The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1916-03-31

yond. AZ the baSc Of the clir. A mar
row. slitiiEe aperture showed In n
rock wall. Perhaps there Is another
cave, said she.
Hurry said Count Frederick.
Run and hide yourself there at onc
AS she obeyed he set about certain
plans Of his own. lie flung himself
down upon the sand at the edge OF the
clin, and left a trail, as though he
had been flung over and down. nc.e
and there he pulled loose certain
shrubs to strengthen that impression
IN the mind Of any pursuer who might
ONE. Then, rctreating toward the
mouth Of the cave where Kitty had
secreted herself, he obscured his own
trail In the sand as best he could by
brushing away the footprints with a
broken bough, trusting 90 the strong
wind to complete his own bungling
work At covering his trail.
"Mademoiselle,' said he, when at
length he Joined her. we now have
done all that we can do. We have no
food. no water, no weapons he
showed his empty revolver. An we
can do is to wait and hope
Covering in their hiding place. they
lay for what might have been an
hour before they heard the voices OF
any pursuers Then they saw emerge
along their old ~passageway the fig
ures OF several OF the natives. who
stood jabbering, weapons in hand,
looking this way and that, seemingly
too much excited 20 have much care.
! One Of these ran TO the broken trail
mark at the edge of the blud and,
/ ghOuting in excitement, returned
with no more ado, and apparently
without %suspecting the actual trail, OF
the two fugitives, they all o made
OF to the right, shouting loudly and
disappeared from vlew-no doubt
j along some steep path known only
20 themselves.
They have gone. said Count Fled.
| crick, and ! fancy will not return.
They think N dashed to death on the
rocks below
We might as well be, SAID hI.ty
Gray. alphabetically. what hope is
there for us now?'
Courage, mademoisellc'' was his
response. That we have lived
through such perils means that there
Is a purpose for it-one purpose.
"No, said Kitty Gray. TT has been
too much. We are lost. There is no
food, no water. Even II there We're
what chance is there for an "ecaro?'
Even should there never be an cs.
cane. mademuiselle. life here with ven
would be better than lite anywhere
else in the world without you.
But. utterly worn out. she only
shook her head and turned away.
Completely exhausted, at length she
fell asleep. lie suTcal about N"r his
own coat and kept watch.
Night came at length. and with II
It's chilling airs. They must have
FIRE, yet q fire might announce their
presence there. Count Frederick
Cathered some bits OF dried wood here
and there. and at length ventured to
bui'd n fire where il would offer
warmth within the cave, and whore
II would be practically invisible from
any direction except from the sea.
Indeed, he felt that they must take
this chance. since only from the sea
could they have any hope Of escape.
Their beacon light would shine wide.
ly. and perhaps some passing mariner
might see It.
The night wore away. passed as II
was in hunger and In chill. with moth.
ing to soften the hard floor OF the
rocky cavern. There was no break.
fast for them, there VAS not wen a
drop OF water to assuage their grow.
ing thirst.
Once more Count Frederick searched
out every corner Of their narrow refuge
ground. To attempt escape directly
down the face of the cliff would have
been sheer madness. He followed the
trail which the natives had made
when they passed to the right along
the rcck wall. Apparently they had
descended by swinging from one tee
trunk to another. II would be equal
to madness for a woman to attempt
n descent here-still more hopeless
for n oma weakened with hunger
and fatigue, He told Kitty the truth
as he now found It.
Leave me- said she, WEAKLY
Save yourself"
Leave you, mademoiselle?" said
he. Never Not until death do u'
part shall we be separated
He read something OF his answer II
the look in the eyes turned upon him
now.
1T is we'll" said she at length, sim
ply-"we shall live or dic-together.
Together. mademoiselle? Tel
me"
But her hand, raised in sheer weari
ness, arrested him, calling upon all hi
c%hivalry.
We will be able to endure our hun
ger for a day, at least, - said he. 'Ou'
light shines far. Let us devote a
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