Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-12
CHAPTER XIX-Continued.


81 think we'd better get to ground" he
said with sudden resolution. and re
leased the escape valve. We'll have a
good chance of hiding at any rate, while
If We stay here too long. they'll be below
ready 70 net us when we do come down. y
The shrunken sphere did not require
much emptying. He closed the valve
again and checked their fall so that they
came quite softly To the tree tops of the
forest he he'd aimed at entering. dry
and sapless-looking wilderness of gnarled
tree trunks rooted with red. rusty leaves
Through a great. crash of breaking
branches they reached momentary safety
scrambling breathlessly clear of the
plunging car.
Corbyn slit the silk here and there so
that the gas remaining might escape. and
all they left behind them when they
started off on foot was the torn baSket
and the empty bag of the balloon.
Until they find that they can't start
Ilpon our trail" he said, encOuraSlngly
and it will take some finding in this
wilderness.
Now for a drink of water. eh. Fiji
And then we'll make move toward the
coast.
Fiji smiled wistfully. but did not an
swer She had been suffering agonies OF
thirst: her parched and swollen lips re-
fused TO speak for her
1t did not take them long, however TO
reach the stream Corbyn had been able
to forecast from overhead by studying
the foliage. a green glade ran right
through the heart of the sere desert. and
by the compass at his belt they MADE
their way in its direction.
Fiji ran forward when she heard the
first faint echo OF the rivulet to which
the forest had owed its being. and when
the others reached her She was kneellns
with wet lips beside crystal pool. her
attitude expressive of the thankfulneSS
she felt.
Corbyn saw then how worn and heavy
eyed she was. and his heart smote him
Beatriz also was showing signs OF the
strain they had been suffering since they
had started.
Food there was none, but surely. he
thought they might rest for brief hour
well stay here for time. he told
them. and they threw themselves down
YEARLY without word. But for him.
self there was no rest possible.
He took his bearings with exactitude
and left them for short space
that he might climb a bluff above and
thence lay the course they must follow II
cost him twenty minutes to climb high
enough. and there he spent ten more
making a rough sketch. map of the coun-
try which stretched between him and the
SEA range. 1t would be very dangerous
10 stray from the que route
Then he caught sight of cloud of dust
close to Alta Cruz. and. training his
glasses on it. gathered that the pursuit
was in full cry already.
He waited only to make sure that they
were we'll enough aware of the balloon S
descent to start the search within the
forest and then went stumbling down.
ward at his best speed. keeping to the
high bank above the stream instead of
following its bed he had done on the
way up, so that he saw no sign of the
two men who We're tracing carefully,
step by step. the few faint signs of his
assent
And when he got back to the spot
where he had left the two girls 1t was
empty.
His heart stood still and his face turned
gray through its tan. With frenzied haste
he verified the fact that he was not mis-
taken as to the locality. The leaves that
they had lain on still bore the faint i'm
press OF their forms lamentations in the
softer soil proclaimed that many other
feet than theirs had trOd it recently.
He groaned aloud in his agony. not
knowing where TO turn first. 1t took him
precious time to find which way their
kidnapers had come and whittier gone.
And. while he followed frantically the
true trail he heard the chase so close
that he knew it must have discovered
the balloon already.
A yell of triumph gave conclusive evil
'dence of that. and he turned back with
blazing eyes, a last despairing project in
his mind.
He crossed the stream again. ran
through the green grove on its banks to
where the thlcket lay all dry and brown
and rotten.
A little pile of dead leaves served his
purpose. He put match to them. and
in an instant, they caught light. blaZed
up. sent tongues of flame into the tangle
fronting them.
Once I'm hill and once down did he re-
peat the process. and when he once more
turned back to pursue his own path
there was an almost smokeless screen OF
fire between him and his enemieS-a
screen which spread and broadened until
those in trent of it became aware that
the strange roaring they could hear up.
wind presaged a forest fire, and got &c
horse again and fled in fear before it
leaving beyond the green embattlemen,
about the rlvulet the man they had come
there TO seek.
Satisfied that he had thus stopped them
for the moment. Corbyn broke back to
where the dim footprints turned ano
twisted through the underground anl
northwards. He lost them frequently
found them again, and struggled on in q
hot fury OF determination that only death
should daunt MIN in his quest.
He blamed himself most bitterly for the
misfortune which had thus bsfallen. was
ready 10 make restitution to the utter
most.
Thorns and projecting branches tore hi:
uniform, scratching his face and hands
till the blood flowed. He tripped and fel
and rose again. dusty. disheveled, sweat
ing at every pore.
His lungs were clogged, and heavy. he
could scarcely see. And when a band OF
men sprang suddenly upon him from bott
sides. he was in no case to withstand
them.