The Washington times., 1910-04-14
THE SKY PIRATE e4ss=Ig : s.sv 5


7 this reconnaissance encouraged me 70
| try another on the southern side
I Crept cautiously. down to the spot
where PaytOn had fallen, found the de-
saw that il was the dry bed Of a brook,
Z by following which he could have
craWleo away 10 the brush unnoIlceds
/ but such an act was 50 contrary to all
that ] had heard OF his audaciOus and
fndomitable character that I was WOT-
rled more than before
I believed that he WIS plotting some
more cunning scher1e- Indeed, since
ne now bad only " men left, and
/ they possibly wounded, he would hardly
undertake another stOrming
Was he preparing a second bomb. or
had he some other source Of which
knew nOthing2
I climbed painfully I'D the rocks again.
Ior now my ankle, the injury 10 which
had forgotten IN the excitement Of
the defense, began to trouble me
As cropped upon & stone in the mid
ole CT the enclosure Miss Grammar
hrst noticed that / had been hurt She
turned pale. and again showed a con
/ Germ on my account that could not
ATTRIBUTE solely 10 the fear that she
might be deprived OF her only defender
She insisted that / should take or nv
shoe and stocking. and CaIIins. Susan
VINO had recovered from her shock
aided me with the utmost tenderness to
/ ono up a deep cut, made by a frag-
nltnt OF me BOMB, or Of rock
When she had. finished she sid To me
with a pleading look Please T5eute-1.-
ant Allan, don't expose yourself as you
rave been doing. / was IL agony when
1 saw you yenturing down the rocks!
" nat should We dO-What should do
II you were seriously hurt, OF killed ="
men she covered her eyes. and I
saw tears trickling down her hands.
would not have changed places with
the President OF the United Statesi
Ielt proud gratihed. heroic. romantic,
Dr4VG> as q lion, capable as a general,
ready 10 do anything and everything
70 serve her who had shown this inter
est IN me-
love 10 the tops OF my ears, and 1
felt that I might hope for q response
. 10 this mighty affection which was
oEeTInaSteTIng me. assured Miss
De more careful, and the Eladness in her
eyes made me forget everything else
everything except the necessity Of de-
Tending her This thought sent me back
. III haste to our rampant
Miss Grayman immediately joined me
Ia looking out, taking her place on the
northern side. We watched and
watched but not a living thing cid
we see except a few birds and some
small animals lodging about among the
rocks Thus the afternoon passed and
the sun sank low in the northwest
We suffered from lack Of water
more than from that Of food and I
resolved that as soon as u grew dark
enough 7 would creep down 70 the edge
OF the brush, where I had noticed q
small stream, and MI nv helmet with
water But I did not tel Miss Grayulan
Of my design, feeling sure that she
would oppose It Her suffering, now
ever. was so painfully evident that 1
would have ventUred anything N order
TO relieve her
credit 50 gratifying suggestion, be
gan 10 think that Payton had stolen
away, IN despair Of Being able 70 cap
tu~e OF Kill Us and fearful OF the ar
--r-- ~F F-1n
could hardly account for the enJlre ao-
scnce OF any sign Of his contln ued pres
enCe in the neighborhood-
He cannot hope nov 70 6eL me IdIl-
SOM I argued, and why. Lheus SnoGid
he further risk his life and liberty2
As continued 10 rum1nate upon Inlsr
I became so convinced that I nad nit
upon the real explanation OF the ceS-
satiOn Of his efforts that spoke about
II TO Miss Graymasls and Ioio her OF
my plan for getting water
At first she vigorously opposed me,
but I presented the master so clearly
that finally she gave IN 70 my opinion
The time seemed endless before the
day became sufficiently dark 70 render
my attempt safe against possible de
lection I was the more determined TO
carry IL ont because I did not think
that our friends could md Us N the
night But, although FEELING almost
sure that PaytOn had deCaUped1 I took
every pTeCautiOn.
I crawIed down the rocks. Keeping in
. the DARKEST places ana A4lr-l NtttA4 III
way over the open ground until / reach
ed the place where = lytOn took his
tumble From this. 1 followed the dry
rfvuiet. already spoken OF. until i at
tanned the brush. This rivule- was a
tributary Of larger stream which ran
over a pebbly bottom, the cold water
collecting in little pools I took long
drink and filed my helmet
Although more and more convinced
that I had nothing 70 fear from lurking
enemies, I did not relax my caution,
thinking Of the stake I bad IN the Sc
CurILy Of Miss era yuan, and once more
got down On my knees to cross the
open space.
I had not progressed more than q doz-
en- yards from the edge OF the brush
when q scream broke the stiffness It
came from the summit Of the rocks
Ny pulse stopped beating. but fnstan-
taneOusly I spTang 10 my feet, dropped
my helmet, drew my pistol, and shout
ing 7 knew not what. ran with ali my
speed toward the rocks heard another
scream. muffled and cut short, and
Uadiy. as I ran, without aim or
I object, I fred my pistol three OF four
times
Helen. HeIen,' shouted
There was no reply-of course. could
hear a SCTambling, however, on the 9th
CT side Of the huge pile and II occurred
TO me that ] could make SWifter progress
Z by szirtinE the steep rocks Accordingly
I ran around them. but there was not
a sound, or q moving thing in sight
j hao IN my pocket q Sfllah electric
lamp or my own cOntTiVanCe. which ]
always carried and which had a mir
Tor throwing a bright shaft Of light to
a considerable distance now brought
this into requiSitiOn, and with Il care
fully swept around on all sides.
They may still be on the summit
thought, and hastily 7 began to mount
] had made but a few upward steps
when an arm stole swiftly and silently