The circle banner., 1915-11-26
age with whom he could hold no con

verse.
n But even as he stood before the hu
1t of this old rufHan Count Frederick
E. eye caught sight of something which
IT caused his heart to leap.
II 1t was little object, an unimportan
a item which might have escaped any
2 other eye than his. Yet his gaze was
drawn to it irresistibly
1t was bit of cloth, a torn trifle OF
! soiled and sea-encrusted checkered
:. cloth, portion of a woman's garb
i Count Frederick recognized it at once
as a part of the dress skirt in which
> he had last seen Kitty Gray garbed.
;. There was no mistaking it, He knew
it as well as the pattern of his own
apparel
She had been here! The mysterious
white woman was Kitty Gray!
Now indeed Count Frederick of
Gretzhoffen became the man of action.
Away now with doubt and despair
and welcome again the fierce resolve
of brave man determined to live and
conquer, determined once more to
achieve the dearest purpose of his
life!
He caught from the post of the door
which had torn off this fragment of
cloth, and held it before the gaze of
the chief-before the eyes of all his
men. They knew what he meant when
he demanded to see the wearer of this
bit of cloth. They dreaded the sight
of his anger, fell back before the men
| ace of the little steel tube, unfamiliar
| as it was to them. They knew that this
man would kill unless he found that
| which he sought-the captive but now
| rescued from the doom of fire.
Frederick's own men fell In behind
him, and right lusty contest directly
arose between these two factions or
tribes, whichever they may have been.
AS for Frederick himself, he had not
time for matters of this sort. He hur-
ried to hut after hut, tore aside roof
after roof, wall after wall, hunting for
the woman whom above all things he
most desired to see. He did not finG
her. His questions brought no re-
sponse.
Drawn by horrible suspicion of the
meaning of this fire built at the brink
of the pit, he hurried thither to join
the group of lingerers there, and now
by mere chance found confirmation
and found hope as well.
He saw the print of a small boot
heel in the sand, other footmarks just
beyond-it was trail. Yes, yes, she
had been there. But the footprints
ceased. The trail ended as though the
maker of it had flown up into the air.
Beyond, the imprint of large and mis-
shapen feet still led ~
Count Frederick now turned savage
ly upon these gibbering creatures
about him, and the meaning of his
demand was perfectly apparent to
them. Threatening to throw them
into the fire which they had prepared
for another, he got from them shriekS
of protest, much shaking of the head .
in denial, and much pointing on
toward the forest which lay ahead.
Some came to him and showed him
he two lines of footprints, the one
inc continuing on, and pointed to the
crest, although themselves not ven
uring to follow.
With new terror in his heart, yet
ceiling conviction that Kitty Gray
till lived, he did not pause to wreaE
present vengeance upon these crea-
ures, but hurried on along the broken
rail.
The doglike craft of one or two
is own band of savages aidef
lot Stacking speed, they poin
here the trail ran. Now an.
cunt Frederick could see
arth the imprint of the womaf
here for a time she had res
cen put down. At length, at II
the abyss before which Kit
} recently had stood, he sawt
e imprint again-where both
i'd captor had stood and
OWN.
The trail led on, and down,
)ne could guess. Frederick Of
,ffen did not stop to guess.
unged forward impulsively. Who
'er or whatever might be this crea-
re which had carried her off, here
least was his lair.
The dusty floors of the cavern, lit
the flare of such torches as they
und ready for such work, still re-
med the record. Captor and captive
d walked here. Deeper and deeper
to the caverns under the hill they
lowed the trail, until at length the
'tracted eyes of Count Frederick
" on ahead something to give him
use.
He saw Kitty Gray standing, alive,
parently unhurt, in a vast apart
mt of these subterranean vaultsi Be-
nd, the floor seemed to break off
what depth he could not guess. No
'ess at either extremity Of the sub
ranean chamber could be seen from
ere he stood. The trail led thither.
where she stood-to where at her
9 stood also strange misshapen
Ire of a man, or what had been a
n.
Mademoisellci" cried Count Fred
*, high end clear. "Courage!"
sprang forward.
~ L