Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-05-05

CONTINUED FROM LAST SUNDAYS
starr

starr
that. and the lightnin's a fool to us!'
shouted Dol1ops in reply. Let her have
1t. gunner, Bust the bloonlin' tank. Give
her her head: give her her feet: give
wants it! Hurrah. hurrah! hurrah"'
And then. just then. when she most
needed her strength and her courage.
Aflsa's evaporated. The reaction came.
and with the despairing cries of Merode
and Lanisterre ringing in her ears she
sank back. weak. white. almost faint
ing and. leaning against the side of the
archway began to laugh and to sob
hysterically. Merode seized that one
moment and sprarg 10 the breach.
Realizing that the game was all but
up, that there was nothing for him
now but to save his own skin If he
could. he called out to Lanisterre to rip
out the sparkling plug of the motor
and follow him. then plunged into the
mill, swung over the lever which con-
trolled the sluice gates: and. darting
out by the back way. fled across the
waste.
But behind him he left scene Of in.
describable horror. and the snrliI
screaming of a little child told him
when that horror began For as the
sluice gates opened a sullen roar sound
ed; on one side the diverted millstream
and on the other the river rose IS two
solid walls of water. rushed forward
the old water course was one wild.
leaping. roaring, gyratinE whirlpool
of up-flung froth and twisting waves
that bore IN their eddying clutch tho
battling figure of a drowning child.
Even before he came in sight of them
the roaring waters and the fearful
splash of their impact told Cleek what
had been done. He could hear Ailsa's
screams: he could hear the boys
feeble cries. and moment later. when
the whizzfng motor painted up through
the moonlight and sped by the broken
wall. there was Ailsa, fairly palsied
with fright. clinging weakly to the,
crumbling arch and uttering little S,b-
hing. wordless. incoherent means Of
fright as she stared down into the hell
of waters. and below, in the foam. a
little yellow head was spinning rohynd
and round and round in dizzying Cir
cles of torn and leaping waves.
Heavens, guv'ner!" began DolloI in
q voice of appalling despair. but b .fore
he could get beyond that Cheeky coat
was off. Cleek's body had descrJ bed a
no longer alone IN the whirlry ,ol!
Battling, struggling. fairly leapinE,
as fish leaps in a torrent, ore moment
half out of the water. the nts.t wholly
submerged. Cleek struck frrgn eddy to
eddy. from circle to circle until tha.
little yellow head was Within reach.
then put forth his hand a, II gripped it,
pulled 1t to him. and in another mo-
heht ne was WhirihS TO End and round
the whirlpoois course with the child
clutched to him and it's wet, white face
cleaning waxlike over the angle of his
shoulder.
s They had not not, made the half of the
leaped to the benffing willows. had
scrambled up the Tough trunk Of the
nearest of them and, pushing his
weight out upon q strong and supple
DOW. bent 1t dow inward until the half
rrrtf
Grab 'em. CHivner-srab 'en when
you come by" he sang out over the
roar OF the waters They'll hold you.
Wen pIayed I Co. 1 em y 70. sna Il f,d1
rang on. Set a tight grip! Now, then,
pr. nand ever hand till you're at the
bank. GoeA biz, Good biz! Biest If you
mont pc goin' in for the circus trade
steady! Coal. by Jupiter. Now. then,
nand re up the nipper-I should saw
tne y'r1ng gent-and in two minutes
s u'.e - Right! Got him! Ere you are.
shi Is L ~i1I lay hold Of his little lord:
n q. full a-keepin' to me perch whilst
.I.e guv'ne'r a-wobbling of the branch
IKE this. Good biz! Now. then, sir, an
1 %a. arr yard. That's the cali!
oank there. One. two, three-knew
Yer bully heart"
And then cleek, wet. white, painting.
dragged himself out of the clutch OF
me Whirlpool and lay breathing heav-
lily on the ground
BY gums. guv'ner." Dollops added
as he looked down on the whirlinK
waters. what an eggbeater 1t would
MAKE wouldn't 1t, sir? Amt got such
tRing as biscuit about yer, have
you? Me spines a-rasping holes in me
nesktie and I'm so fiat you could slip
me into pillar box and they'd take
NE home for a penny stamp"
Int Cleek made no reply. Wet and
spent after his fierce struggle with the