The Elbert County tribune., 1915-10-01

and exhausted. She could scarcely
make any headway at all in he fierce
eddies. But at least, she thoght hur-
riedly, she was getting farter and
farther away from them downstream.
Up above. Del Mar and fa man
came to the edge of the wateraThere
they stood for a moment lookinaiown
There she is" pointed the mn.
Del Mar raised his revolvei and
fired.
Suddenly a bullet struck EIane's
paddle and broke 1t. Clutching the
useless splintered shaft, she was iow
at the mercy of the current, swpt
along like a piece OF driftwood.
She looked about frantically. Whit
was that roaring noise?
1t was the waterfalls ahead
In the meantime Del Mars othei
two men had entered the house and
had run upstairs, knowing well his
wrath II 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
ist 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 a
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 a 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.
I had followed Elaine's car until at
last saw that 1t had been abandoned.
Thoroughly alarmed, l rode on, past
a deserted house, until suddenly 1
heard a shot and a scream. 1t seemed
to come from below me. and | leaped
off my horse. making for it as fast as
| could, racing toward stream whose
roar l could hear.
There on the bank | came upon a
queer old codger, looking about wildly.
Was he the automobile thief? l ran
forward. ready to seize him. But as
I did so he whirled about, and with
strength remarkable in one so old,
seized my wrist before l could get
his.
'Lookl'' he cried simply, pointing
up the stream.
l did. A girl in a canoe was coming
down toward the falls, screaming, her
paddle broken and useless. My heart
leaped into my mouth. 1t was Elaine!
Gomez" he painted eagerly to me, Il
can save her. You must do just as 1
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 a 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 gioat-
ing over the result of their work. But
they were gloating too soon. We came
to the rock and the tree.
Here" cried the new-found friend,
"Ill get hold of the tree and then hold
you"
Instantly he threw himself on his
stomach. hooking his leg about the
tree trunk. / 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
his hands. 1 slid down the rock, let
ting myself 60
Literally, his presence of mind had
invented what was really life chain,
human rope.
On came the canoe, Elaine in it as
white as death, crying out and trying
to stop or guide it as, nearer and near
er though the smooth, worn walls OF
the chasm. it whirled to 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
wise, head down.
On came Elaine-directly at us.
She stood up and balanced herself
dangerous feat in a canoe at any
time. but doubly so In those dark.
swirling. treacherous waters
Steady" 1 encouraged. Grab my
armsl"
AS the canoe reached us she gave a
little jump and seized my forearms.
Her hands slipped. but l grasped her
own arms, and we held each other.
The momentum of her body was