The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1917-06-14

hey eoes and TOOK tse ehance-s
chance that more nearly thnn any tnat
had gone before. cost them then
lives.
The mnttcrings above the noun
tains now grew rapidly louder. and
while the two hO~ered over the IRE,
a thunder squall, rolling wildly down
.he eastern slope. burst over the gap.
Nan knew even better than her com
pauion the fekie nature Of a range
storm. and understood uDcomfortably
well how a sudden shift might. al any
moment. lay their entire path open TO
its lerceuess. She warned De Spain
they must be moving. and. freshened
by the brief rest, they set out toward
L Captain.
They had covered more than half
the distance that separated them from
the cliff. when n second thunderstorm
seeming 10 rush In from the desert,
burst above their heads. Drenchec
with rain. they were forced to draw
back under a projecting rock. In an
other moment the two storms. meet
/ Ing in the gap. rushed together. As II
an unseen hand had touched a thou
sand granite springs above the gap,
every slender creyice spOuted
stream that shot foamlng out from
the mountainsides. The sound Of nov
/ ing waters rose in a dull, vast roar.
I broken by the unseen boom of distant
I falls. launching huge masses Of water
I Into caverns far below. The storm
I ladeE wind tore and swirled among
the crowded peaks, and above all the
angry sky moaned and gulyered in the
rage Of the elements.
II was only the lulls between the
sharp squalls that enabled them to
cover the trail before daylight When
! they paused before Fl Captain the
fury OF the night seemed largely to
have exhausted itself, but the over
charged air hung above the noun
tains. trembling and moaning like a
bruised and stricken thing. Light
ming. playing across the inky heavens,
blazed in constant sheets from end
to end OF the horizon. Cnder II all
the tvo refugees high on the noun
tainside. looked down on the flooding
gap.
Their flight was almost ended. Only
the sheer cliff ahead blocked their
descent TO the aspen grove. Hardly
a moment passed after they had
started until the eastern sky lightened
before the retreating storm. and with
the first glimmer OF daylight the two
were at the beginning Of the narrow
foothold which lay for half a mile be
tween them and safety.
The face Of Fl Captain presents.
midway. sharp convex. Just where
il is thrown forward in this keen
angle. the trail runs out almost TO a
knife-edge. and the mountain is so
nearly vertical that it appears TO
overhang the floor Of the valley.
They made half the stretch Of this
angle with hardly misstep. but the
advance for q pat Of the way was
climb, and De Spain, turning once
20 speak to Nan. asked her for her
rifle. that he might carry IL with bis
own. What their story might have
been had she given il TO him, mons
can tell But Nan, holding back. re-
fused to let him relieve her. The
dreaded angle which had haunted De
Spain all night was safely turned on
hands and knees. and, as they round
ed II toward the east. clouds scudding
over the open desert broke and shot
the light OF dawn against the beetliDg
arete.
De Spain turned In some relief 10
point to the coming day. As he did
: so a gust Of wind, sweeping against
J the sheer wall. tipped him sidewise
and he threw himself on his knees 10
avoid the dizzy edge. His rife, which
! slipped from reach. In the next in.
: stant he heard it bouncing from rock
. TO rock, FIVE hundred feet below.
! Greatly annoyed and humillated. he
regained his feet and spoke with a
laugh to reAssure Nan. just as she
: answered not 10 worry, a little sing
: ing scream struck their ears; some
thing splashed suddenly close at hanC
| against the rock wall; chips scattered
! between them. From below. th'
sound of a rifle report cracked agains
the face of the cliff. They We're 81
startled. so completely amazed, tha
they stood motionless.
De Spain looked down and over tn
uneven floor OF the gap. The ranch
houses, spread Ike toys in the lonl
perspective. lay peacefully revealed il
! the gray of the morning. He coul,
! discover no sign Of life around any o
the houses. But in another momen
: the little singing scream came again
= the blow OF the heavy slug against III,
!, splintering rock was repeated, the dis
J tant report of the rifle followed.
5 Under fire." muttered De Spain
= He looked at Nan. Wed better keel
o moving" he said. Come. whoever