The Washington herald., 1914-10-25

she revived.
He helped her gently to regain her feet passed
an arm round her.
Thus they struggled on in strange dumb compan-
ionship Of misery and wonder.
Thus an hour passed. and for all their desperate
struggles neither could see that the light on the
mountainside was a yard the nearer.
Behind them other lights appeared, two staring
yellow eyes that peered up over the horizon.
seemed to pause time in search Of the two, then
leaped out directly toward them.
OF this they were altogether ignorant; and when
a deep droning sound disturbed the desert silence.
like the purrng of gigantic cat, both ascribed
1t to the drumming Of their laborfng pulses. ,
The two lights were not mile behind them
when, silently, without sign to warn the girl,
Alan released her. took a step apart and dropped
as II shot.
Instantly she was kneeling by his side, But in
the act of bending over him she drew back and
remained for several moments motionless, staring
at those twin glaring eyes, sweeping down upon
them with all the speed attainabe by sx-cylinder
touring car negotiating a trackless desert
When Judith did move It was not to comfort
Alan On the contrary, her first act to draw
from her pocket heavy, buntnosed revolver,
break 1t at lhe breech and blow its barrel clear Of
dust. Her hand went next to the holster on Alans
hip. From this she extracted his Colts As treat
ing It as she had the other. Then she crouched low
above the man she loved, as II thinking perhaps to
II that were her thought, 1t was bred Of an idle
hope Alan had chosen to fall in the middle Of
wide space so arid that not even sagebrush had
ventured to take root there. When the glare of
the headlights fell upon them it was inevitable
that discovery should follow The motor stopped
within twenty feet Three men jumped out and
ran toward the pair, leaving two in the car-the
chauffeur and one who occupied a corner Of the
rear seat: an aged man with the face Of damned
SOUL doomed for little time to live upon this
earth in the certain knowledge Of his damnation.
As this happened Judith Trine leaped to her feet
and stood over the body Of Alan, revolver poised
in either hand.
Halt" she ordered imperatively. Hands up!"
The three who had alighted obeyed without
moments hesitation: her fathers creatures, they
knew the daughters temper far too well to dream
Of opposing her win.
In the six hands that were silhouetted against
the headlights radiance, three revolvers glim-
mered; but at her command all three dropped
harmlessly to the earth.
Then, sharply, Stand back two paces!" she re-
Quired. 10
They moved unanimously. 49,.
Darling forward, she picked up and pocketed the
three weapons, then with one Of her own singled
out the men she named
Now, Marrophat-and you Hicks-pick Mr.. Law
up and carry him into the car. And treat him
gently, mind! II one Of you lifts finger to harm
him, that one shall answer to me-
Still none ventured to dispute her The two men
designated without sign Of disincnation, stepped
forward. One lifted Alan Law by the shoulders;
the other took his legs. Between them they bore
him with every care toward the motor car.
But now q second will manifested itself. The
man in the rear seat lifted up weirdly sonorous
voice: