Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1916-01-08

Brothers, cried Brother Anselmo,
seeing Annette's plight, "quick-re-
storatives-succor for this young girl.
Hernandez took advantage of the
confusion-though ne himself was con.
fused beyond all peradventure. Lis
ten" he said to Inez, leave her with
the Brute-go at once. I'll do the
rest
Unnoticed, lnez and the Brute
obeyed. They left the room, hurried
across the courtyard and disappeared
Hernandez watched them go, His
GOODNESS returned Swiftly, with one
bound, he was upon Brother Anselmo
and had seized the iron box in his iron
grasp.
In an instant he was across the
room.
But Brother Anselmo had done
something more than pray and sleep
in his quiet existence. He was an &C.
tive, we'll trained individual. With
loud cry he leaped across the inter-
vening space, and bounded upon the
shoulders of Hernandez.
Help, help, brothers" he command
ed.
There was help aplenty Hernandez
fought like mailman, but the broth
ers chung to him like leeches. Slowly,
however, he worked his way toward
the nearest exit-and then with
mighty wrench, he threw off all his as
sailants including Brother Anselmo,
and darted, with a mighty leap out
through the doorway.
He bounded into the arms of Neal
Hardin and his squad.
Neal saw at a glance what had hap
pened. He seized Hernandez wrist
the wrist of the hand and arm that
held the iron box, and twisted it sud
denly, painfully. Hernandez dropped
the box-but jerked away from Neal,
sprang to a window and disappeared.
Behind him he heard the steady
plup-plup of many footsteps the
steady lope of marines that eats up
the long miles in less time than 1t
takes to tell it.
Damn Them" said Hernandez, IN
beat them to it yet.
Behind him the footsteps stopped.
There was a report-a ping. Herman
DEE had reached the edge of the green
oasis. He screamed with pain. 1t
hnk
scared him. He had been hit in the
arm.
Damn you" he screamed in pain,
"Pll beat you to it, yet"
With almost unseeing eyes he tore
across the small green space-and
then he stumbled, and slid slid, slid
into what seemed a bottomless pit.
He just escaped a stake-a bloody
one And he fell-or rather slumped-
upon something soft and yielding.
With another oath he rose to his feet
and peered about him. Then he drew
back in terror.
There lay Ponto-his mate-dead,
distorted.
Hernandez screamed in terror-he
was only human. This thing was hor
rible A shadow startled him. He
looked upward. The Brute was pee7ing
do~n-he was doing more-he slowly
slid down into the pit and caught Her
nandez in his grasp. Then, somehow,
using his broad shoulders and his
arms and knees he worked his way
back again to terra firma, and drew
ernandez-groaning with the pain of
his wound-up after him. Then with
the nimbleness of deer, the Brute
after singing Hernandez upon his
back-trotteG off into the safety of the
beyond.
Back at the monastery, Annette IL
ington opened her eyes and looked in.
to the face of Brother Anselmo.
81 am Annette Ilington" she ex.
claimed, 81 am the heiress of the
Lost Isle of Cinnabar"
Brother Anselmo turned to Ensign
Neal Hardin.
Does she speak TRUTH" he queried.
She does" said Neal. and my gov
errnent will back her to the limit.
She is what she says she is. We all
will vouch for that"
"Ah,' unused Brother Anselmo.
what wonderful thing is prayer
what wonderful thing is sleep"
He stopped. 81 have prayed" he
went on, slowly, puzzled, "but not yet
have | solved the mystery of the eyes
Of that big mantle eyes"
He stepped again. For the eyes of
Ilington we're riveted upon
him.
(To BE CoNTINUED.)