The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-10-20
CHAPTER LxxI1I.--HIrNrEr.

The level shafts OF the rising sun
awakened her. She sat up. rubbed her
eyes, y;twned, stretched limbs stiff with
the hardship of sleeping on unyielding.
sun-baked earth--and of sudden
started up. surprised by the grating Of
footsteps on the earth behind her.
Before she could turn. however. she
was caught and wrapped In the arms of
Hop: Jim. His face or bronze bent
over her. smiling in the triumph of his
cunning: his breath famed her cheek,
hot with Ills desire; his lips threatened
hers imminently ~.
Only for an instant she remained mo-
tionless in the mans embrace, trans
tixe2 with surprise and horror and the
thought that here In fair measure was
her reward for having played with fire.
Then. without warning, she was like
II steel spring that he sought to supple
TO his Will. She fought him like a wild
cat. kicking. biting. tearing, scratching.
sobbing. painting. despairing--and
fought but the more fiercely as despair
grew marc dark IL. her consciousness.
His strength was all but incontesti-
BILE. His arms yielded only to gain an
advantage. Steadily. despite all her
more close. Ever his loathsome mask
pressed nearer to the goal of that ca
She mustered all her strength and
wits and Will for one last struggle
and I'm a frenzied moment managed to
break his hold n trifie. enough to en-
able her to snatch at the pistol hanging
from her belt and present it at his
head
But ii exploded harmlessly, spending
its bullet on the blue of the morning
SKY. The bandit caught her wrist In
time. thrust 1t aside and subjected 1t to
such cruel pressure and such savage
hi ftlaf of n
from fingers nuiubed with pain.
And now all hint OF mercy left his
.Ges; remained only the glare of rage.
He put forth all his strength in turn.
and Judith was us child In his hands.
In half a minute he had her helpless,
in as much time more her back was
breaking across his knee, while he
bound her with loop after loop of his
rawhide lariat.
Then, leaving her momentarily SUI
pine on the ground, Hop Jim caught
and unhobbled her horse, and. without
troubling to saddle 1t, lifted the girl
10 it's back and placed her there, face
upward. catching her hands and feet,
as they fell OH either flank OF the
animal. with more loops Of that un-
breakable rawhidc. and deftly placing
the master knot ot the hitch that
bound this human pack we'll beyond
possibility of her reach.
She painted prayer for mercy. lie
laughed in her face. bent and kissed
her brutally, and stepped back. still
laughing. to admire his handi-
work.
Thus he stood for an instant between
the horse and the edge Of the declivity,
~ fair mark, stark against the sky, for
one who stood in the valley below,
folding his rifle with euger fingers,
waiting Just such opportunity with the
impatiencc that he had waited it ever
since the noise OF debris kicked over
the edge by the struggling man and
woman had drawn his attention to
what was going on above.
AS Alan pressed the trigger and the
shot sounded clear in the morning still
ness, Judith saw look of agGrieved
amnzement cross the face OF Hopi Jim
Slade.
Then he threw his hands out, clawed
blindly nj the air. staggered. reeled
against the horses flank so heavily
that IL SHE'D in fright. and abruptly
shot from sight over the edge of the
bluff.
lf poetic justice may be held to have
demanded the death of Hopi Jim Slade,
train bandit, cattle rustler, two-gun-
man. jack -ofall-c rimes. In the manner
and at the time and place whore Ii oc-
CURED. IL is certain that poetic beauty
OF scene and circumstances attended on
his passing.
He died as hc deserved TO die, to-wit:
like dog. shot In the back without
warning; dying, he plunged backwards
over the brink of declivity so
precipitous as almost TO deserve the
name OF precipicc: plunging, he passed.
IN an instant from the golden light OF
the new-sprung sun that glorified the
ragged crests OF the painted hills. info
Il canyon like a wide, deep well abrim
with translucent purple shadow.
Continued To-morrow)
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