The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1911-03-03

I8Wu10e tiBuVcucO pOSCCptiDiy u In0
movement Nell was watching him.
His face shone as white as the starlit
sand. His mouth was partly open.
I'm devilish sorry-for you-Nat-"
he said.
His words came with painful slow.
ness. There was grating huskiness
In his voice.
"This damned rawhide-is pinchins
my Adams apple"
He smiled. His white teeth CLEAN
ed. his eyes laughed. and with .
heart bursting with grief Nathaniel
looked away from him. He had seen
courage. but never like this, and deep
down in his soul he prayed-prayed
that death might come to him first, 30
that he might not have to look upon
the agonies Of this other. whose end
would be CHASTITY in its fearless resig-
nation. His own suffering had become
excruciating. Sharp pains darted like
red.hot needles through his limbs. his
back tortured him, and his head ached
az though q knife had cloven the base
Of his skull. Still-he could breathe.
BY pressing his head against the post
1t was not difficult for him to all his
lungs with air. But the strength OF
his limbs was leaving him. He no
longer felt any sensation In his
cramped feet. His knees were numb.
A moaning. wordless cry broke
through the cloth that gagged him.
At the sound of that cry. faint. ter
rifying. with all the horror that might
all human soul In its articulate note.
a shudder of life passed into Neil's
body. Weakly he flung himself back.
stood poised for an instant against the
stake. then fell again upoi. the deadly
throng. Twice three times he made
the effort. and failed. And to Ma
thaniel. staring wild-eyed and silent
now. the spectacle was one that
seemed to blast the very soul within
him and send his blood In rushing tor
rents Of fire to his sickened brain.
Neil was dying! A fourth time he
struggled back. A fifth-and he held
his ground. Even in that passing in
slant something like a fash of his
buoyant smile fiickered in his face and
there came to Nathaniels ears like .
throttled whisper-his name.
Mat"
And no more.
The head fell forward again. And
Nathaniel. turning his face away. saw
something come up out of the SHIN
mering sea. like a shadow before his
blistering eyes, and as his own limbs
went out from under him and he felt
the strangling death at his throat
there came from that shadow a cry
that seemed to snap his very heart
strings-a piercing cry and (even In
his half consciousness he recognized
| it, a woman's cry! He flung himself
back. and for q moment he saw Nell
struggling. the last spark of life In
him stirred by that same cry: and
then across the white sand two figures
few madly toward them, and even a.
the hot film In his eyes grew thicker
he knew that one OF them was Marion
and that the other was Winnsome
Croche.
His heart seemed to stop beating.
| D
but his head fell forward. Family.
as on a battlefield, voices came to
him, and when with a superhuman eff.
fort he Strengthened himself for an
instant he saw that Neil was no longer
at the stake but was stretched on the
sand, and of the two figures beside
him one suddenly sprang to her feet
| tA An In ri us =
terror-filled face was close to his own.
and Marion's lips were moaning his
name. and Marion's hands were slash.
ing at the thongs that bound him.
When with a great sigh Of Joy he
crumpled down upon the earth he
knew that he was slipping on into OBJ.
livion with Marion's arms about his
neck. and with her lips pressing to his
the sweet elixir of her love.
Darkness enshrouded him but few
moments. when a dash of cool water
brought him back into light He felt
himself lowered upon the sand and
after a breath or two he twisted him
self on his elbow and saw that Neils
white face was held on Winnsome'a
| tudt wan
up from the shore with more water
For a space she knelt beside her broth
er. and then she hurried to him. Joy
shone In her face. She fell upon hez
knees and drew his head In the hollow
of her arm. grooming mad senselesa
words to him. and bathing his face
with water. her eyes shining down
upon him gloriously. Nathaniel
reached up and touched her face. and
she bowed her head until her hail
smothered him in sweet gloom. and
kissed him. He drew her lips to his
own. and then she lowered him gently
and stood up In the starlight. looking
first at Neil and next down at him;
and then she turned quickly back Il
the sea.
From down near the shore she
called back some word, and with {
shrill cry Winnsome followed her. Ma
thaniel struggled to his elbow. to hil
knees-staggered to his feet He saw