The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-05-23
CHAPTER Kill.
The Search.

The Search.
March lying fat upon the rocks
first stirred uneasiIy as a sleeper
who gradually awakes, moaned and
then slowly pushed himself to a half
upright posture, sitting in the dazed
manner of one just recovered from an
anaesthetic He looked around and
above. Beetling cliffs and ragged
mountain tops surrounded him, deep
gorge lay at his feet, the dropping sun
was sending it's horizontal rays into
his eyes. He looked himself over. His
clothing was torn, his hands and
knees lacerated, his head humming
like a taut wire vibrating in the wind.
He tried to recall, struggling to COM
pei his memory to yield its secrets as
one might attempt to drive his limbs
to some great physical effort, but his
brain, partially paralyzed by the bull
let which had raked his hand, respond
ed but feebly. Bewildered he tried to
think it out step by step.
Where was he? He cast his eyes
over the jagged mountain crests that
arose on every side like the waves of
a tempest dashed sea. He had seen
them befOre-he was sure Of that
but where? Strive as he would he
could not recall. Who was he? Vain
iy he tried to remember, but his per-
sonality had wholly escaped him
even his name and place of abode
were blank in his mind. Why vas he
here in the midst of this jumbled
chaos of barren mountain peaks? Not
a CLINT of recollection answered him.
He was as lost as one would be who
suddenly born of full growth found
himself adrift in space possessed of
his full faculties but with no past and
therefore with nothing to remember.
He looked at his hand, one finger of
which was encircled by a heavy seal
ring. It looked familiar to him-sure-
ly he had seen that ring before-but
where? Mechanically he searched his
pockets and found therein an envelope
addressed to Alan March. The name
was as familiar to his eyes az was
the ring and hand, yet he was totally
unable to place it. He thrust the pa
per back into his pocket and arose.
Unquestionably he was upon a great
height and instinct told him that ne
should get down as quickly as pos
sible Automatically he began the de-
scent. his unfeeling legs finding the
way clumsily, his brain benumbed, his
throat dry as the waste that lay about
him
He went as one in a dream, sliding,
scrambling, sometimes for minutes
lying PROSTATE as q stone rolled from
beneath his feet and tripped him into
fall. Eventually he reached the bot
tom of the canyon and there he found
stream, clear, musical, cold as ice,
born Of the everlasting SHOWS Of the
great peak which had fathered and
mothered it. He plunged into it as a
seal leaves rock, walloWing in its
icy GOODNESS, drinking deeply, sub
merged himself. It's liquid GOODNESS
washed the haze from his brain and
he crawled forth refreshed and invig-
GRATED. In twinkling he remem-
bered.
He looked back at the tremendous
slide which he had just come down,
crowned by its inaccessible top which
arose steep as wall and to the eye as
unsurmountable to the foot as the side
Of a giant bastile. Yet Tolliver had
said that he had once been to its top
and would now go again. But Tolliver
was now insane and little dependence
could be placed upon his statements
Yet Doris was undoubtedly somewhere
up there and at the mercy of that
merciless flying thing that had led
them all day long in that fearful pur-
suit. Desperate and despairing though
he was he forced himself to reason
calmly. To return to the bottom of
the cliff and beat blindly about it as a
beetle attacks a window pane would
be a waste Of time, each minute of
which was priceless. He must return,
wire the aviators and with their help
assail the height from the air. 1t
would take at least a days time to do
this, twenty-four hours of maddening
suspense to be endured, yet it seemed
his only hope of eventually rescuing
her in case she remained alive. AS
to what might happen to her in that
interval he dared not think, but per-
haps after all TOIiiver might reach
the summit, and Tolliver loved her
also and despite his madness might
be depended upon to protect her to
his last gasp. Perhaps for the task
in hand his madness was even in his
favor, since it might give him addi-
tfonal strength, desperation and cum
ming. Drenched and shivering from
his icy bath, he went scrambling off
over the boulders.
The sun sank and the darkness be-
came intense. Guided by instinct
alone, he scaled the opposite side of
the canyon, often dragging himself
upward by pure strength Of limb, more
than once sending IO6sened rocks
crashing downward to the bottom in
ieaping fight, their roar accentuated
by the darkness. He reached the
summit OF the ridge and found him
self standing in the glow of the moon,
another deep plunge before him, but
with light once more to serve him.
Again he scrambled down the trail.
An hour later from the mountain
side he paused as he fought desper-
ately for breath. He looked backward
Miles behind him across canyon and