The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1915-11-13
.ge with whom he could hold no con

age with whom he could hold no con.
verse.
But even as he stood before the hut
of this old ruffian Count Fredericks s
eye caught sight OF something which
caused his heart to leap.
1t was little object, an unimportant
item which might have escaped any
other eye than his. Yet HIS gaze was
drawn to II irresistibly.
+ 1t was a bit of cloth, torn trifie OF
soiled and sea-encrusted checkered
cloth, portion Of woman's garb.
Count Frederick recognized II at once
las a part of the dress skirt in which
he had last seen Kitty Gray garbsd.
There was no mistaking 1t. He knew
it as well as the pattern of his own
apparel. W
She had been herel The mysterious
white woman was Kitty Gray! if
Now indeed Count Frederick OF
IGretzhoffen 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 find
her His questions brought no re-
sponse.
Drawn by horrible suspicion OF the
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 we'll.
He saw the print of 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 1t had flown up into the air.
Beyond, the imprint of large and mis-.
,hapen feet still led.
Count Frederick now turned savage
y upon these glbbering creatures
about him. and the meaning of his
lemand was perfectly apparent to
hem. Threatening to throw them
nto the fire which they had prepared
or another, he got from them shrieks
II protest, much shaking OF the head
n denial, and much pointing on
oward 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. M
With new terror in his heart, yet
ceiling conviction that Kitty Gray
TIL lived, he did not pause to wreak
present vengeance upon these crea-
ures, but hurried on along the broken
rail. Y'f Aff t"HA
The doglike craft of one or two Of
is own band of savages aided him.
lot Stacking speed, they pointed out
yhere the trail ran. Now and again
'ount Frederick could see on the
arth the imprint OF the woman's feet
'here for a time she had rested or
eon put down. At length, at the brink
the abyss before which Kitty Gray
0 recently had stood, he saw the dou- !
lie imprint again--where both captive I
nd captor had stood and looked II
own 1
The trail led on, and down, whittier
one could guess. Frederick Of GPtz-
often did not stop to guesatbut
lunged forward impulsively. Who !
YER or whatever might be this crea-
ire which had carried her of, here |,
t least was his lair
The dusty floors of the cavern, lit /
Y tho flare Of such torches as they I
,und ready for such work, still re- a
lined the record. Captor and captive
ad walked here. Deeper and deeper
ito the caverns under the hill they I
,Ilowed the trail, until at length the
eyes Of Count Frederick
wv on ahead something to give him z
ause.
He saw Kitty Gray standing, alive,
Dparently unhurt, in vast apart
ent of these subterranean vaults! Be-
md, the floor seemed to break of
what depth he could not guess. No i
,ress at either extremity OF the sub
rranean chamber could be seen from
here he stood. The trail led thither,
where she stood-to where at her
dc stood also a strange misshapen
,ure of a man, or what had been a q
"