The Elk Mountain pilot., 1917-11-22

"You'I Be Safe With This" He Said.
jured, save for few scratches. He
lodged back into the library. smooth
ing his clothes as he did so, and gained
his chair satisfied that he had been un-
observed. Half n minute later the but
Ter and another servant came running
in.
"There's been murder upstairs,
sir !" the butler gasped.
Sebastian rose. "A murder?" he in
quired blandly.
1.-TWO burglars, sir. We heard them
fighting. One shot the other and made
his getaway"
Get doctor, quick!'
'It's too late for u doctor. He's dead.
sir. Shall 1 telephone for the police?"
mo, leave it to me. I'll see to it,"
| Sebastian answered.
The shock of the explosion that had
cost Bianica her life brought Ra-
vengar back to consciousness in the
cellar. lie opened his eyes to find the
walls dissolving about him. The cellar
rocked under the force of the detona-
ton.
A heavy beam came crashing down
upon him. Almost miraculously it fell
across his body in such Il manner us 10
pin him where he was without further
| injuring him.
His Inconsistencies had partaken
more of the nature of sleep. He felt
refreshed, almost invigorated us he
rose to his feet. But he remembered
nothing of what had happened since he
entered the cellar.
One thing however, flashed back In
| to his consciousness. That was the
| mantle. He had hidden 1t in the cleft
between the rocks, and he must OBJ
| tain 1t.
The walls Of the cellar gaped apart
In many places. Ravengar crawled
slowly and painfully out between two
stones. He gained the open and looked
about him. Nobody was in sight.
| AS a matter of fact. the two crooks
were on the other side Of the house,
watching the result of their devilish
plot with glee. Had Ravengar emerged
upon that side they would have seen
him. Luck had brought him out at the
back, among the thick foliage Of the
low shrubs that grew almost to the
kitchen door.
| Staggering painfully Ravengar made
his way among the pines. He had gone
u little way when oe heard the sound
Of an approaching automobile. He did
not wait but hurried into the recesses
Of the forest. Stumbling on, at length
he reached the spot where he had hid
den the mantle after his fall from the
cliff. He put his hand between the
stones, and drew 1t out tenderly. fear-
full of tearing it. He put 1t about him
and returned to the hut.
His heart wns filed with forebodings
as to Leontine's fate. Dearly as he had
longed to find her, he had known for
both their sakes that the mantle must
be his first objective. Now, as his
brain began to clear, he wondered
what the explosion had been which
wrecked the hut.
He wondered whether Leontine had
been In the hut ut the time. But he
would not let his mind dwell on that
possibility. And he did not know that
the entire hut was wrecked. He hur-
ried on. feeling stronger every moment
| For the first time since his wounding,
too, he realized that he was hungry.
He was nearing the hut when he saw
the automobile in the road, in charge
of the chauffeur. He walked boldly to-
| ward it, stopped and regarded the man
quietly. The chauffeur's eyes passed
by his without sign of perception.
Ravengar was now completely satis-
fled. The rough handling to which the
mantle had been subjected had done it
no injury.
He went on toward the cabin. His
heart was beating fast, and nameless
terrors held him. Leontinei He felt
like calling for her. He wanted to
shout. Surely, If she We're living, she
would hear and answer him, wherever
she We're.
Then his heart gave n great leap of
gladness. Upon the threshold of the
wrecked structure he saw Leontine
seated, her face bowed in her hands,
while the tears streamed through her
fingers. He went up to her. but for
some moments his emotion was too
great to permit him to speak.
She seemed to sense his presence.
for she looked up wistfully. Ravengar
pulled the mantle from his face and
shoulders. With a wild cry of glad
ness Leontine leaped to her feet, and
held out her hands to him.
(END OF ELEVENTH EPTSODEl