Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-07-31

70 a seafaring life, or I Shouts never
have got up these cliffs. Where's the
girl?"
..oh. the girls right enough. She's
standing exactly where she can heal the
cry Of the suffering In distress. You
can leave that part Of the drama TO
me. She's a smart girl, with plenty OF
pluck, but, all the same, I'm going to
make use of her. Have o got the
.things?"
Got everything. pardner. Got a
proper wipe over the skull, too"
How on earth did you manage to DO
that?"
"Meddlin with Bell, of course. Why
didn't you let him come and produce his
picture in peace? We should have been
all ready to fiabbergaster him when ne
did come"
my good Merritt. I have not the
slightest doubt about II. My plans are
too carefully laid for them to go astray.
But, at the same time, 1 firmly believe
In having more than one plan OF attack
and more than two ways OF escape. But
II we could have despoiled Bell Of his
picture ii would have been utterly USE
less for him to have come here. He
would have zone back. preferring to
accept defeat to arriving with a cock
and bull story to the effect that he
had been robbed of his treasure on the
way. And so he got the best of you.
eh?"
Rather! I fancied that 1 was pretty
strong but-well, II doesn't matter.
Here I am with the tools, and I amt
going to fail this time. Before Bell
comes the little trap will be ready, and
yor will be able to prove an alibi."
Henson chuclled hoarsely. He loved
dramatic effect, and here was n to
hand. He almost fancied that he could
see the white outline of Chris's figure
from where he stood.
Get along" he said. There is no
time to lose."
Merritt nodded and began 20 make his
way upward. Some way above him
Chris was looking down. Her quick ear
had detected some suspicious sound.
She watched eagerly. Just below her
the big electric light on the castle tow
err cast a band Of flame athwart the
cliff. Chris looked down steadily at
this. Presently she saw a hand uplift-
ed into the belt OF flame. a hand grasp
ing for a ledge OF rock, and a quickly
stifed cry rose to her lips. The thumb
on the hand was smashed fiat; there
was a tiny pink nail in h center.
Chris's heart gave one quick leap.
then her senses came back to her, She
needed nobody to tell her that the own
err Of that hand was James Merritt.
N.- AL .L1 rar,,Frn avn tHnn Hiznr1nO.
nation to perceive tina he was up to no
good. That 1t a something to do
with the plot against Bell h felt Ger.
tain. But the man was coming now;
he could only reach the top of h cliff
just under the wall where she was
standing. Chris peered eagerly down
into the path OF light until the intrud-
er looked UP. Then she jerked back,
forgetting hat she vas in the dark
ness and absolutely invisible. The &C
ton was disastrous, however, for II
shook Chris's diamond star from her
head. and 1t fell gently, almost at the
feet of the climber. An instant later,
and his eyes had fallen upon 1t.
What bloomin' luck" he said. hoarse.
ly. IT suppose that girl yonder must
have dropped 1t over. Well, it's rs good
as a couple of hundred pounds to me.
anyway. Little missile, you'd better
take a fearful farewell OF your Jumps
of sugar. as you'll W see them
To Chris's quivering indignation, he
clipped the star into his breast pocket.
again"
For a moment the girl was on the
point OF crying out. She was glad she
had refraired a second after, FOR a real
ly brilliant thought occurred to her.
She had never evolved anything more
clever In her life, but she did o quite
realize that as yet.
Nearer and nearer the man with the
manned thumb came. Chris stepped
back into the shadow. She waited until
the intruder had slipped past her in the
direction OF the castle and prepared to
follow al a discreet distance. Whatev-
er he was after, she felt sure he was be-
ing ordered and abetted by Reginald
Henson. Two minutes, five minutes
elapsed before she moved.
What was that? Surely, a voice
somewhere near her moaning for help.
Chris stood perfectly still, listening for
the next cry. Her sense of humanity
had been touched. she had forgotten
Merritt entirely. Again the stifled cry
for help came.
Who are your" Chris shouted. And
where are your"
''Henson,'' came the totally unexpect-
ed reply. I'm down on a ledge OF
rock. No, I'm not particularly badly
hurt, but 1 dare not move"
Chris paused for q moment, utterly
bewildered. Henson must have been
on the lookout for his accomplice, h
thought, and missed his footing and
fallen. Pity he had not fallen a little
farther. she murmured, bitterly. and
broken his neck. But this was only for
a moment, and her sense OF justice and
humanity speedily returned.
Il annot see anything of you" she
said.
"All the same. I can see your out
line" Henson said. dismally. II don't
feel quite so frightened now. I can
hang on a bit longer. especially now I
know assistance il at hand. At first I
begun to be afraid that I was a prison
er for the night. No; don't so. If I
had a rope / should have the proper
confidence to swarm up again. And
there is a coil of rope in the arbor close
by you. Hang II straight down over