The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-11-04

pened to you, Cleo, darling. 1 was
afraid that that hell-hound Mahlin
had caught you"
"And 1 thought that you had been
killed, dearest she sobbed, her head
upon his breast 81 saw Satsuma
strike you when you were struggling
with Mahlin 1 saw you fall
then they both started after
me &. I knew that the only way
to help you was to reach the town
and get assistance -. so l ran
{. they nearly caught me on the
edge of a gulch, but I swung across
it on a grapevine then L
| sprained my ankle and couldn't go any
farther I've been so worried
about you, Jarvis are you
badly hurt?" and her hand felt timor-
Ously of the lump that Satsuma's wea-
| pom had raised on the back OF his
head.
''Only a tap, DEAR" he answered
| lightly. 81 was only unconscious for
few minutes. Hook got q nasty
crack, though. 1t was twenty minutes
before was able to bring him around.
AS soon as he was able to walk we
started in the direction you had taken,
| but we could find no sign of you,
so we set out for town to raise a
| posse and search the mountains for
! you. 1t makes me shudder, darling, to
think of what you have escaped"
| Don't worry about it any more,
DEAR" said Cleo. putting her lips up
| to be kissed. 'I'm safe in your arms
again I'm afraid, Jarvis, that
can't walk any farther tonight
my ankle pains too much. Hook
/ doesn't look as though he felt like
| walking very far, either" she added,
pointing to the old seaman, who was
seated on a log holding his throbbing
head in his hands.
| you guessed right, Miss Cleo"
! groaned Hook. ST couldn't walk an
other step tonight, not for a million
dollars. My head feels like a boiler
! that's being pounded with a Sledge-
hammer. That murderous Jap certainly
gave me one awful wallop if
I ever lay hands on him he'll be sorry
that he ever was born"
1T would be foolish for US to at
tempt to get down the mountain to-
night" said Hope decisiveIy. sit is
almost dark and we don't know the
path anyway. The best thing we can
do is to make ouselves as comfortable
as possible for the night and start
fresh in the morning"
Cant we start a fire?" begged Cleo,
shivering, I'm awful cold.''
Its taking a chance said Hope.
a little doubtfully, because if Mahlin
and SatSuma are still looking for US
it might attract their attention. But
I fancy that they've given up the
chase as hopeless by this time
and without fire we would freeze
( to death before morning. You stay
here with Hook, dear, and I'll skirn1ish
/ around and see if we can find a place
where we can build a fire without
/ its being SEEN"
In half an hour he was back.
'I've found a place that might have
/ been made for u.s." he announced, and
led the way a short distance up the
mOuntainside to a shallow niche in
the face OF the cliff Though barely
large enough to hold the three of
them, it was dry and clean, while the
great mass of rock which Overhung it
like a pOrte-cochere served the double
| purpose of shielding it from observa-
ton and from the weather. On the
| level rock in front of the niche Hope
/ started a brisk fire and, with Hooks
assistance, dragged a PROSTATE tree
| trunk into place so as to form back
log.
what is that for?'' asked Cleo,
curiously.
ITO turn the heat toward u.s." he
explained; sit takes the place of the
brick wall at the back of a fireplace
so that we get the full benefit of the
fire. With that back log Wen get so
much heat in here that we won't need
blankets-and it's just as well, for
we haven't any,"
The fire started, Hope disappeared,
only to return a few minutes later
staggering under a load of Ieafy
/ boughs which he laid to a depth of
half a foot on the rocky floor of their
sleeping place. Over this wOodman's
mattress Cleo helped him to spread a
thick layer of dry leaves and grass.
cit isn't quite up to the standard
of Fifth avenue hotels" he remarked,
viewing his work with satisfaction,
''but it's softer and cleaner than lots
of beds that I've slept in. There
may be some Jumps in it, but we're
too tired to notice them. Now, we
would be quite comfortable if we only
had something to eat"
''Fve some chocolate announced
Cleo, producing from the pocket of
her skirt a good-sized cake. 81 thought
we might be hungry before we got
back to town, so put it in my pocket
before we left the cabin
Bully for you, DEAR" cried Hope.
1--WE won't have to go to bed hungry,
in any event.
''That's only the first course" she
laughed gayly, as she proudly display
ed three grape leaves heaped high
with luscious wild backberries. ''The
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