Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1915-11-19
age with whom he could hold no coss-

age with whom he could hold no cor
verse.
But even as he stood before the nut
of this old ruffian Count FREDERICK
eve caught sight of something wnlcn
caused his heart to leap.
It was a little object, an unImportan'
item which might have escaped any
other eye than his. Yet his gaze was
drawn to it irresistibly.
1t was a bit of cloth, torn trlne Oh
soiled and sea-encrusted checkered
cloth, a portion of a woman's CARP.
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 or action.
Away now with doubt and despair
and welcome again the fierce resolve
of a brave man determined to live ana
conquer, determined once more 10
achieve the dearest purpose or MS
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 MS
men. They knew what he meant when
/ no uy0Q
| bit of cloth. They dreaded the sight
of his anger, fell back before the men,
ace of the little steel tube, unfamiliar
as 1t 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 bur
ried to hut after hut, tore aside rooI
after roof, wall after wall, hunting for
the woman whom above all things he
most desired to see. He did not lind
her. His questions brought no re-
Spouse.
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 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-
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
the two lines of footprints, the one
line continuing on, and pointed to the
forest, although themselves not ven-
turing to follow.
With a new terror in his heart, yet
feeling a conviction that Kitty Gray
still lived, he did not pause to wreak
a present vengeance upon these crea-
lures, but hurried on along the broken
trail
The doglike craft of one or two OF
his own band of savages aided him.
Not stacking speed they pointed out
where the trail ran. Now and again
Count Frederick could see on the
earth the imprint of the woman's feet
where for time she had rested or
been put down. At length, at the brink
Of the abyss before which Kitty Gray
SO recently had stood, he saw the dou-
BILE imprint again-where both captive
and captor had stood and looked
down
The trail led on, and down, whittier
none could guess. Frederick of Gretz-
hoffen did not stop to guess, but
plunged forward impulsively. Who
ever or whatever might be this crea-
ture which had carried her off, here
at least was his lair.
The dusty floors of the cavern, lit
by the flare of such torches as they
found ready for such work, still re-
tanned the record. Captor and captive
had walked here. Deeper and deeper
into the caverns under the hill they
followed the trail, until at length the
distracted eyes of Count Frederick
saw on ahead something to give him
pause.
He saw Kitty Gray standing, alive,
apparently unhurt, in a vast apart
ment of these subterranean vaults! Be-
yond, the floor seemed to break Off
to what depth he could net guess. No
egress at either extremity of the sub
terranean chamber could be seen from
where he stood The trail led thither.
to where she stood-to where at her
side stood also a strange misshapen
figure of man, or what had been a
man.