The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-05-22

uASA iC1l upon l1I4 sIlIA CTOuGQlHSr
crawling and darting across the I'M
screened places. In the uncertain
shadow Of rock pile his foot tripped
against a stone and he fell upon his
face, remaining as motionless as a
watching lizard as he listened for an
answering sound. None came and he
slowly raised himself. Clearly enough
il would be folly for him to attempt to
pursue his search for the night-eyed
dragon in the darkness. He might
miss them, overrun them, be ambushed
himself or eluded in the darkness.
There remained but a few moments of
even semi-daylight, and taking advan-
tage Of il he crept into a niche in one
Of the rock piles and composed him
self TO watch and wait with the cum
ming Of the mad.
The darkness thickened. Fold by
fold il fell upon the peaks and settled
dense in the valleys, while minute by
minute the glitter of the stars grew
brighter, harder, more scintillant
From his narrow retreat he watched
them blazing in their brilliance. New
CT had he seemed so near to them as
now, when bruised, torn and unutter-
ably weary of body but burning of
brain he stared up at them with throb-
bing eyes. The cold of night came
settling down from the nearby snow
clad peaks, and coatless and damp he
shivered beneath its touch Fuel there
was none upon this rock Uttered
waste, nor would he have CHANGED a
Gre had there been lest the one for
whom he sought might see or smell it.
= new thought flashed through his
mind. Undoubtedly the flying one now
thought himself safe from his day-long
pursuers, and IL he possessed the skill
Of making fire, as did races of the
earth no matter how low their order
of intellect. then tonight of all times
after his labors OF the day he would
beyond doubt seek to warm and cheer
himself beside a blaze. And to creep
upon an enemy who sits beside a fire
at night is the very A B c of stalking.
Shiyesirg with the cold he crept forth.
Across the eastern peaks the moon
arose and flooded the mountain top
with its simmer and keeping in the
shadows Of the piled masses and pur-
suing Lis way with the stealth of a
maraudering apache he crept on.
Twice he climbed to the top Of piles
taat commanded an exceptionally wide
outlook across the waste, and from
their SUBMITS scanned the plateau
through the misty light Nothing but
the broad axpanse with its cluttered
fragments met his view, and each time
he cFept softly down again 70 steal
through the shadows as he resumed
his quest, alternately shuddering with
cold and burning with fever, Above
him the snow peaks slowed phos-
phoreseeQtly, on every hand the rock
shadows lay like squat, fantastic mon
sters, while below was Aa abyss filled
to the bTim with solid bIackness. Be
nnnbed of limbs but with eyes and
ears acute as those of q PFowling
beast of the night he eTeDt along.
lie had made two circuits of the
plateau without discovery and for the
third time turned 10 construct the cir
Gle. His physical WEAKNESS was such
that he seemed to move upon wooden
limbs, and ali pain had left him save
the burning of his brain. he thought
Of the strange premonition OF the day
before which had told him that he was
about to depart upon aa unknown
journey OF righteousness a Fremont
ton which he had not dared mention
before March for fear of Fidicule. Was
this, then, the journey of which he had
been SO subtly warned by that mystic
sense which ct times he had seemed
to pOssess-tflis pursuit into these
wild heights where tradition said no
human foot had ever stepped beside
his own. He wondered as he paused
for 2. moment in strip Of moonlight
and fixed his eyes upon the next point
which he must seek in bis ever mar
rowing search.
Then from above came a sound that
thrilled him as an electric shock and
he threw his glance upward. Close
above him and falling with the speed
Of bouncing hawk was a great black
shape with enormous wings and huge,
dubious eyes that glowed phosphores-
Gently. With a rabbit like spring to
one side he attempted to raise his pis-
tol, only to fall headlong upon the
stones beneath a heavy weight For a
moment he struggled desperately, but
an instant later his weapon was torn
from his hand and he found himself
encircled by an arm that held him as
in wise. Then slowly but surely he
felt himself being borne upward, I'D
and up through the cold simmer until
the black throat Of the canyon yawned
bottomless below. From afar, as
though travelling through infinite dis.
lance he seemed to hear a cry, the cry
Of woman who is filed with a name
less horror, and once more he strug-
gled fiercely against the iron grip that
held him. Then the grip seemed to
loosen and be thought himself falling
falling endlessly into an intermin-
able abyss through a great and roar.
ing darkness.
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