The Elbert County tribune., 1916-02-25
age with whom he could hold NO con,

verse;
But even as he stood before the hut
of this old ruffian Count Frederick's
eye caught sight of something which
caused his heart to leap.
1t was a little object, an untmportant
item which might have escaped any
other eye than his. Yet his gaze was
drawn to 1t irresistibly.
It was a bit of cloth, a torn tribe Of
soiled and sea-encrusted checkered
cloth. portion OF woman's garb.
Count Frederick recognized it at once
as a part of the dress skirt in which
he mad last seen Kitty Gray garbed.
There was no mistaking it. He knew
it as well as the pattern of his own
apparel.
She had been herel The mysterious
white woman was Kitty Gray!
Now indeed Count Frederick of
Gretzhoffen became the man of action.
Away now with doubt and despair
and welcome again the fierce resolve
of brave man determined TO live and
conquer, determined once more to
achieve the dearest purpose of his
life!
He caught from the post of the door
which had torn OF this fragment OF
cloth, and held 1t before the gaze of
the chief-before the eyes of all his
men. They knew what he meant when
he demanded to see the wearer of this
bit of cloth. They dreaded the sight
of his anger. fell back before the men
ace OF the little steel tube, unfamiliar
as 1t was to item, They knew that this
man would kill unless he found that
which he sought-the captive but now
rescued from the doom of fire.
Frederick's own men fell in behind
MIN, and right lusty contest directly
arose between these two factions or
tribes, whichever they may have been.
AS for Frederick himself, he had not
time for matters of this sort. He hur-
ried to hut after hut, tore aside roof
after roof, wall after wall, hunting for
the woman whom above all things he
most desired to see. He did not find
her. His questions brought no re-
sponse.
Drawn by horrible suspicion of the
meaning of this fire built at the brink
of the pit, he hurried thither to Join
by mere chance found confirmation
and found hope as well.
He saw the print of small boot
heel In the sand, other footmarks just
beyond-it was trail. Yes, yes, she
had been there. But the footprints
ceased The trail ended as though the
maker of it had flown up into the air.
Beyond, the imprint of large and mis-
shapen feet still led.
Count Frederick now turned savage
ly upon these gibbering creatures
about him, and the meaning of his
demand was perfectly apparent to
them. Threatening to throw them
into the fire which they had prepared
for another, he got from them shrieks
of protest, much shaking of the head
in denial. and much pointing on
toward the forest which lay ahead
Some came to him and showed him
the two lines of footprints, the one
line continuing on and pointed to the
forest, although themselves not ven
turing to follow.
With a new terror in his heart, yet
feeling a conviction that Kitty Gray
a present vengeance upon these crea-
lures, but hurried on along the broken
trail.
The doglike craft of one or two of
his own band of savages aided him.
Not stacking speed they pointed out
where the trail ran. Now and again
Count Frederick could see on the
earth the imprint of the woman's feet
where for a time she had rested or
been put down. At length, at the brink
of the abyss before which Kitty Gray
so recently had stood, he saw the dou-
Bile imprint again-where both captive
and captor had stood and looked
down.
The trail led on, and down, whittier
none could guess. Frederick of Gretz-
hoffen did not stop to guess. but
plunged forward impulsively. Who
ever or whatever might be this crea-
ture which mad carried her of, here
at least was his lair.
The dusty floors of the cavern, lit
by the flare of such torches as they
found ready for such work. still re-
tanned the record. Captor and captive
had walked here. Deeper and deeper
into the caverns under the hill they
followed the trail, until at length the
distracted eyes of Count Frederick
saw on ahead something to give him
pause.
He saw Kitty Gray standing, alive,
apparently unhurt, in a vast apart
ment of these subterranean vaultsi Be,
yond. the floor seemed to break Off
to what depth he could not guess. No
egress at either extremity OF the sub
terranean chamber could be seen from
where he stood. The trail led thither,