The Dermott news., 1915-11-25


| 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 a piece of driftwOod.
She looked about frantically. What
was that roaring noise?
1t was the waterfalls ahead!
In the meantime Del Mars othsr
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 rapid, swollen
/ stream curved about through
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 l could on horseback,
| had followed Elaine's car until at
last | saw that it had been abandoned.
/ Thoroughly alarmed. | rode on, past
deserted house, until suddenly 1
/ heard shot and a scream. 1t seemed
TO come from below me. and | leaped
off my horse. making for 1t as fast as
I l
roar | could hear.
There on the bank | came upon
/ queer old codger. looking about wildly.
! Was he the automobile thief? / ran
! forward. ready to seize him. But as
did so he whirled about, and with
strength remarkable in one so old.
seized my wrist before l could get
! his.
Look" he cried simply. pointing
up the stream.
/ | did. a girl in a canoe was coming
i 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
j 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 newfound friend.
IN get hold of the tree and then hold
you"
Instantly he threw himself on his
stomach, hooking his leg about the
tree trunk l 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
ting myself go.
Literally, his presence of mind had
invented what was really a life chain,
a human rope.
On came the canoe, Elaine in 1t as
white as death. crying out and trying
TO stop or guide il as. nearer and near
err though the smooth, worn walls OF
the chasm. II whirled 10 the falls.
With a grip of steel the naturalist
held TO the tree, which swayed and
bent. while also he held me. as II in
a vise head down.
On came Elaine-drectly at US.
She stood up and balanced herself
q dangerous feat in canoe at any
time but doubly so in those dark.
swirlng. treacherous waters.
Steady" l encouraged. Grab my
arms"
AS the canoe reached us she gave
/ I'M
Her hands slipped. but | grasped her
own arms, and we held each other.
The momentum of her body was
great. For an instant l 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.
second later the canoe crashed
over the falls in a cloud of spray and
ltnex