Gilpin observer., 1917-07-26


and she was helpless. A moment later
Spike" Deering and Behrens had lift
ed her out on the side of the train
opposite that on which her friends
were standing and dragged her into
the thick growths beside the road.
Helen heard the train start and tried
to struggle loose. Realizing the fulfil
ity of immediate attempts to escape
the young girl lay still and gave her
word not to scream when Behrens al
last undertook to remove the gag from
her mouth under that condition.
"Where are you taking me" Helen
demanded, as soon as she was permit.
ted to use her voice.
Behrens grinned and "Spike'' Deer.
ing, mimicking the voice of his cap
tive, announced that she was being
taken to church-to regular church
wedding.
you'll be made to suffer for this,
Helen threatened, her eyes blazing
with anger. "You men will be going
to funerals instead of weddings"
"Well," interposed Behrens, "if you
want to have your husbands blood on
your head all right. I'm going to mar
ry you tonight and a wife oughtn't
to plan against her husbands life"
Then for the first time Helen began
to realize the nature of the plot. She
had long recognized that Behrens,
despite his orders from Holmes, had
entertained for her sort Of queer re-
gard. The idea that such scoundrel
would seriously entertain thoughts of
marrying her had never entered the
girls head. Now she fully realized her
peril. Nevertheless, she was deter
mined to fight to the last gasp.
Deering's camp was in the middle
of a swale in the hardwood timber
ridge below China Flats. 1t was n
safe hiding place ordinarily, and none
but experienced woodsmen would have
detected the trails leading to it.
Tom Dawson had been born in the
woods. He knew which side of for
est tree the moss grew on long
before he could walk. From that
period he had become familiar with
every phase Of woodcraft, SO that
to him the forest was as plain as
raised print to an educated blind man.
1t hadn't taken Tom long to realize
the direction the tracks he had fol-
lowed were taking. When habitations
are few and far apart, deduction is
simplified. Dawson knew that Helen
had been abducted by Behrens and
"Spike" Deering long before he came
xr,s& H. e,fsvIk <Nft MI nv-tvr p,r,
the thin wisp of smoke rising from the
Deering chimney.
Creeping forward slowly with his
rifle at the ready, he was suddenly at
tackled from behind by two of Deer
ing's men who had been set to watch
intruders. Overpowered without a
chance to defend himself, Tom was
dragged to the cabin.
Helen saw Tom and her hopes rose
Already the drunken old preacher
from the Bend was on hand. For
tunately the ancient reprObate had GER
tain compunctions about performing a
ceremony so long as Helen refused
resolutely to consent to it. A quick
glance passed between Tom Dawson
and the young woman. 1t was con-
tract. They would fight 1t out-but
how?
Then chance gave Helen her oppor-
tunity. Behrens turned his back to
her to argue with the minister. Quick
us flash Helen whipped the auto
matte from his pocket and slipped it
to Tom. An instant later Spike"
Deering lay writhing on the floor Of
the cabin, bullet in his abdomen,
two of his henchmen were wounded
and hors du combat, while Helen was
tearing wildly across the clearing to the
at Coleman's Crossing by an over
head trolley railway used for light ex-
pressage to the little mining town in
the valley below.
Selling the trolley wheel with its
hanging metal attachment, Helen
swung herself out over the chasm with
out an instant's hesitation.
From his position below on the rail.
way track, Behrens saw the girl sway.
ing at a dizzy height and realized that
she would probably be dashed to death
within a few moments. Rushing al
terrific speed down the swaying wire
Helen felt her strength going. With
a glance downward she saw that She
was directly over the Valley Railway
tracks. The trolley had jammed an(
she was hanging there immovable.
With death staring her in the face
Helen dimly heard the approach Of {
train. What happened afterward sh,
could not remember until the last in
stinct of self-preservation prompted
her to grasp at u rail to keep hersel
from rolling Off the. roof of the bo,
car on which she had fallen from tn,
trolley wire. The mixed freight wa
an hour late.
Lying half fainting on the roof of
speeding car, the frightened girl say
Behrens coming toward her. He wa
claMbering over the roof of tho ho