Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1914-10-30

its heat to chill, its light to violet
Growing more intense, the cold
eventually 8oused the sleeping man
And hardly had his eyes Enclosed
and looked UP into the eyes Of Judith
bending "wss him than he started up
and oul u Tor embrace, got instead
lily upon his feet and after a moment
OF pause, watching her rise in turn,
strobe away--or rather staggered.
with the gesture of eXorcism
Uncomplaining, hugging her new
born humility to her with the ecstasy
Of the anchorite his hoTse.hair shirt,
Judith followed him patiently, at
little distance.
Not far from where he mad rested
there was break in the oyerhanging
wall OF the arroyo Through this he
scrambled painfully, reaching the level
OF the desert only after cruel effort,
the unheeded woman at his heels.
A brief pause there afforded both
time to regain their breath and survey
the desert for signs of assistance: it
offered none, other than what they
might accomplish through their own
eXertions For leagues in any quarter
it stretched without a break other than
the black cleft Of the arroyo, cleaning
a bleached and deathly white IN the
moonshine--llk the face of frozen
world
With tacit consent both turned that
way, Alan leading, Judith his pertina.
cious shadow, with never a word or
sign between them to prove that either
was aware Of the others company.
But this was state of affairs that
could not long endure Judith had the
price TO pay for her own trials, sui
tertng and priyaton, the strain began
to tell sorely upon her She reeled
slightly as she walked, weaving a
winding trail across and across the
stTalghter line OF footprints that
marked Alans course through the or.
dered pattern Of the powdered sage
brush
And r. a1dden she collapsed
instinct alone made Alan glance
over shoulder for she had made no
sound whatever
He turned and came directly back
10 her knelt beside her lifted her
head pilloWed 1t gently ON his arm
and piled her IN turn with the dregs
OF the canteen
With d sigh a sttled moan ana
little shiNer. she revived
He helped her gently to regain her
feet passed an arm round her
In this fashion they struggled on in
strange dumb companionship OF mis-
cry and wonder
Thua an hour passed and for all
their desperate struggles neither could
see that the light ON the mountalnside
VAS d yard the nearer.
Behind them other lights appeared,
NO staring yellow eyes that peefed
Up over the horizon, seemed to pause
1 time in search of the two then
eaped out directly toward them.
or this they We're altogether ignor
tat, and when deep droning sound
disturbed the desert silence like the
lufring OF some gigantic cat both as |
ribbed 1t TO the drumming OF their
aboring pulses.
The two lights were moi a nile be
lind them when silently, without Il
ign to warn the gil, Alan released
Ter, took step apart and dropped
IS II shot
Instantly she was kneelng by his
ide But In the act of bending over
lin she drew back and remained for
eyeral moments motionless, staring
It those twin glaring eyes sweeping
Town upon them with all the speed
ttainable by siX-cyinder touring car
negotiating trackless desert
When Judith did move 1t was not to
omfort Alan On the contrary, her
lrst act was to draw from her pocket
heavy, bluntnosed revolver, break it
t the breech and blow its barrel
lear of dust. Her hand went next
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