly from another position don mackay spell sped swiftly toward the el chack lack throwing back the bar on the outside he plunged headlong in fit much to be surprised of 0 ruth puth without a word he be swung about and barred the door on the inside now he ha exclaims exclaimed a ilow how are wo we going to get out of 0 hore here lie ile glanced about the room paying little heed to the alii finally his eyes sought the floor and lie ho kicked a small worn rug from its ita place A heavy iron ring showed itself secured to an all affair that looked very much like a trapdoor ruth stared in surprise she had never thought pt looking under he ibur rug at this moment tier lier captors turned be bes elgers seigers and began battering on the door of 0 the small cabin mackay bent beat quickly and seizing the iron ring began tugging tor for all ho he was worth ilia his efforts were soon rewarded as the trapdoor creaked and open opened cid directing the girl to go 96 before him mackay followed tho the stairway led to a narrow underground der ground tunnel and through it the two fugitives made their way the tha subterranean passage terminated tri in a rock wall above a lake and here ruth and her rescuer hesitated dut but not for long as the voices of tha pursuers could be heard echoing through the tunnel behind them come on the girl smiled it look looks s as though well have to swim tor for it don grin ed an assent and the pair dove into the waters tar far below leaving the squatters puzzled as aa to what move to make next that evening cluxton hearl hearing ag that ruth nuth had escaped from the squatters decided to pay his respects and obtain the desired option little did he suspect that an extremely angry young lady awaited him ruth had forced the facts from mackay concerning his otter offer tor for the rescue the idea that cluxton considered hor her worth only a thousand dollars and a job was by no means comforting it so happened that ruth had been reading her grandfathers will and bad carelessly left it on the table 1 in n her library when cluxton was admitted his greedy eyes took in every word ot of it discovering that it if the girl should not be married her twenty first birthday the property would revert to kalm put a now notion into the young mans head ile he turned from the document quickly as he heard ruth approaching pro aching well ell did you get it the op tion he asked anxiously ruth reading looked at her cousin in disgust 1 I refuse to marry a coward she declared and I 1 refuse to help you in any way from now on the first act was to take the engage engagement merit ring from her finger and hand it to the surprised young man and the next was to tear the option up before his very eyes cluxton claxton gazed at the girl in amazement he could not believe his eyes and now go she commanded dont you think you had better reconsider he faltered 1 I marry you it II it would save me from the poorhouse which means he sneered a light fight for the property exactly and this is the first round with venom in his heart and only a streak of yellow to back it up jim cluxton returned to his associates ile he told them everything his only favorable favo rabla statement being the hope for the syndicate through the words in the will then its up to you to prevent her marrying within the next three months wiles shell bo be twenty one declared the head of the syndicate in tact fact he ii 1 I might say you haat two cli chances ances it if she should remain single or happen to die the timber cheen lost no time tn in marshalling her forces the first thing in the morning berning she sent for or don mackay and explained the sit bation thoroughly roughly the young man gazed at tier her and promised primi sed his support you see she finished its going to be a fight to a finish against cluxton and the trust will you help tee me 9 mackay again promised the next day when the big shipment was to be bd madei made to the mills ruth was on top ot of a boxcar check ling lumber in when bull joyce ci lr berwise dislodged the blocks which were used to prevent the ear car from tolling rolling down the steep grade ot of thunder mountain ruth caught tier her balance quickly but the car was under such corlile speed that to jump oil off would mean certain death iler her men rushed to the tracks but they could do nothing with every toot foot the heavy car increased tl Ks speed that car will surely leave the ralls before it gets halfway down thunder mountain Mounta iril bull joyce exclaimed frightened at had lone done to be continued |