The Elk Mountain pilot., 1917-10-04

| Get OUT or I'll
Then he sprang ut him like tiger and
| locked his arms about him, the hands
reaching toward the throat.
The suddenness of his leap surprised
Ravengar, who reeled and went stag
gering back against the table.
In the flash of an interval before
they closed Ravengnr freed his right
hand and sent the fist crashing into
Sebastian's face. AS Sebastian re-
leased him and staggered back Raw
engar followed with second blow
from his left, which caught the Argen-
tine beneath the chin. Sebastian
dropped with a moan and crumpled up
on the floor.
AS Ravengar stood over him pic
ture fell from the wall beside him. A
moment later the water bottle upon
the table went crashing down in splin-
ters of broken glass.
| Ravengar looked about him in won
| der.
Shrieks and cries resounded through
the hotel. Through the darkness out
side sudden stream OF light shot up.
The volcanic eruption had blown the
top of the mountain, had rent the
ground into deep assures from which
the subterranean fumes, ascending,
sent up a cloud of inky smoke that.
added to the darkness of moonless
night, made the panic universal.
Leontine was standing in her room
when the catastrophe occurred.
Suddenly she was flung Off her feet
by the force of the earthquake.
Stunned, she mercifully escaped knowl-
edge of its first horrors. When she re-
covered she found herself unhurt, but
pinned between two scantlings that
had fallen one on either side of her.
Cries and groans came to her ears
from nll sides.
Then through the darkness she heard
n mans voice calling. "Leontine!
Leontine" he was saying.
And u thrill of joy leaped into her
heart and set 1t to beating fast. 1t
was Ravengar.
She answered family. and presently.
guided by her voice, he found her.
You are not hurt?" he inquired anx
iOusly. She could not see his face,
even though he stood beside her.
NO" she replied. "And you?"
II think not" he answered, placing
one arm around her to support her.
You had better let me carry you,"
he continued. "Yol will fall over the
beams. 1 know the way out-at least.
found the way in. There has been an
earthquake" He raised her into his
arms, and she lay there. one arm about
his neck, her hair drifting across his
face.
Carefully he picked his way toward
the door. Then he set her down.
II am going back for your husband"
he said. Stay there till return"
Leontine looked about her. Several
people lay half-buried in the debris of
the hotel. A voice was calling pitt
fully from what had been the dining
room. A man came stealthily across
| the fallen beams, guided by the sound
| of the voice.
1t was Red" Finn. who had been
gambling with his companions in the
| next room to Ravengar's. He had heard
the sounds of the quarrel, and Sebas-
tian's offer of ten thousand dollars for
| certain paper. Then, as the fight
| began, he had peered cautiously into
the room and had seen Ravengar slip
the paper into his pocket.
Now he wns prowling among the ru-
ins of the hotel, having almost miracu-
lously escaped injury in the catastro-
phe.
At length his watch was rewarded.
He saw Ravengar come staggering
along the ruined wall, bearing Sebas-
tian In his arms. He carried him to
the porch and set him down beside
Leontine. Sebastian groaned and
opened his eyes. He tried to rise, Ra-
vengar bent over him.
Red Finn crept cautiously nearer.
Then something happened which con-
vinced him that this was his lucky day.
The paper which he contemplated
snatching from Ravengar's pocket
dropped out as he bent over Sebastian.
In an instant "Red" had leaped upon it
and possessed himself of it and taken
flight.
Only Leontine saw the action. She
placed her hand on Ravengars arm.
"The paper!" she cried.
Ravengar started and felt in his
pocket. 1t was not there.
"He has stolen 1t" cried Leontine
frantically. pointing to the disappear
ing figure of the fugitive
Instantly Ravengar understood. He
left Sebastian lying on the ruined