Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1915-01-27

to give up-but they've made 1t too
much for me, this time"
Il know" she said gently.
"You"-he stammered-"you're not
afraid?"
There is nothing to fear she said.
but death. !"
Then" he said more bravely. after
a time-the water now was near his
chin-"good-by- good luckI"
Not yet, dear friend" she returned.
mot yet"
But the sun was perilously close
upon the rim of the world, But little
time. and II would be night
He closed his eyes to shut out the
vision of its slow. implacable descent
The water was now almost level
with his lips; It seemed strange that
his throat could DO 30 dry. 20
parched
He opened his eyes. shuddering.
It's good-by now he faltered.
Not yeti" her voice rang beside
him. vibrant. Lookup there-along
the cliff"
He lifted his gaze
Two men were running along the
cliff-and the man In the lead was
Alan. But his lead was very scant.
and the man who pursued was one OF
Judith's, and stuck TO the trail like .
bloodhound fresh from the leash.
And now the water was at his lips;
Barcus could no more speak without
strangling.
OF sudden he groaned in his heart:
though there was no passable way
down the cliff. still the sight of his
friend alive and unframed had brought
with It thrill OF hope; now that hope
died as he saw Alan stumble and go
to his knees.
Before he could rise the other was
upon him, with the fury OF wolf seeh.
ing the throat Of stag.
For an instant they fought like mad
men; then. in trice. the sky line
of the cliff was empty; one or the
other had tripped and fallen over the
brink, and falling had retained hold
OF his enemy and carried him down as
we'll.
BY no chance. Barcus told himself.
could either escape uninjured.
Yet, to his amazement, he saw one
man break from the others embrace
and rise. And he who lay still, a
crumpled, inhuman heap upon the
sands, was sJudith's man.
With violent effort Barcus lifted
his mouth above water and shrieked
"AlanI Alanl Helpl Here-at the
end of the poiIt-in tho water-helpl"
A precious minute wac lost before
Alan discovered their two heads, so
barely above that swiftly rising food.
Then he ran toward them as he had
never run before. and as he came
whipped out a jack-knife and freed its
blade.
Even so-since it was. Of course.
Rose whom Alan freed the first
Barcus was half-drowned before Alan
helped him in turn up to the beach.
And as this happened the last blood
red rim OF the sun was washed under
by the waves.
Two minutes later the lifeboat was
afoat, and Mr.. Earcus, already recov-
cred, was laborlug with the fiywheel
OF the motor, stimulated to supreme
exertion by the sight Of party. led by
Judith, racing madly down the beech
But # was not until well out from
shore and on the way to the safety
promised by the mainland-now read
lily discernible on the horizon-that
any one OF them found time for speech.
Then Mr. Barcus Strengthened UP
from his assidUous attentions to the
motor, and observed:
you bear a charmed life, my ad-
Yenfurods friend. | want to tell you
that when saw you 90 over that cliff
! made up my mind your usefulness
would he at least permanently Inn
paired. AS 1t is. l don't mind telling
you that If ever get out Of this affair
alive, I'm going TO have a try at your
life myself just once. for luckl"
Gro BE CoNTLNUED1