Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-05-11
CHAPTER xIx-contInued.


fight"
81 doubt IL you can recognize any
one, even through the glass, at such a
distance" said Rodney, after he had
focused It and taken a look himself.
"Yet IL he were there, he certainly
would be in the thick Of 1t. He's that
kind. You look, Dick"
II can't see him." said Winters in
turn. "But what fight they are max
ing to save that DAM"
'Will 1t holdT asked the woman.
Impossible" said Rodney.
II give it one hour" said Winters.
handing over the glass.
"Not more than that" assented the
other, after another look. "See for
yourself Miss nlingworth."
From where they Stood high up on
the roof Of the world, they were spec
tators Of great battle, witnesses of
a terrible contest in which herculenn
effort desperate courage, human will,
all exerted to the limit. finally de-
generated into blind, mechanical habit
of continuous and frenzied endeavor
The spirit OF reckless continuance had
got into them and moved them 20 the
impossible. As men iu n battle charge
go on even with wounds enough to kill
them In ordinary circumstances, as sol
dlers at Winchester, though shot In the
heart actually struggled after Sheri-
dan until they fell, or even as a COM
mon horse may so be imbued with
blind intensity Of determination that
he gallops on until he drops dead,
40 these men gave their all in unmatch-
able persistence.
They'd better get Off that DAM" said
Rodney. when IL once fails it'll go
with rush and then it'll be too late"
Look ut them. They're not going
to get or" snld Winters. They're
going down with II. Fools, God bless
'em" !" he shouted, throwing up his
arms in exultation over manhood and
courage and determination.
Perhaps you had better go back,
Miss Illingworth," suid Rodney, think
Ing OF the horror she might witness at
any moment.
Il wouldn't be elsewhere for the
world" said the brave girl, white but
with firm lips-she was made of the
same stuff as the fighting men, II
seemed-"even If he were there, fight
ing that great battle, should wait to
see the end"
"We're not the only people in this
wilderness. Look yonderi" cried Win
ters.
He pointed down through the cease
less rnln toward the lower edge of the
mesa. There. far below him, we're
three sodden figures. The water in the
Jake had flooded the slope Of the hill,
and on thnt side 1t was tapping the
base Of the cliff. The trail had. of
course, been covered, and there wns no
way Of progress except by taking ad-
vantage Of the broken rock at the foot
Of the cliff, which here and there still
stood above the water. It was place
where men could only pass by carefully
choosing their way and calculating the
distance Of the next point toward
which to leap. These three were mov-
Ing like madmen, splashing through
the water, hurting themselves from
rock to rock, falling against the wall,
clutching a tree or shrub, slipping into
the lake, saving themselves from
drowning apparently only by the ca
price Of complacent fortune, which
they were trying to the utmost limit.
One man carried q miners pick, a
spade and a surveyors range pole, the
other another spade and two long
stakes which looked like the separate
legs OF tripod. The bareheaded man
who had thrown his rubber coat down
In the reddish-yellow water, carried q
good-szed oilskin bag. He was the
most hurried of the three. He rar
some distance in front of the others
They noticed how carefully he sough;
80 protect the bag. When he Slipped
or seemed about to fall he alway,
thrust it frantlcally away from tn,
rock with outstretched arm.
What the three men would be at O.
course no one knew. 1t was obvlou.
that they were in a desperate hurr,
and that the thing in the bng must b,
carefully carried. Naturally the watch
ers connected the men with the dan
builders. They were dressed as tn
men engaged in such labor would b.
dressed. The pick, the spades and tn
pole and stakes bore out that conclu
sion.
whats in the bug?" asked tn
woman.
He carries 1t as though 1t Nigh
be gold or diamonds" said Winter.
Rodney shook his head. Suddenl
he OWNED the reason for the extrem
cure with which the bag was carried
The men were Immediately below tn
three watchers now. He could max
out pretty well what was the size an
shape Of the objects that bulged III
waterproof bag.
II have IT," he shouted. Dynamite
what for?"
Rodney shook his head again. II
man In front was in plain view. Il
was a tall figure, his face was heayi
benrded. From the angle at whiC
they saw him 1t was impossible to re
0gnize him, nor was he in his frant
progress assuming the usual attitut
and bearing of u man under ordinal
him to those who know him we'll NJ
could Helen nlingworth with n
trembling hands focus the glass, whl,
she took from Rodney before the stru
Cling adventurers had passed; and Y
there was something In the figure b
low that made her heart beat fastt
She pressed her hand to the wet "a
lnents over her heart and stared. Su
denly Rodney raised his voice Of
shouted at the very top of it. White
joined in, and even Helen Tlingwor
found herself screaming. The thr
men below were not more than five
six hundred feet away, but evident
they could not possibly hear in tn
tumult of nature. No voices wor
carry through any such rain and VIII
They were too intent on their pat
and on what they had to do to 10
upward. They rounded the shouit
of the mesa and disappeared in {