The Monticellonian., 1915-11-04

and exhausted. She could scarcey make any headway at all in the fierce eddies. But at least. she thought hur- riedly, she was getting farther and 1 farther away from them down stream.
 Up above, Del Mar and his man came to the edge of the water. There 1 they stood for moment looking down.
 There she is," pointed the man.
 Del Mar raised his revolver and 1 fired.
 Suddenly a bullet struck Elaine's i paddle and broke it. Clutching the useless splintered shaft, she was now at the mercy of the current. swept along like a piece of driftwoed.
 She looked about frantieally. What was that roaring noise?
 It was the waterfalls ahead!
 
 In the meantime Del Mars other 1 two men had entered the house and had run upstairs, knowing we'll his wrath if 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, 1 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 gorge. As he reached the stream he heard 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 I could on horseback I had followed Elaine's car until at last 1 saw that it had been abandoned Thoroughly alarmed, I rode on. past deserted house, until suddenly heard shot and scream. It seemed to come from below me. and I leaped off my horse, making for it as fast as 1 could, racing toward a stream whose roar I could hear.
 There on the bank I came upon a queer old codger. looking about wildly. Was he the automobile thief? ran forward, ready to seize him. But as 1 did so he whirled about and with a strength remarkable in one so old, seized my wrist before 1 could get his.
 Look" he cried simply, pointing up the stream.
 I did. A girl in canoe was coming down toward the falls, screaming, her paddle broken and useless. My heart leaped into my mouth. It was Elainei
 "Come." he panted eagerly to me, T can save her. You must do just as 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 oyerhung 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 anG his man were gloat- 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, 'Tll get hold of the tree and then hold you"
 Instantly he threw himself on his stomach, hooking his leg about the tree trunk. I crawled out over the ledge of slippery rock to the very edge and looked over It was the only chance.
 The old naturalist seized my legs in his hands. l slid down the rock. let ting myself go.
 Literally, his presence of mind had invented what was really a 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 CT 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 If in a wise, head down.
 On came Elaine-directly at us
 She stood up and balanced herself a dangerous feat in a canoe at any time, but doubly so in those dark. swirling, treacherous waters.
 Steady" l encouraged Grab my arms!"
 As the canoe reached us she gave a little jump and seized my forearms. Her hands slipped, but I grasped her own arms, and we held each other.
 The momentum of her body was great For an instant thought we were all going over. But the natural ist held his grip and slowly began to pull himself and us up the slippery rock.
 A second later the canoe crashed over the falls in a cloud of spray and pounding water.
 As we reached the bank above the rock almost lifted Elaine and set her down, trembling and gasping for breath. Before either of Us knew it the queer old fellow had plunged into