Daily Arizona silver belt., 1909-05-05
CHAPTER XvI-(Continued)

square. Come! Get the cramp out of
 yourself while I make pot of coffee" "
 He held out his hand to assist her,
 and she accepted 1t, but stumbled as
 she rose, for she had been crouched in
 one position for several hours, and her
 limbs were stiff. He eaug.t her and
 swung her ashore. Then, instead of
 putting her feet to the ground, he
 pressed her to himself roughly and
 kissed her. She gave stifled cry and
 fought him of, but he laughed and
 held her the closer.
 ''No, no. nor she gasped, writhing
 like wild thing. but he crushed his lips to hers again and then let her go,
 whereupon she drew away from him panting, disheveled, her eyes wide and filled with horror. She scrubbel her lips with the back of her hand, as if to erase his mark, while he reached into the canoe and brought forth an aX. bundle of food and coffeepot. Then. still chuckllng, he gathered a few sticks of driftwood and built fire She had n blind instinct to flee and sought for a means of escape, but they were well out upon the bar that stretched distance of 300 feet to the wooded bank. On one side of the mar row spit was the scarcely moving, half stagnant water of tiny bay or eddy; on the other the swift, gliding current tugging at the beached canoe, while the outer end of the gravelet. ridge dwindled down to nothing and disappeared into the river. An instant later, when he turned to the clearer water of the eddy to fill the coffeepot. she seized her chance and sped up the bar toward the bank. The shingle un- der foot and her noisy skirts betrayed her, ard with an oath he followed. It was an unequal race, and he handled her with rough strong hands when he overlook her.
 "So! You lied to me! We'll. I'm through with this foolishness. If you'll go back on your word like this yOu'll 'bawl me out before the priest, so I'll forget my promise, too, and you'll be glad of the chance to marry me-"
 Let me gor' she panted. T'll mar ry you. Yes, yes, I'll do 1t, only don't touch me noww
 He led her back to the fire, which had begun to crackle. She was so weak now that she sank upon the stones shivering.
 That's right. sit down and behave while l make something hot to drink. You're all in." After time he con- tinued as he busled himself about h:s task: Say, you ought to be glad to get me. I've got lot of money. or I will have, and once you're Mrs. Run- nlon nobody II ever know about tL.s or think of you as a squaw."
 He was still talking when the girl sprang to her feet and sent shrill cry out over the river, but instantly he was up and upon her, his hand over her mouth, while she tore at It. screaming the name of Poleon Doret. He silenced her to a.smothered, sob ping humble and turned to see. far
 
 river, a man in bark canoe. Tbe craft had just swung past the berd above and was still a long way off, so far away, In fact, that Necias signal had not reached 1t, for its occupant held unwayeringly to the swiftest channel, his body rising and falling in the smooth, amending rhythm of q master boatman under great haste, his arms upflung now and then as the paddle glinted and flashed across to the opposite side.
 Runnion glanced about hurriedly, then cursed as he saw no place of The Peterborough stood put upon the bar conspicuously, as did he ard the girl. But the chance re- mained that this man, whoever he was, would pass by, for his speed was great, the river mile in width and the | bend sharp. Necia had cried Poleon's l name, but her companion saw no re- semblance to the Frenchman In this strange looking voyager. In fact, he could not quite make out what was | peculiar about the man-perhaps his | eyes were not as sharp as hers--and | hen he saw that the boatman was naked to the waist. By now he was lrawing opposite them with the speed # hound.
 The girl, gagged and held by her aptor's hands, struggled and moaned lespairingly, and, croucbing back Of he boat, they might have escaped dis overy in the gray morning light had not been for the telltale freq tiny, rackling blaze no larger than a mans lat. It betrayed them. The dan ing raft upon which their eyes were .xed whipped about, almost leaping rom the water at one stroke, then ame toward them, now nothing but a arrow thing, half again the width of
 mans body. The current carried 1t own abreast of them, then past, and 'unnion rose, releasing the girl, who ried out with all her might to the oatman. He made no sound In reply. ut drove his canoe shoreward with uicker strokes. It was evident he nfF |, tr y.,