The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-04-14

the rope herself, Judith nao Onero0
up her life to spare his own.
CHAPTER [.
Retributlon.
And yet the very consciousness Of
the girls danger was all the stimu-
liant that Alan needed to recall him to
himself.
Once arrived with Barcus at the top
Of the cliff, he lost no time In setting
about preparations to effect her res.
cue.
In this business Fortune smiled upon
him. as it were. by predisposition.
A broad roadway ran along the top
Of the precipice. turning OF at .
little distance to the right, to descend
the mountainside. And just beyond
this turning Providence had chosen
to locate the camp Of . hydraulic min
ing outfit.
Alan's appearance at the top. in
fact, was coincident with the arrival
at that point of half dozen excited
miners: and he had no more than
voiced his demands than three Of their
number were fastening back to tho
camp to procure rope and more hands.
Within five minutes Alan, against
the protests Of Rose and Barcus, was
being lowered over the edge and down
to the shale roof on which he land.
ed at spot far to one side Of Judith.
to escape all danger Of sending a SEQ
ond landslide down upon her.
Picking his way carefully down to
the very brink, Alan edged along this,
more than once saved a fall to death
only by the rope. until he stood inn.
mediately below Judith.
Then pausing, he instructed her
carefully, tossed the end of the rope
into her hands, and when she had
wound 1t twice round her arm, crept
up to her side and helped her make it
fast about her body.
His signal to the miners that all
was we'll educed prompt response.
There was q giddy interval in which
the two swung perilously between
heaven and earth. Then they stood
once more In safety.
Supported by sympathetic hands,
the quartet staggered into camp.
their story. ~ condensed by Barcus
and breathlessly confirmed by Alan.
already winning them enthusiastic
champions.
And this was very well for them.
For they had no more than seated
themselves and begun to appreciate
what perils they had escaped, when
the rumble of 6 motor car sounded b.
yond the shoulder of the hill.
Startled by this alarm once more
into full command Of his tagging fac.
ulties, Alan rose and stumbled out
into the roadway. taking cognizancs
of such facilities for defense 40 the
camp afforded and issuing instructions
with q voice vibrant with fear, not
for his own safety. but for the safety
Of those whom he loved.
Not far from the point where the
road swung from the cliff to thread
the camp the hydraulic nozzle was In
action, its terrific force of water melt
ing the mountainside away ton by ton.
Toward this Barcus ran at top speed,
gaining the man In charge Of the noz-
zle just as the car swung round the
bend.
Pausing only long enough to make
certain that there could be no mis-
lakeland having this certainty made
doubly sure by Jimmy's action in ris-
ing from his seat and firing over the
windshield pointblank at Alan az this
last stood waiting in the roadway
Barcus and the miner swung the nos-
zle round until 1t bore directly on the
car.
The power of ito stream was such
that the car was checked instantly In
its tracks; and before the water could
have been shut OF or the stream d..
verted. the machine was driven back
to the very lip Of the cliff and over
1t completely. taking with It those
twain upon whose efforts all the hopes
Of Seneca Urine of late had been cen.
tered.
A death that was merciful, In thai
1t was instantaneous. awaited them II
the foot Of the clin.
CHAPTER u.