The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-05-20
Harry Irving Greene
Copyright E9l1. By Harry Irving Greeua1

euSo OF q raYlne, deep and DreciDitOuS
It's bottom a jumbled mass of huge
boulders that through the untold cen
turtles Of the past had gone crashing
to its bottom from the mountains ton.
Just ahead of them the winged one
was Tapping in direct flight for the
other side, while they travelling upon
their blistered feet must first descend
its dizzy slope to its lowest depth.
Chamber across its chaotic bottom and
struggle painfully up the other side
good mile of heart-breaking struggle
against half miles unimpeded fight
But pausing not at all they went plung-
ing down with the recklessness of
despair, stumbled across the boulder
Uttered bottom, dragged themselves
weak with exhaustion up the opposite
slope and staggered to the summit
as their foe, invigorated by a half
hours rest, arose just ahead and con-
t1nued his fight apparently as fresh
as when he had started hours before.
Keeling of brain and hopeless of heart,
their breath coming in sobs, they fol-
lowed
At two o'clock March, suddenly
arousing himself, found that he had
been struggling on in a daze, a semi
conscious state wherein he had STUN
bled along as in a dream as he clam
bered over jagged, upheaved masses
and dragged himself painfully ND
steep ascents that led ever up and up
towards distant and towering peaks
that receded as steadily as he ap-
preached; his eyes ever fastened uD-
on grotesque flying thing that alter
nately tapped onward like a mann
moth bat or roasted vulturelike upon
some eminence as it clutched a form
which it was bearing closely and peer
ed with huge, inscrutible eyes at him.
self toiiing on with infinite WEAKNESS
below. Ahead of him The Flying Man
was just in the act of rising once more
with his burden. On one side of him
lowered the smooth shoulder of the
mountain that loomed up another
thousand feet, upon the other a steep
slide that led down equally as far to a |
torrent, the thunder of whose voice |
came family to his ears. Some miles |
ahead and rising dizzily was the fat /
cipitous cliffs surrounding it, wild and |
desolate, the haunt of nc living thing /
except mountain sheep and wandering |
eagles. Was it to this inaccessible |
place, this very heart of desolation,
that the enemy was leading them? /
March could but vaguely wonder. |
Where was Clay? He looked behind /
just in time to see the other go down
upon his bleeding knees in stumbling
fall and lie motionless. For the first /
time since the start he halted, hest
tated, then with an exclamation of
despair hurried back to the fallen one
and turned him over. The eyes were
half closed, the mouth gasping like
that of suffocating fish and the head |
rolling Imply. Despair seized him
Each breath that he drew pierced his
bosom like dagger and his head
swan giddily. His own hands and
knees were torn and blood caked and
his throat like old parchment. It
seemed hopeless, worse than hopeless
% go on alone, yet go on he must to
his last breath, his last step, his last
'raWl, and Clay must take care of him
self. He turned to pursue his way and
saw that the creature beyond had al
'eady settled to the rocks and was
quietly watching them. March ran his
land across his eyes to clear them
rom the sweat. Since the other was
lot increasing the distance between II
hem, perhaps it would be wise upon .
lis part to rest also. Should he con- !
inue on in his present condition it | j
would be but short time before he !
would collapse as Clay had done, and I
hen there would be no eye to mark i
he direction of the monsters flight | ,
IN the other hand should he rest for I
While he would be able to take up {
he pursuit with renewed yigor, and !,
erhaps by that time Clay would be l
BILE to accompany him. He threw I
lmself upon the rocks.
The desire to sleep fell upon his
Yields as dead weight Fatigue f
eadening as an anaesthetic, so be-
umbing as to require the utmost eff Il
orts Of his viii to keep it from stupe-
wing his senses, possessed him from
rain to toe. The pain was gone from
is limbs, but in its place was thef :,
umbness Of paralysis. His head, too, .
ad ceased to reel, but it was hum k
ling like hive. Fighting uncon- L
;1ousness with all his strength of body d
nd will he raised himself to a sitting o
osition and again looked ahead. The n
nemy was squatting where he had g
lighted last, his head dropping for =
ard and his hand resting on the form
the girl whom he had laid at his T
eet. That he was not asleep slight h
neasy movement now and then in o.
icated, but that he was very weary r,
IS sunken attitude gave strong evil n
ence. Although his body was not Il
Unprotected by that of his captive.
lie distance was too far to precipi- :
tie matters By a pistol shot which :.
it hit either of them might almost
) likely strike the girl IA
Again slumber. SO nearly overmas-
ring that for a moment the world
= ~