Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-07-17

'1AkIAsA1tkssst ~sss~ssSe'A
piece OF rope. But be careful To pro
vide q siipknet In case we have to
sheer of in a hurry. Can you RaEage
thatY'
"Quite WE'LL
Elsie was fully aware that the lead
ership Of the expedition had gone from
her. She WAS not sorry. 1t was In
strong hands. Suarez. too, secured a
stout branch and passed rope around
1t.
'Now. silence ana listen!" said Gray.
They soon detected curicusly sub
dued clamor from the inner recesses Of
the cleft At first almost indistinguish-
able, 1t gradually assumed the peculiar
attribute Of immense volumes OF dis
tant sound and filed the ear to the ex-
clusion of all else. 1t was like nothing
any of them had heard before. Now 1t
recalled the roar Of a mighty waterfall,
and again Its strange melody brought
memories Of a river in food. But the
dominant note was the grinding noise
of innumerable millstones. 1t cowed
them all. Even the dog was afraid.
Guess we tied up just in time" ex-
claimed Gray, feeling the need of
speech. A little sob answered him.
Elsie was beginning to admit the sheer
hopelessness of her undertaking.
''Now, cheer up. Miss Maxwell" said
he. "All the water that is going in
must come out by the same road. At
the worst we can skate back the way
we came and take our chance. But it
will soon be broad daylight, and I'll
answer for it that II Captain Courte-
nay is yet alive he is not between us
and the mouth of the inlet or he would
have contrived some sort Of racket to
let US know his whereabouts. Now. l
propose that our friend in the bows be
asked to shin up the cliff and prospect
q bit He ought to know how to crawl
through this underground. Fifty feet
higher he will be able to see some dis
lance"
Suarez was very reluctant to leave
the boat, but the American adopted q
short cut in the argument Offering him
the alternative Of climbing ashore or
Of being thrown overheard.
So the Argentine adopted the less
hazardous method and climbed to the
bank. A splash and scramble and
slight exclamation from Elsie told that
the dog had followed. Soon the swish
Of leaves and the cracking Of rotten
wood ceased. Suarez might be out Of
earshot or merely hiding for time, In
tending to return with news Of an i'm
passable precipice. There was crumb
Of comfort in the absence Of the ter
rier. Joey would either go on or come
back to them at once.
Gray felt that the girl was too heart
broken to talk. He listened to the
rhythmical chorus of that witches
caldron In the heart of the defile and
watched the gray light slowly etching
a path through the trees until It touch
ed the fast running water with q
simmer Of silver.
Neither Of them knew how long they
remained there. At last straining
and creaking of the boat warned them
that the water level was rising and the
ropes needed readjusting. 1t was now
possible to see that Elsie had made
fast to fallen tree. Its branches were
locked among the gnarled roots of the
lowermost growth above high 'water
mark. Already there was distinct
lesssning In the pace Of the current,
and Gray fancied that the distant rum
BILE was softer. It would not be many
minutes before the neishboring rocks
were covered. High tide he knew was
at 3:16 a. IN. He forbore to look at
his watch lest the girl should note his
action. That would imply the utter
abandonment Of hope.
It might be that his mind was too
taken up with the weird influences Of
the hour or that Elsie's senses were
strung to superhuman pitch. Be that
as 1t may, 1t was she who sprang to
her feet, all a-quiver with agitation.
'Do you hearY' she whispered, and
her hand clutched Gray's shoulder with
an energy which set his heart beating
high. He. did not answer. He had
heard no unusual sound, but he was
not without faith IN her.
'aTherew she painted again. tSome
one is mailing. Some one cried Elsie
I am sure Of it.'
"Guess you'd better toot Arthur on
the OF chance" said Gray.
Almost the last thing she remember
ed was the sound Of her own wild
scream. There came back to her a
stronger shout and the bark of dog.
She had blurred consciousness Of a
whole troop Of men scrambling down
the choked ravine, Of glad questions
and joyous answers, of delirious dog
leaping on board and yelping staccato
assurances that everything was all
right in most Wonderful world. Then
she found herself in Courtenay's arms
and heard him say in rapture Of de-
light,
IT owe my life to you, dear heart.
That Is the wonder Of it. No need to
tell me you ran away from the ship.
I know. One kiss, Elsie. then full
speed ahead for the Kansas. By the
Lord, to think of it--you here, at the
very gate Of the inferno! Well, one
more kiss! Yes, it Is I, none other, and
At as a fiddle. Never got scratch.
rhoro nnxv. 7 roallv Ynust see the crew.