The Elk Mountain pilot., 1917-10-18

The Forward Impetus Preeipitated
Him to tho Ground.
his heart beating wildly. 1t was an
iron crowbar. such as the gypsies
carry in their tinkering and shoeing
outfits.
He grnsped it, snatched 1t up. and
battered furiously upon the door. 1t
splintered. Again and again he de-
livered thunderous blows with all his
power.
Suddenly the whole door gave 1t
cracked and swung from the hinges,
and toppled to the ground, falling be-
meath the van. 1t arrested one of the
hind wheels. The van stopped dead
for an instant and began to topple
over. The forward impetus precipitat-
ed him to the ground.
He scrambled upon his feet and saw
the awful precipice beneath him. Had
not the van swerved at that moment,
It would have precipitated him down
thirty feet below, among the rocks and
powders.
He stretched out his arms. Leon
tine!" he called wildly.
And Leontine tumbled into them.
For second they swung and swayed
upon the very edge Of the precipice
Then, with almost superhuman
strength, he pulled her backward, and
they fell exhausted among the bushes.
Sick and giddy, Leontine rose to her
feet and looked at her rescuer. Was
this Ravengar? Or was it phnntasy
of a disordered brain that seemed to
see him standing at her side. one hand
outstretched.
"Come. Madame Navarro" he said
tremendously. II will conduct you to
your husband"
=
Blanca leaped to her feet as the
auto stopped in front of her house.
She had fallen asleep, dreaming Of Ra-
vengar. the man locked in the cellar
beneath. She had dreamed that her
emissaries had returned, bringing with
them news of success, and Sebastian's
written confession.
She had dreamed that the mystic
prophecy had been fulfilled, and that
Ravengnr loved her. In this love
somehow she had found herself; she
had shaken free from the old Blanca;
she was once more an innocent girl be.
side her lover.
She looked through the window. The
men We're descending from the auto
She read their failure in their defect
ed faces. And the dream was all lie.
Romanoff and his friends received
the worst rating that had ever passed
Bianca's lips. For once she met them
on their own level. She tonguelashed
them until they We're ready to sink
through the floor. Blanca knew how
to WELD the whip.
"If you'd accepted my advice and
had that Ravengar killed, this wouldn't
have happened" burst out Romanoff.
You fool!" said Blanca angrily
"You were dreaming, all of you. Some
trump came along, 1 suppose"
II tell you it was that Ravengar."
cried Romanoff furiously. HE busted
up the show, and he got Leontine out
of the van in the nick of time"
Blanca looked from one to another
speechless.
"Are you prepared to swear it was
Ravengar?' she asked. Are you
ready to come to the cellar with me?"
you won't find him there, unless
he's got double" answered Roma
noff
Blanca rang for Wong Lee. "Where
is Mr.. Ravengar?" she asked the Chi
naman.
"All in cellar, missis"
Lead the way, then, Wong" 4
They followed the servant with o.
consciousness of increasing tension.
Wong Lee threw back the bolts. Upon
the bench Ravengar lay. his head on
his arm, asleep. He started up as the
door opened, and, seeing Blanca,
bowed.
"I tell you he was therew screamed
Ro.aanoff, almost beside himself. HE
was at Smiths roadhouse in the Rama
pos this afternoon and busted up the
shcw."
Ravengar laughed gayly.
II wish had been," he remarked
cheerfully.
(END OF SIXTH EPISODE.)