The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-06-16

you!"
How could you or Rosalind
know that he had slipped his
bonds-and," pointing to a few
frayed strands clinging to the
granite at their feet, had sawed
the h0bble asunder on the sharp
rocks? Let us be mighty thank
full that he didn't swing at you
with his fists"
But we have lost hint" Rosa
lind cried.
And good radiance" re-
piled.
you are very lenient to us,
Dick" she whispered.
I'm very just" smiled. "The
Marquis was exceedingly service
able In our escape from the pyra-
mid, as was his father; but when
we men let the Duke get away,
the Marquis was to tell the truth.
an elephant on our hands. 1
think it will be more of comedy,
since the Marquis is gone"
Things do seem brighter!"
smiled Rosalind.
Heaven, they were a plucky
pair! With practically all the
chances against us, they chose to
make a comedy of what was be-
ginning to take on a very somber
hue to De Verdenois and me.
Without food or drink, on the
bald face of precipitous cliff,
our capture or death was but a
question of time-a very little
time, indeed.
We could hold out until after
sundown-possibly through the
night-but the morrow would see
the end; and the Duke would
simply put out his hand and pluck
us. There was no occasion on his
part for haste.
Cardigan" said De Verdenois,
think 1t would be well If you
tried the remainder of the as
cent. I'll stay on guard here, and
Mrs. Leighton and Miss Brins-
made can help me with shot or
two If necessary, until you return
or signal us to follow"
Very good" | acquiesced. do
you think, De Verdenois, that If
they attack, you can hold them in
check until | get back?"
with the aid of my fair as
sistants.' he smiled.
| looked at Rosalind question
ingly; she laid her hand on my
arm and nodded.
We were about so feet from the
summit, and | pushed up the re-
naming distance-it was much
sleeper and rougher than the low
err portion.
When reached the top, every
thing below me was as | had left
it. The beach came to life, so to
speak, at this moment-probably
because | had just been seen. The
Duke and the Marquis ran out
hurriedly and stood watching me.
The summit of the cliff was on
an average 200 feet across; and
SO far as l could see it was prac-
tically flat. Seward was discern
ible only wall of glistening fog.
1t was as If l were above the
clouds-and the breeze, gentle
enough below, here blew almost a
gale.
| must get to the other edge if
| was to signal the Buccaneer;
but right in my path way the
crevasse, full SO feet across and
extending in both directions as
far as l could see. l went to the
edge and looked down; its depth
appeared to be equal to it's width.
At any rate, it was quite suffi-
cient to debar my passage.
I hurried with my inspection.
Some places the, cliff was as il
cut from the stone by hand. But
the crevasse got no narrower; be-
yond the inland harbor, it rather
increased in width. | passed rap
idly down the south side of the
island-south half of the quad
rant, reckon, would be better
than side-ever searching for a
place to cross and ever being met
by failure,
l had started round the west
side of the quadrant, when from
the harbor came the sharp bark
of an automatic.
The next instant, | was racing
down the cliffs toward the path.