Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1904-08-04

cred with fresh blood from the mang
led remains Of calf, over which he
had stumbled.
The blood was still flowing, and it
was evident that but few minutes
should have elapsed since the calf had
been in the fierce claws of the inhah-
liant of the cave.
With revulsion of sickening horror
he rushed out toward-the open air, but
wreath Of fame that swirled around,
singeing his hair and eyebrows, drove
him back.
Creeping close to the wall, he shrank
as far as possible from the CHASTITY re-
mains of the calf. He was trembling
now and icy cold; his teeth chattered,
and his wild eyes peered into the gloom
from which at every instant he exr
pected the form of a mountain lion to
leap upon him.
AS his eyes became accustomed to the
darkness he found himself looking into
two balls of fame. Low down, they
were, las if the creature were crouch
ing on the ground.
How long he sat there facing those
fiery eyes he did not know, but when
his ears were able to distinguish be-
tween the noises so that he could di-
vide the roar Of the fire from the
throbbing of his own heart, he found
that a soft moaning sound came from
the direction Of the watching eyes.
In few moments his reasoning
faculties resumed their sway. He
recognized this sound; it was fear,
deadly fear. He felt real sympathy
for the beast, while he cast an anxious
look toward the outer world.
The fire still burned below him, but
the raging, leaping flames had passed
and now the wind made a rift in the
smoke, and he gathered all his
strength for one more effort to save
his life. Without one preliminary
movement which might startle the
lion, he sprang to his feet and leaped
down the mountain.
Below, in the ravine, the group Of
horror stricken men had scarcely
moved. Denis still stood, shrinking
under Cady's vise-like grip. He had
looked once into Cady's face, once into
those Of the men around him.
He read his fate and knew that he
had nothing to hope for-of mercy
from the one or of assistance from the
other. His face was ashy, and his
teeth had bitten through his lip, from
which the blood ran into his beard.
Cady leaned forward, straining his
eyes to see through the smoke and
darkness. His breath came hard; the
veins in his fopoh \ r--.-~ 1--~e>1, ar, q i
almost black.
The smoke lifted for q moment,
showing the blackened mOuntainside.
Where within an hour had been the
homes of myriads of happy birds and
beasts nothing now remained but des-
olation and death. Cady searched the
ground for anything that should move.
No, there was nothing. He groaned
with a sound which was like the snarl
of wild beast in pain.
Denis heard the click of a revolver
and shut his eyes. At this moment
Shelley laid his hand on Cady's arm
and pointed upward. Out of the dark.
ness there came a tall figure, leaping
falling, scrambling up again, and com.
ing down the mountain.
Cady's hand involuntarily relaxed
his hold on Denis. The men shouted
and rushed forward, reaching out
their arms, but Denis was the, first OF
all. He sprang up the hot mountain
side like a monster cat, and when ''The
| Lad'' fell fainting toward him, he
| caught and held him tenderly, an6
would not be assisted by the others
but carried him down, and laid him
| burned and bleeding, but alive, in hi:
| brothers arms.
| Shelley took off his hat and stretched
his hand toward the sunset sky.
''Thanks i,> to whom thanks ar
| DUE
"Amen" said Cady.-New Yorl
|