The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1905-04-12
CHAPTER XIV.

ANC kENdL gate SLbDu OpFu- drove
straight into the bright-lit yard. shouting
"Delia!-where is Deliar7
Here" calFd a voice; and from a
group that stood under the glare OF the
window she came running.
"AIl safe. Jack, But what She
drew back from our strange equipase.
All in good time. First tell mellow
came the href"
Why, foul work. as il seems. All I
know is l was sleeping. and awoke TO
hear the black seaman hammering on my
door. Jumping up. I found the room full
OF smoke. and escap'd. The ooms be-
meath. they say, were stuf7d with straw.
and the yard outside heap'd also with
straw, and blazing. Ben Halliday found
two oil jars lying there
Are the horses outT'
oh, jack do not know? Shame on
me 20 forget them
ran toward the stable. Already the
o o was ablaze. and the straw yard be-
yond q very furnace. Rushing in. 1
found the two horses covering in their
stalls. l fetched MoIly's saddle. and
spoke TO her, and set it across her back,
and the sweet thing was quiet in a mo-
msnt. and followed me out like q Lamb,
The bay ave more trouble. but l sooth-
ed him in the same manner. and pattirg
his neck. led him. too, into safety.
A hand was laid ON my arm. and
there in the shadow waited Billy him
self. with a mighty curious twinkle in
his eye. He put a finger up and signed
that l should follow. He led me out by
the posteru gate
Saw one stealing hither-an' follow'd-
4 man wi q limp foot-weut over the
side like a cat" and he pointed TO a rope.
As fast as / could tug | hauled up the
rope. Nearly sixty feet anne up before
l reach'd the end-a thick twisted knot.
| rove a long moose, pull'd il over my
head and shoulders. and made Billy un-
derstand he was TO lower me.
He paid il out carefully while /
stepp'd 10 the edge OF the cliff. Down |
sway'd. and at last swung myself inward
to the ledge. gain'd a footing. and took a
glance round before slipping off the rope.
/ stood on a shelf OF sandy rock that
wound round the cliff some way TO my
left, and then. as | thought, broke sharp
ly away.
| slipp'd off the o p and left il To dan
gle. while | crept forward to explore.
keeping well against the rock and plant
ing my feet with great caution
| believe | was twenty minutes taking
as many steps, when at the point where
the ledge broke off | saw the ends OF IN
iron ladder sticking up, and close beside
it a great hole in the rock, which I'LL
now the curve Of the cliff had hid. The
Inlly- NJ lx,E. g~,lI na a aa1nrH zhalF
below. I heard the sound OF a footstep:
and fac'd round. Before me, not six
PAGES off, stood Hannibal TingcOmb- He
was issuing from the hole with 8 sack on
his shoulder. and sneaking TO descend the
steps. when he threw a glance behind
and saw me, Neither spoke With a
face gray as ashes be turu'd very slow
Iy, until in the unnatural hight we lookd
straight into each others eyes.
Then. letting slip the sack. he flung his
arms up, ran a pace or two toward me.
and tumbled on his face ia a it. His
left shoulder hung over the verge; his
legs slipp'd. In 4 trice he was hanging
by his arms, his old distorted face turn'd
up, and a froth about his lips. | made Il
step to save him, and then iump'd back,
l~attening myself against the rock.
The ledge was breaking. l saw a seam
cape at my feet. | saw il widen and
spread to right and left. / heard a rip
ping. rending noise-a rush OF stones and
earth; and, clawing the air, with a wild
screech, Master TingcoEpb pitch'd back
ward. head over heels. into space
Then follow'd silence; then a horrible
splash as he struck the water. far below;
then again 4 slipping and trickling, as
more OF the ledge broke away-at first a
pebble or two SLIDING dribble Of earth
next. a crash and a cloud OF dust. A
last stone ran loose and dropp'd-
shut my eyes and shouted There
was no answer. / scream'd again and
again. The rock flung my voice seward
Across the summit vaulted above, there
drifta! a puff OF brown smoke No one
heard
A while OF weakness followed Ny
brain reald; my fingers dug into the rock
behind till they bled- | bent forward
forward over the heaving mist through
which the sea crawrd ike a snake. IL
beckon'd me down, that crawling water.
Shall l Jump thought i. "or bide
here till help eomes?"
Twas a giddy. awful leap. But the
black horror was at my heels now. In
q minute mere 'twesla hare ne. and then
my fall was certain / bent my knees.
and, leaving my hold Of the rock, sprang
ferward-at cyer the sea- saw IL
twinkle. farhouIs below. My right hand