The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-03-23

followed an ascending crack in the
wall. The going was hard. He looked
down at the girl wedged between the
slopes Of the granite trough.
She read his thought. "The Old
Guard never surrenders, sir" was her
quick answer us she brushed in salute
with the tips of her fingers stray lock
of hair.
The trough was worse than Eliot
had expected. 1t had in it a good deal
of loose rubble that started in small
slides at the least pressure.
"Be very careful of your footing" he
called back anxiously.
A small grassy platform lay above
the upper end Of the trough, but the
last dozen feet Of the approach was a
very difficult bit. Gordon fought his
way up with his back against one wall
and his knees pressed to the other.
Three feet short of the platform the
rock walls became absolutely smooth.
The climber could reach within foot
of the top.
"Are you stopped?" asked Sheba.
"Looks that way"
A small pine projected from the
edge Of the shelf out over the preci-
pice. 1t might be strong enough to
bear his weight. 1t might not. Cor.
don unbuckled his belt and threw one
end over the trunk Of the dwarf tree
Gingerly he tested 1t with his weight
then went up hand over hand and
worked himself over the edge Of the
little plateau.
"All right?" the girl called up.
"All right. But you can't make 1t
I'm coming down again."
I'D like to try it. I'll stop If It's
too hard" she promised.
The strength Of her slender wrists
surprised him. She struggled up the
vertical crevasse inch by inch. His
heart was full of fear, for a misster
now would be fatal. He lay down with
his face over the ledge and lowered
to her the buckled loop of his belt
Twice she stopped exhausted, her
back and her hands pressed against
the walls Of the trough angle for sup
port.
Better give It up" he advised.
"I'll not, then" She smiled stub
bornly as she shook her head.
Presently her fingers touched the
belt. AZ
Gordon edged forward an inch OF
two farther. "Put your hand through
the loop and catch hold OF the leather
above" he told her.
She did so, and at the same instant
her foot slipped. The girl swung out
into space suspended by one wrist. The
muscles Of Elliot hardened into steel as
they responded to the strain. His body
began to slide very slowly down the
incline.
In a moment the acute danger was
past. Sheba had found a hold with
her feet and relieved somewhat the
dead pull upon Elliot.
She had not voiced a cry, but the
face that looked up into his was very
white.
"Take your time," be said In quiet
matter-of-fact way.
With his help she came close enough
for him to reach her hand. After that
1t was only moment before she knelt
| on tho Mo tom hoci6o him
Touch and go, wasn't itf'' Shebs
tried to smile, but the colorless lips
told the young man she was still faint
from the shock.
He knew he was going to reproach
himself bitterly for having led her into
such risk, but he could not just now
afford to waste his energies on regrets
"You might have sprained your wrist,
he said lightly as he rose to examine
the cliff still to be negotiated.
Her dark eyes looked at him with
quick surprise. $50 | might" She
answered dryly.
| But his Indifferent tone had the eff
feet upon her of a plunge into colo
water. 1t braced and stiffened hel
will. If ne wanted to ignore the ter
rible danger through which she hat
passed, certainly she was not going t.
remind him of it.
Gordon was mountaineer enough t.
know that the climb up is safer thar
the one back. The only possible wa!
for them to go down the trough was
for him to lower her by the belt unit
she found footing enough to go alone
He did not quite admit 1t to himself
but in his heart he doubted whether
she could make 1t safely.
The alternative was the cliff face.
|