The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1916-10-26

| You have Drought me nothing but
happiness, dear" said Cleo. "And
death holds few terrors so long as
you are beside me-"
"But we're not going to die" she ex-
claimed a moment later. There's
Hook and he has the grapevine"
Her quick eye had detected the sea-
mnn as he emerged from the forest.
and he had, as she said. the grapevine:
A monster creeper, as thick as cable
and almost as strong. Venturing as
far into the marsh as he could with
safety, Hook coiled the giant vine and
threw II as cowboy throws n lariat.
The first time II missed them, and
the second, but the third attempt was
more successful and 1t fell within
Hopes reach.
"Take hold OF II. Cleo" he directed,
"and hang tight. When | count three
Hook Is to pull for all he Is worth
and you must kick, struggle, do every
thing you can to loosen yourself"
The seaman, wrapping the vine
of-war. spat on his single hand, and.
when Hope gave the signal. threw
every ounce of his three hundred
pounds into his pull. while at the same
time Cleo struggled frantically to free
herself. Slowly. sullenly, reluctantly,
the marsh monster released Its prey
and Hook dragged her to the banks
and to safety. To extract Hope was
not so easy, for. owing to his greater
weight, he had sunk Into the bog al
most to his armpits, but at last, after
repeated attempts, Hook and Cleo sue
ceeded in effecting his rescue.
Late that afternoon n mob of cheer
ing townsmen surged up the main
street of Santa Eulalla bearing on its
shoulders weary, very mud-stained
but very beautiful girl and two equally
weary and mud-stalned men. Cleo
Burke, whose mysterious disappear
ance had aroused the whole country
side. whose pictures and description
were on the walls OF every police sta
! tlon and post office in the state. had
been found.
, Upon their return to San Francisco
Hope found awaiting him at his hotel
: an official envelope bearing the fami.
liar heading of the navy department
; The letter IL contained. which was
marked strictly CONFIDENTIAL" was
: signed by an official high In the bureau
of naval intelligence.
! "As you are perhaps aware" the
: letter concluded. "there exists at the
moment between the United States
} and a certain power whose name II Is
, unnecessary to mention. situation OF
. the utmost gravity. This power is con
> vinced that we have permitted our navy
l to detericrate to such an extent that
l hostilities could be insugurated against
!. us with reasonable chance of sue
E cess. 1t Is no exaggeration, therefore
a to assert that the discovery of Doc
E tor Burke's formula may save this ma
: tion from invasion. Under these cir
;. cumstances there Is no need for me
: to urge you to prosecute the searcl
:, | with the utmost energy. The safet.
OF the United States may well depend
e upon your success"
'We mustn't lose minute In con
1 tinuing the search" said Cleo de
e cisively when Hope showed her th'
1 letter.
"But thought we were to be married
e this week, dearest" he demurred.
G The wedding can wait for n few
a days" she answered. There Is to,
much at stake for us to think OF any
e thing but the discovery OF the secret
d "Whose name is next on the listT
t she asked.
e Joaquin Romero" he answered.
"Not the poet and naturalistT sh
" eagerly inquired.
$ THE same"
e "The man who writes those wonder
full poems about the forest and tn
|. flowers and the blrds?"
Q THAT'S the man."
"He has cabin, I understand, II
: the High Slerras. He lives there 81
that he can study nature at first hand.
|, "We will pay a visit to Mr.. Romero.
n she announced. II love his poems an,
S I've always wanted to meet him."
r To reach Romeros Sierran hom
u took them day by the train and an
q other day on horseback, but when a
e last they reached 1t they understoo,
why the famous poet-naturallst ha,
chosen such remote location. for tn
n long. low building Of logs which h
k modestly referred to as his "cabin
}. was shaded by a magnificent grou
= Of giant redwoods. and Its flower
smothered veranda commanded
d panorama OF forest, mountain an
s stream unequaled In all the worl
i. Nor did they need to be assured @
u the identity of the tall, eagle-face
old man with the keen blue eyes an
II the name of snowy hair who greete
IS them on the veranda. for his feature
d had long been familiar to them throug
It newspapers and magazines.
!. "Mr. Romero" said Hope, II ar
e Lieutenant Hope Of the navy and thl
y is my friend, Miss Cleo Burke"
"No relation, l suppose to DIR. Ralp
& Burke. the inventor, who died recent
t lyT inquired the naturalist.
| 90 oil