The daily star-mirror., 1915-02-15
Copyright. 1914. by Louis Joseph Vance

even in his most private thought
Alan denied it fiercely. Judith, OF
the other hand, not only acknowledged
1t freely to herself, but secretly de
rived strangely sweet and poignan
pleasure from the knowledge that she
loved SO madly and hopelessly.
That her love was hopeless sh,
knew but too we'll. Even though Alar
might not be altogether Indifferent tt
her, after all that had passed between
them, his loyalty to Rose was un
shakable. And not for worlds would
Roses rival have had it otherwise
She could not have loved him as she
did had he not been so unmovably
true. AS 1t was, since she could not
hope her love might be returned, she
was content to love and to promise
herself that, II opportunity ever Of
fered, she would not prove unready tc
sacrifice herself for her love.
And at times she caught herself
praying that such opportunity would
be accorded her, and quickly, and
that the sacrifice it should demand
would be complete. "a.
| Now prayers are sometimes an
swered when the boon craved is good
for the soul.
Slowly and painfully these four
toiled along an obscure trail that fol-
lowed the windings of the little river,
until a branch struck into the main
stream and SO discovered to them yet
another trail leading into the west
ward canyon.
Then again slowly and painfully
they plodded on following blindly an
other trail blazed by Fates as blind as
they,
Above them, on the road they had
abandoned, the crimson racer doubled
back to the point where it had passed
Judith and Barcus; it's occupants de-
scended, explored, and came present
ly upon the trail of the fugitives.
Bloodhounds could not have set
tied down upon scent with more
good will and eagerness than Mr.. Mar
rophat and his faithful aide.
The sun was high and blazing above
the canyon when the pursuit came
within rifle shot of the chase.
A spitGful shot reused the quar-
tet from a pause Of lethargic dismay
due to tardy appreciation of the fact
that they had penetrated witlessly al
most to the end of blind alley.
A hasty council of war armed Alan
with Judith's revolver and posted him
behind bowlder commanding the ap-
proaches to the chasm The weapon,
a powerful As, had a range sufficient
to numb the impetuosity of the as
sassins and keep them under cover
and out of sight of the desperate es-
says the fugitives we're making to
compass an escape.
For in the shed behind an abandoned
log souvenir, no doubt, of some
forgotten prospector had I'M
earthed length Of stout hempen rope.
With the aid of rusty shovel he
had hacked this into two equal lengths.
One of these lengths he proceeded to
make fast around his own waist, then
around Roses. The other he left to
be similarly employed by Alan and
Judith. For it was agreed that they
must climb, and while the cliff offered
no problem to daunt mountain climb
er of any pretensions, it was consid-
cred best that the fugitives should be
hitched up in pairs against any pos
sibility Of slip. The pairing had
been determined by the fact that
Barcus boasted some slight experience
in mountaineering, while Rose was
plainly the most exhausted of the two
women, the least able to help herself
in an emergency.
He had worked his cautious way,
with the girl in tow, to a point mid
way up the face of the cliff, following
q long diagonal that provided the cas-
lest climbing, when Alan stole back
10 Judith and reported that on the
evidence of observation and belief, he
was convinced that the pursuit had
,urned back-perhaps for want OF am
perhaps to execute some
ess hazardous attempt upon the lives
If the fugitives.
Without delay, then, he made the
rec end of the rope fast around his |
,wn waist, and, following the way Bar
,us had chosen, began the ascent.
Two-thirds of the climb had been
accomplished, and Rose and Barcus /
lad arrived in safety at the top, be-
ore the temptation to look down
,roved irresistible.
Immediately beneath his heels the
ace of the cliff was deeply followed
ut, leaving drop of SO feet to
helving ledge Of shale as steep as a
oof, whose perhaps another
fly feet below-jutted out over an
ther fall of hundred feet.
Alan shuddered and swallowed hard
efore resuming the ascent.
Another 20 feet brought him to
ledge quite six feet wide, offering a
road and easy path to the summit.
[e gained this with prayer Of heart
cit relief and was on the point OF
Ising to his feet when cry of horror
,om Barcus and a scream of terror
,om Rose, watching over the upper
doo marrad him haro1v In time to |