The Elk Mountain pilot., 1917-11-22

Ravengar began hurrying through
the thick brush toward him, now los
ing him, now regaining him. At last
he came near enough to be able to
make out the form of Joe, apparently
resting upon the hilltop in fancied
safety. As he drew nearer Ravengar
saw that he was holding the mantle
in his hand and examining 1t atten-
lively.
AS he held it, Ravengar, creeping up
within leaping distance. suddenly
sprang.
His right fist crashed full into Joe's
mouth, and the thief went over like
rabbit and, striking his head against
the rocks, lay motionless.
Ravengar picked up the mantle and
began to make his descent among the
rocks.
The crest was faced by another crest
across a valley. Upon the second crest
Sebastian and Blanca. with Bianca's
second follower. stood, anxious spec
tators of the fight. They did not know
Joe had the mantle, but they recog-
nized him and also Ravengar.
40 thSS WalNllCu thSS Sdn 4huNCuSAl
knock out his antagonist and start
down the declivity.
He found a difficult passage among
the crumbling rocks on the face of the
steep cliff; but it seemed to offer u
quick return to Leontine, and Raven
gar wanted more than anything else to
give her the mantle.
AT last he fell. and, in falling, dis
lodged bowlder, which rolled down
ward, carrying him with it in shower
of pebbles.
Ravengar could no more stop his de-
scent than an Alpine climber can stop
an avalanche.
Fortune favored him. The boulder
stopped nt the edge of the steep lower
drop, and Ravengar managed to catch
tree and draw himself to his feet
Selling the mantle, he folded 1t invisi-
BILE side outward, and thrust 1t into n
gap between two rocks. Then he fell
over in n dead faint.
Sebastian, Blanca and her follower,
pursuing their way, came to the spot
where the fight had occurred. At the
bottom of the slope the three could
make out the inert figure of Ravengnr,
lying apparently dead or unconscious.
We've got him !" cried the man ex-
ultantly.
Sebastian shook with fear. The pro-
ceedings Of the day had not been at all
to his liking.
You settle with him. I've got to 60
home" he said.
And. as Blanca looked at him con-
temptuously, he turned and made his
way back along the trail.
Blanca and her companion began to
descend the precipice. At the bottom
they came upon Ravengar. lying insen-
sible and bleeding freely from his
wound. Bianca's companion looked
about him. He espied a Jagged stone
and, taking 1t In his hands, poised 1t
above Ravengar's forehead.
With a scream Blanca leaped at him
in fury and dashed him backward.
But ut that moment the figure of his
the forehead and split lip. emerged
through the trees. "Cut it out Wait !"
he yelled. did you get the cloth?"
That's SO, boys" cried Blanca,
grateful for the intermission. "We've
got to get him round first and make
him tell US where the cloth is. There's
hunting shack somewheres about
here. Let's follow the trail and take
him to it. Then we can give him the
third degree and find what We want to
know"
Leontine had seen them coming. She
did not know it was Ravengar whose
body was being borne through the
trees.
Then suddenly her eyes fell upon
the shotgun, and she remembered Raw
engar's Instructions. She grasped It
from the wall and looked about her.
Bianca's voice was to be heard plainly
outside the door.
Leontine saw that the kitchen
shelves were covered with a curtain,
which hung right down to the floor.
She rushed behind 1t, carrying the
loaded gun. 1t was not much of
refuge, but it offered a temporary re-
spite. From here she could hear the
men bringing in their burden. They
laid 1t on the bed.
"Where are you going?" Leontine
heard one of them ask Blanca.
'Into the Kitchen" she replied. "rm
going to search for something to bring
him to-"
The man growled something that was
inaudibIe. Then Leontine became
aware that Blanca was in the room.
She could see nothing. but she heard
Bianca's steps coming toward the
shelves. A moment later the curtain
was thrown back. Leontine and Blanca
looked into each others faces.
Leontine, holding the loaded gun,
watched Blanca defantly. She was de-
termined that she would sell her life
dearly. Blanca looked back at her;
h1,,. hux,d for Silopco