Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-05

haste once more pushed through the vague
path he and Beatrice had made from the
barrens to Settlement cliffs
Presently followed by tho two cOlonsts
who dared not let him for n moment out OF
their sight. he reached the brow OF the
canyon. His hand nashlamp showed him the
rough path TO the terrace.
with fast beating heart he ran. down IT,
unmindful Of the unprotected edge or the
sheer drop TO the rocks Of New Hope River,
far below.
Bremilu and Zangamon, seeing perfectly
in the gloom, hurried close behind. with
words OF awe, wonder and admiration in
their own tongue
Beta on, Beatrice Home again"
Stern shouted trlumphantly where are
you Beta? Come I'm home again.
Quickly he scrambled along the broken
terrace stumbling in his haste over loose
rocks and debris. Now he had reached the
turn. S'rhe fire was In sight.
Beta again he hailed. "O-he !!
Beatrice" :"
still no answer, nor any sign from her
Az he came to the nre he noted, despite his
strong emotions that II had for The most
part burned down TO glowing embers
only one or two resinous knots stlll
famed. II could not have been replenished
for some time, perhaps two hours or more
Again, his quick eye caught the fact that
cinders, ashes and half-burned sticks lay
scattered about in strange disorder.
why, Beatrice never makes n fire like
that" the thought pierced through his
mind.
And--though as yet on no very definite
grounds quick prescencc Of catastrophe
battered at his heart
whats ths?"
Something lying on the rocl-ledge near
the fire, caught his eye. lie snatchcd II
up.
"What--whnt can this mcan?"
The colonsts stood frightened and con-
fused, pcering at him IN tine dark Ills
face, in the ruddy hrc-glOw. as he studied
the thing he now held in his hand, must
have been very terrible
Cloth Torn But-but Then"
He flung from him the bit Of the girls
cloak which, ripped and shredded as though
by powerful hand, cried disaster.
Beatrice" he shouted. where are
you? Beatrice" :"
To the doorway In the cliff he ran
shaken and trembling
The stone had been pushed away; II lay
inside the cave. Omnousy the black en-
trance seemed staring at him in the dun
CLEAN Of the freight.
ON hands and knees he fell. and hastily
crawed through. As he went. he flashed
his lamp here. there everywhere.
Beatrice. Beatrice! -
No answer
In the far corner stil nClercd some re.
mainder Of the cooliing-nrc. But there
too. ashes and half-burned sticks lay scat
tered all about
To the bed he ran 1t was empty and
cold.
Beatrice, oh. my God 80
n CLINT Of something metallic on the floor
drew his bewildcrcd tcrror-smitten gaze.
lie sprarg seized the object. and for a,
moment stood staring while all about him
the very universe seemed laundering and
crashing down.
The object in his hand was the girls gun
one cartridge, and only one, had been ex-
ploded.
The barrel had been twisted almost off
as though by the wrcnching clutch of a
hand inhuman i'm its ghastly power
On the stock distinctly nickcd into the
hard rubber as Stern held the fash-lamp
to 1t, were the unmstakable imprints of
teeth
with a groan, Allan started backward
The revolver fell with clattcr to the
cave floor.
His foot slid in something wet, something
sticky.
Blood - he gasped
Half-crazcd. he reeled toward tho door
The ilash-lamp in his hand flung its white
brush of radiance along the wall
with chattcring cry he recoiled
There, roughly yet Enthusiastically imprlnt-
ed on the white limestone surface, he saw
the print, In crimson of huge, a horrible
IL brutaly distorted hand