The Ely miner., 1915-11-26

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make any headway at all in the fierce
eddies. But at least, she thought hur.
riedly, she was getting farther and
farther away from them down stream.
Up above, Del Mar and his man
came to the edge of the water. There
they stood for moment looking down.
There she is," pointed the man.
Del Mar raised his revolver and
fired.
Suddenly a bullet struck Elaine's
paddle and broke it. Clutching the
useless splintered shaft, she was now
at the mercy of the current, swept
along like piece of driftwood.
She looked about frantically. What
was that roaring noise?
It was the waterfalls ahead!
.
In the meantime Del Mars other
two men had entered the house and
had run upstairs, knowing well his
wrath If anything had happened. AS
they did SO, the naturalist poked his
head cautiously out of the kitchen
where he had been hiding, and saw
them. Then he followed noiselessly,
his revolver ready.
Headlong they ran into the room
where they had left Elaine She was
gone!
Before they could turn the natural
list locked the door, turned, and took
the steps down, two at time.
Then he ran out of the front door
and into the woods at an angle to the
direction taken by Elaine, turning and
going down hill, where a rapid. swollen
stream curved about through a
gorge. AS he reached the stream he
heard a shot above.
He looked up. There was Elaine,
swept down toward him. Below he
knew the stream tumbled over tall
cataract into the gorge below.
What could he do?
A sudden cracking of the twigs
caused him to turn and catch sight OF
me, just coming up.
For, as best I could on horseback,
I had followed Elaine's car until at
last saw that it had been abandoned.
Thoroughly alarmed, 1 rode on, past
q deserted house, until suddenly
heard a shot and a scream. 1t seemed
to come from below me. and l leaped
of my horse, making for 1t as fast as
I could, racing toward a stream whose
roar could hear.
There on the bank I came upon a
queer old codger, looking about wildly.
Was he the automobile thief? i ran
forward, ready to seize him. But as
did so he whirled about, and with a
strength remarkable in one so old,
seized my wrist before I could get
his.
Look" he cried simply, pointing
up the stream.
I did. A girl In a canoe was coming
down toward the falls, screaming, her
paddle broken and useless. My heart
leaped into my mouth. 1t was Elaine!
"Come!" he painted eagerly to me, Il
can save her. You must do just as l
say"
He pointed to an overhanging rock
near by and we ran to it.
By this time Elaine was almost upon
us, each second getting nearer the
veritable maelstrom above the falls.
From the rock overhung also tree
at the very edge of the water.
There was nothing to do but obey
him. Above, though we did not see
them, Del Mar and his man were gloat-
ing over the result of their work. But
they were gloating too soon. We came
to the rock and the tree.
Here" cried the new-found friend,
'Tll get hold of the tree and then hold
you"
Instantly he threw himself on his
stomach, hooking his leg about the
tree trunk. I crawled out over the
ledge of slippery rock to the very edge
and looked over. 1t was the only
chance.
The old naturalist seized my legs in
his hands. l slid down the rock, let
ting myself go.
Literally, his presence Of mind had
invented what was really life chain,
a human rope.
On came the canoe, Elaine In it as
white as death, crying out and trying
to stop or guide it as, nearer and near
or though the smooth, worn walls OF
the chasm, it whirled to the falls.
With grip of steel the naturalist
held to the tree, which swayed and
bent, while also he held me, as il in
wise, head down.
On came Elaine-directly at US.
She stood up and balanced herself
dangerous feat in a canoe at any
time. but doubly SO in those dark,
swirling, treacherous waters.
STEADY" encouraged. Grab my
arms!"
AS the canoe reached US she gave a
Her hands slipped, but l grasped her
own arms, and we held each other.
The momentum Of her body was
great. For an instant / thought we
were all going over. But the natural
list held his grip and slowly began to
pull himself and US up the slippery
rock.
A second later the canoe crashed
over the falls in a cloud Of spray and
pounding water.
As We reached the bank above the
rock almost lifted Elaine and set her
down, trembling and gasping for
breath. Before either of us knew 1t
the queer old fellow had plunged into
the bushes and was gone without an
other word.
Walter" she cried, "call him back.
/ must tell him how much owe him
my life!"
But he had disappeared, absolutely.
We shouted after him. It was Of no