The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1915-01-07


though there was no passable way
down the cliff, still the sight Of his
friend alive and unframed had brought
with 1t thrill Of hope; now that hope
died as he saw. Alan stumble and &c
to his knees.
Before he could rise the other was
upon him, with the fury Of wolf seek
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 az
well.
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, q
crumpled, inhuman heap upon the
sands, was Judith's man.
With a violent effort Barcus lifted
his mouth above water and shrieked:
ALAN! Alan! Help! Here-at the
end Of the point-in the water-help!"
A precious minute was lost before
Alan discovered their two heads, so
barely above that swiftly rising flood.
Then he ran toward them as he had
never run before, and as he came
whipped out 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
afloat, and Mr.. Barcus, already recov.
cred, was laboring with the fywheel
OF the motor, stimulated to supreme
exertion by the sight of a party, led by
Judith, racing madly down the beach.
But 1t was not until we'll 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 charmed life, my ad.
venturous friend. l want to tell you
that when I saw you go over that cliff
I made up my mind your usefulness
would be at least permanently i'm.
paired. AS it is, don't mind telling
you that If ever get out of this affair
alive, I'm going to have try at your
Ute myself, Just once. for luck!"
CHAPTER XVIII.
Stranded. ~'~a
Mr.. Thomas Barcus picked himself
up from the bottom Of the lifeboat
where he had been violently precipi
tated by the impact Of grounding
blinked and wiped tears of pain from
his eyes, solicitously tested his nose
and seemed to derive little If any com
fort from the discovery that it was moi
broken, opened his mouth and
remembered the presence of a lady.
Poor Mr.. Barcus!" she said gently
"I'm so sorry. Do forget I'm here
and say it out loud!"
Mr.. Barcus dropped his hands and
dropped his head at the same time.
1T can't be did," he complained IN
embittered resignation; "the word1
have never been invented ;"
IN the bows Mr. Law (who had
barely saved himself a headlone
plunge overheard when the shoal tool
fast hold of the keeD felt tenderly Of
his excoriated shins, then, rising, com
passed the sea, sky and shore with an
anxious gaze.
In the ofing there was nothing bul
the fiat, limitless expanse of the night
bound tide, near at hand vaguely sill
vered with the moonlight, in the dis;
tances blending into shadows; never
q light or shadowy, stealing sail in
that quarter to indicate pursuit. s..
where are WEI" he wondered aloud,
ASK me an easy one" Barcus re-
piled; somewhere on the south shore
of the cape-unless somebody's been
tampering with the lay of this land,
That's a lighthouse over yonder."
Alan took soundings from the bows
Barely two feet" he announced,
withdrawing the oar from the water,
"and eel-grass no end"
"Oh!" Barcus calculated with the
accent of enlightenment; and leaving
the motor, turned to the stern, over
which he draped himself in highly I'm.
decorative fashion while cropping I'm.
der water for the propeller.
That's the answer" he repeated;
there's young bale of the said eel.
grass wrapped round the wheel.
Which, suppose, means I've got to
60 overheard and clear it away"
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