Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-11

ference from the fact that 1t was ROs-
GOES hand which held the flint and steel
here in the pilot house.
He knew that the next thing to do was
to kill him; and he fully expected to do
it-though almost equally to be killed
himself in the process.
His calling Jeanne'S name the second
time. telling her to wait and that he
would make the light for her, would en-
able him. probably, to get within strik-
ing distance of Roscoe before Roscoe at
tackled him. The man would think he
had him at his mercy.
Philip sprang clear of his planes left
them as they were there at the tunnel
mouth and walked steadily up toward the
pilot-house door.
Roscoe, on hearing his voice the first
numbered his hands and CROPPED on the
table for the revolver. Before he could
put his hand on it Cayley spoke the Sec
ond time.
At that. wanting no weapon. confident
that he needed none. his great hands
aching for the feel Of the sky-man's flesh
within their grasp, he moved a step near
er the door and waited.
He saw Philip cross the threshold. I'M
seeing-suspecting. apparently nothing;
saw him, at last, within hands reach.
Just as he touched him he uttered a
sobbing oath. and his great hands fall
tered, for Philips knife had struck
through. clean to the hilt, and just below
the heart.
The effect of the shock was only mo-
mentary. With a yell Of rage he sprang
upon Cayley, crowded him back against
the wall, tore at him blindly, like a wild
beast. and finally getting Philips right
forearm fairly in the grip O, both hands.
he snapped it like a pipestem.
In a moment Cayley got round behind
him. and with the crook Of his good arm
round Roscoe's neck. he succeeded in
forcing him to release his grip and in
throwing him heavily.
AS he lay his body projected through
the doorway out into the tunnel.
Philip left him huddled there and went
back to the table. He found Roscoe S
flint and steel beneath his hand; but it
was full minute before he could sum-
mon his courage to strike light, for the
differences from RoscOe's presence here
in the pilot house began to crowd upon
him now, grim and horrible But he
struck spark at last, lighted the candle
and looked about
The reaction Of relief turned him. for a
moment. g1ddy. as the glance about the
room convinced him that what he feared
worst had not happened. But another
thought occurred to him. almost at once,
when he saw that the cover had been re-
moved from the top Of the Ice chimney.
In his mind, of course that represented
the way Roscoe had come. What if
Jeanne, unable for some reason to defend
herself, had chosen, as the lesser evil. to
fling herself over the cliff from the tun-
nel-mOuth?
out into the tunnel, stepping across Ros-
GOES body to do SO. He went to the edge
and looked over. but it was too dark to
see. The light of the aurora, which still
blazed in the sky. dazzled his eyes. with
out lighting the surface of the world be-
low.
He must go down there, in order to be
sure. He had not stopped to furl his
planes when he alighted, and they had
wedged themselves sideways into the
tunnel, still extended and SO ready for
flight In an emergency.
He righted them and slipped his arms
through the loops that awaited them. He
stood for moment, testing the right
wing tentatively. There was a play about
it that he did not understand. So far as
he could see nothing was broken. The
fact that 1t was his own arm did not &C.
cur to him.
He was just turning to dive of the
cliff-head when. suddenly, he saw the
to be dead rise and rush upon him.
Philips knife had. indeed. inflicted a
mortal wound, but a man of Roscoe s
physique let's go Of life slowly. He was
bleeding to death, internally, but the proc
ess was. probably, retarded by his hud-
died position as he lay there in the tun-
mel.
So he had lain still and awaited his
chance. Cayley was standing quite at
the edge of the cliff, and the mans mo-
mentum carried him over. mis- clutching
hands grasped Cayley's shoulders and
they went down together, over six hun
dred feet of empty space.
For Cayley the space was all too little.
AS they went over he thought that he
and his gigantic enemy were going down
to death together Instinctively, and
much quicker than a man can think, he
swept his great fantafl forward and flung
himself back in an attempt to correct the
balance destroyed by the great weight
that was clinging to his shoulders.
They were of course, bound to 20
of his planes was sufficient to support
them both in the air. But in the posi-
ton into which he had flung himself they
would go down little more slowly. He
would gain. perhaps, precious second
more.
But he did not waste even an infinitesi-
NAL moment in any struggle against the
force Of gravity.
Twice. with all his might. he sent his
left fist crashing against the face. the
staring, horrible face. that confronted his
own. But still that convulsive, dying
grasp held fast.
They were no more than a bare two
hundred feet above the ice. With a su-
preme effort. an effort whose suddenness
awaited it better than it's strength, he
wrenched himself free and the great
weight dropped off. Another effort, the
exertion of every ounce OF
force he possessed. corrected the sudden
change of balance and prevented him
from falling, like the great. inert mass
he had just cast of.
Trembling, exhausted. he managed to
blunder around in q half circle, slanted
down inland and stumbled to a landing on
the beach, not fifty yards from the ice
clad ruins of the hut.
AS he did so the thought was in his
mind that during his struggle in the air
with Roscoe he had heard q cry, which
neither he nor his antagonist had ut
tered.
The perception came to him as a
and in memory it seemed to be
Jeanne's voice.
Now, unless his wits were wandering,
he heard it again and it called his name.
He was half incredulous of its reality
even as he answered it. But the next
before he could extricate him
self from his planes, or even attempt to
get to his feet. he felt the pressure of
her body. as she knelt over him.
(To be continued tomorrow
FROZEN EGGS KILL.