Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-05-26

L
ing beach comber half senseless to the
ground; then made off at top speed along
| the summit OF the bluff, running with
awkward swiftness toward the nearest
| gap i'm the rocks: never once looking back
| nor slackening his flight until he had
rounded a corner and gained the safety
| of a pile OF distant powders.
| The beach climber crawled dazedly to
| his feet and looked around him. From
below he had seen two men battling
| mere. Yet, when she had arrived at the
crest only one man had been visible.
And that one man was gone.
As Mike still blinSed uncertainty about
him, he heard a muflied cry. that seemed
! to come from the ground beneath. his
feet He jumped to one side, in super
stitious dread.
.'Who's-who's there?" he mumbled.
The cry was repeated-fainter, more
feebly And with it came the sound OF.
pattering pebbles. Mikes fear vanished.
He located the voice now Lying at full
length, he peered down over the ledge
Of the precipice.
Six feet below him, and hanging over
sheer SOO-foot drop, chung mana
man who had broken his fall by Selling
an outcropping jut of stone.
To the stone the unfortunate Lamar
was clinging with both hands. His
body swung helpless below it. His grip
on the stone was already failing. lOnce
or twice it seemed gone. But with
catlike agility he would ever renew
his precarious hold.
He can't hang on there more than
few seconds longer" murmured the
beach comber, noting the increasing
weakness of the suspected body. Here
you!" he howled stick tight! I'm
going to help you, If l can.
At the voice. Lamar frightened his
slipping grasp and looked upward.
Above, he saw, the unshaven face OF
the tramp, glaring, wild-eyed, down at
him.
The beach comber was stretching one
arm downward. But he could not reach
Lamar by nearly a yard.
Gan you hang on while 1 run for a
rope and some one to help pull you
up?" he called.
Lamar did not answer. He had no
strength to squander on words. lie
needed every fraction of his ebbing. pow
er sto maintain his slippery hold Tor
even a minute longer. The beach comber
understood And he wasted no time. An
inspira ton came to him.
He drew back from the edge, yanked
off his ragged coat, twisted 1t, ropewlse'
and tied one end firmly around his thin
waist. He wound both his spindling
legs around an upcropping rock near the
edge and once more leaned over.
The collar of the coat brushed against
Lamar's face. Max seized it, Inc
weight nearly tore the tramp loose from
his impromptu anchorage. But he set
his teeth and hauled upward. Max, dig.
cling his toes in the cliffside5 used up
every atom of his remaining strength In
helping himself upward.
q. 81 aara41I of q
lied effort, he rolled over the edge on
to the crisp grass of the summit. There.
side by side he and his rescuer lay,
for a space-painting; speechless; to
weary for words or for movement
Presently Lamar muttered half-aloud
an old quotation which unconsciously he
had been repeating over and over to him
self as he had chung to the rock in mid
air. .
Heroism means holding one moment
longer.
The beach comber heard the half audi
BILE words. without grasping their mean
ing. But they told him the rescued man
had recovered his senses and his breath.
He got to his feet, and, stopping over.
helped Lamar to rise.
Max was in a horrible condition. His
evening clothes were torn to ribbons.
His face was bloodsmeared and bruised.
His palms were raw and bleeding. His
lips that, an hour earlier, had touched
June Travis hair in secret caress-were
cut and were swollen and discolored. He
was so shaky he could not stand, unas-
sisted. ---t--.
Where shall 1 take you?" asked the
beach comber. .-. T..
ITO the. Surfton hotel. please" an
swered Max. IF you can. 1t isn't very
far. If you let me lean on your Shout
der-and forgive me for not thanking
You before. My heads still befuddled.
There's no word of thanks that can ex-
press all you've done for me tonight.
IL"
Never mind that" interrupted the
beach comber, embarrassed. Save your
breath for the walk. Are you ready?
Slowly, Lamar leaning heavily on his
new-found friend, they set off toward
the hotel Ten minutes later, they were
in Max's own room; and Mike was cas-
ing the injured man carefully down into
a chair. AS he did so, their eyes met
full in the glare of the electric light
above them.
The beach comber started violently;
his pallid face turned battleship color.
He turned and made as though to leave
the room.
Waltz painted Lamar. IT can't let
me a might big service-bigger than.
j can ever repay. What can l do for
you in return?"
Nothing at all, Mr. Lamar" was the
beach comber's reply. I'm glad to have
been of service to you"
You know my name!' calculated La
mar.
II have seen you several times"
evaded the other. 81 think 1 heard some
one call you by that name as you passed
my shack a day or two ago, down at
the far end of the beach. Good-by.
L." .~.t e
IF you won't let me try to repay
you now urged Lamar, "at least let
me be Of use to you if eyer you need
help. Here"
Shakily, he drew out one of his cards.
! from his torn vest pocket. scrawled a
word or two on 1t and handed it to
| Mike. The latter took the card. pocket
ed IL and-uneasy under the increasing
curiosity in Max's gaze-shuffled hur-
| riedly from the room. -
! Lamar stared after him: bewilder-
ment momentarily making him forget
| his pain and fatigue. The crime
/ specialist had an almost mcanny mem
DRY. And. at sight of the beach COM
Der, thrill of recollection had throb-
| bed within him. 30.
He knew the man. He was certain of