The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-08-15
CHAPTER vII.-ROSE.

Since that event, the man had sue.
ceedef in losing himself completely.
In seeking shelter from the thunder
storm he had lost touch with his only
known and none too clearly located
landmarks, Then. after n night passed
without IRE in The lee OF ragged
bluff. he had walked to discover the sun
rising In the west and the rest of the
universe sympathetically upsidc-down.
and atmlesslv ever since he had STUN
blc,i and b!undercd In tho maze Of those
Erimly retlcent fastnesses. for tho last
few hours haunted by "A fear of fail
ing eason-possessed by a notion that
he was dogEed by furtive enemies
and within the last hour the puppct OF
blind. witlcss panic.
But even as he strove to calm him
self and rest. tho feeling that some
thing was pecring at him from behind
a mask Of underground grew intolcr-
ably acute.
At length he jumped up. gla red wild
~ Al the spot where that something no
longer was, nunS himself frantically
through the brush in pursuit OF 1t, and
found nothing.
With great effort he pulled him
the promise not again To give way to
Authorizations, and turned back to
the clearing.
There, upon the Los on which he had
rested he found--hut refused to be
lieve he SAW playing card. a Trey
of Hearts face up In the sun glare
With a gesture of horror. Alan Law
Ned the place.
While the sounds of his flight were
stiil loud grinning half guide
stole like "a shadow to the log. laughed
derisiveiy after the fugitive, picked up
and pocketed the card. and set out In
tireless cat-footed pursuit.
An hour later, toDping a ridge of
rising ground, Alan caught from the
hollow on its farther side the music OF
clashtng waters. Tortured by thirst
he began al once to descend in reckless
haste.
What was at hrst gentle slope COW
cred with waist deep brush and ar
peted with leaf-mold. grew swiftly
more declivitous. mossr hillside, as
steep as roof. bare OF underbrush
and sparely sown with small cedars
through whose ranks. cool blue waters
twinkled far below.
The shelving moss-bcds afforded
treacherous footing: Alan was glad
now and then of the support Of a cedar.
but these grew ever smaller. and moro
widely spaced and were not always
Convenient to his hand. Ie came alb
ruptly and at hcadlong pace within
sight Of the caves of CNn-and pre-
ciscly then the hillside seemed to slip
from under him. His heels nourisncd
in the air. his back thumped bed of
pebbles thinly overgrown with moss.
The stones gave, the moss skin broke.
he began to slide-grasped At random
a youngish cedar which straycd him
imperceptibly. coming away with all its
puny roots-caught at another. no more
gu bstantial--and amid shower of
loose stone shot out over the edge and
down a drop of more than thirty feet.
lie was instantaneously aware or
the sun, a molten ball wheeling madly
in the cup OF the turquoise sky. Then
dark waters closed over him.
He came up struggling and gasping,
and struck out for something dark
that rode the waters near at hand
something vaguely resembling canoe.
But his strength was largely spent, his
breath had been driven out of him by
the force OF the fall. and he had swal-
lowed much water-while the field of
his consciousness was stricken with
confusion.
Within stroke OF an outstretch ed
paddle, he flung UP hand and went
down again.
a young and very beautiful woman in
a mans hunting clothes. spoke q sharp
word of command and, as her guide
steadied the vessel with his paddle,
rose In her place so surely that she
scarcely disturbed the nice balance of
the little craft, and curved her 1.-THE
body over the bow, Mediterranean in
10 the pool.
Mr.. Law had. in point OF fact, en-
dured moro than he knew. more than
even Weathered woodsman could
have borne without suffering. Forty
eight hours OF such heavy woods
Walking As he had put In to escape
the forest fire. would have served to
PROSTATE almost any man: add to this
ignoring a dozen other mental, ner-
vous and physical strains) merely the
fact that he had been half-drowncd
lie experienced a little fever. little
delirium. then blank slumbers of ex-
:! haustion.
| lie awoke in dark OF night, wholly
una ware that thirty-siS hours had
passed since his fall. This last, how-