Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-12-14
Bob Hampton
Of Placer
Continued From Second Page.

which she could not clearly interpret
in his shocked expression.
Nothing OF consequence" and he
family endeavored 90 smile. u sup
pose I must have been dreaming also.
and most unpleasanuy. No: please do
not look down; it would only cause
your head Go reel, and our upward
climb is not yet completed. Do you
feel strong enough now 10 make an
other attempt 90 reach the top?"
can WEI" she questioned helplessly
1--WE can. simply because we must"
and his white teeth shut together frm-
ly. There IS no possibility OF retrac-
ing our steps downward but with the
help OF this daylight we surely ought
20 be able 70 discover some path lead
ing up"
He rose cautiously 20 HIS feet press
ing her more closely against the face
OF the cliff. thus holding her in COM
parative safety while preventing her
from elarcing back into the dizzy
chasm The most dincult portion OF
their journey was apparently just be-
fore them More shan once they tot
tered on tho very b-ink. held Co safety
merely hy desperate clgtchin-s 90 rock
OF shrub set never once did the man
loosen his guarding grasp of his com
panlon. Pressed tightly against the
smooth rock. feeling for every crevicc.
every slightest irreEuiar.ty Of surface.
making use OF creeping tendru or
/ dead branch daring death along every
inch Of the way. these two creeners
at last attained the opening 20 little
guilcy. and sank down. faint ana trem-
bling. The girl glanced iurtively az
| him. the long lashcs shGdowing the
| expression % her lowered eyes In
spite OF deep prejudice she felt i'm
PEELED 20 Ike this man; he accom-
plished things. and he didn't talk
II was nothing more serious than a
| hard and tousome climb after that, a
! continuous struggle testing every mus
/ Gle. straiuing every sinew. causing
both 10 sink down again and again,
| painting and exhausted. no longer slim
ulated by imminent peril The narrow
| cleft they followed led somewhere
: away from the exposed front of the
| precipice, yet arose steep and jagged
| before them. IL was bridged finally by
cedar trunk. which Hampton
| wrenched from out it's rocky foothold,
and the two crept cautiously forward,
20 emerge where the sunlight rested
/ golden at the summit. They sank face
| downward in the short grass, barely
| conscious that they had finally won
their desperate passage.
Slowly Hampton succeeded in up-
lifting his tired body and his Keeling
head. until he could sit partially up
! right and gaze unsteadily about The
| girl yet remained motionless at his
feet, her thick hair. a mass OF red gold
in the sunshine. completely concealing
her face. her slender figure quiverlng
10 sobs Of utter exhaustion. Before
them stretched the barren plain.
brown. desolate. drear, offering in all
its wide expanse no hopeful promise
OF rescue. With hand partially shad-
ing his aching eyes from the binding
glare, the man studied It's every ex-
posed feature, his face hardening
again into lines OF stern determine
ton. The girl stirred from her posi-
ton. fiinging back her heavy hair
with one hand. and looking up into his
face with eyes that read at once his
disappointment.
'Have-have you any water left?''
she asked at last. her lips parched and
burning as II from fever.
He shook the canteen dangling for
gotten at his side. There may be q
few drops" he said. handing 1t to her
although scarcely removing his fixed
gaze from of that dreary plain. I'VE
shall be obliged TO make those trees
yonder; there ought to be water there
In plenty. and possibly we may strike
a trail"
There was nothing more said be
tween them. Like two autcmatons
K they started on across the parchee