Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-01-06

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the thick brush toward him, now los
Ing him, now reguiniug 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 Rayengar
saw that he was holding the mantle
in his hand and examining it atten-
lively
AS he held it, Ravengar, creeping up
within leaping distance, suddenly
sprang.
Ills right fist crashed full into Joes
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 ii valley. Upon the second crest
Scba ian 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.
AS they watched they saw Ravengar
knock out his antagonist and start
down the decliyity.
He found a difficult PASSAGE among
the cruInbling rocks on the face of the
steep cliff; but it seemed to offer
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 a boWlder, which rolled down
ward, carrying him with it in a shower
of pebbles.
Rayengar could no more stop his de
scent than an Alpine climber can stop
an avalanche.
Fortune favored him. The boulder
stopped at the edge of the steep lower
drop, and Ravengar managed to catch
tree and draw himself to his feet
Selling the mantle, he folded it invisi-
bic side outward, and thrust it into a
gap between two rocks. Then he fell
over in dead faint.
Sebastian, Blanca and her follower,
pursuing their way, came to the spot
where the light had occurred. At the
bottom of the slope the three could
make out the inert figure of Ravengar
lying apparently dead or unconscious.
We've got him y cried the man ex
ultantly.
Sebastian shook with fear. The pro-
ceedlngs OF the day had not been at all
to his liking.
You settle with him. I've got to go
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- !
aDle and bleeding freely from his |
wound. Bianca's companion looked |
about him. lie espied jagged stone |
and taking it in his hands, poised it |
above RaVengars forehead.
With a scream Blanca leaped at him
in fury and dashed him backward.
But at that moment the figure of his !
companion, Joe, with a big bruise on
the forehead and split lip, emerged
through the trees. cut 1t out Waltz
he yelled. Did you get the clothT
THAT'S so, boys, cried Blanca,
grateful Tor the lntermisSi0n. We've
got to get him round first and make
MIN tell us where the cloth Is. There's
a hunting shack someWheres about
here. Let's follow the trail and take
him to 1t. Then we can give him the
third degree and find what we want to
know.
Leontlne mad seen them coming. She
did not know 1t was Ravengar whose
oody was being borne through the
trees.
Then suddenly her eyes fell upon
the shotgun ana she remembered RAY
engars instructions. She grasped it
from the 8all ana looked about her.
Bianca'S voice was to be heard plainly
outside the door.
Leontine saw that the kitchen
shelves were covered with curtain,
which hung right down to the floor.