The Monticellonian., 1919-08-29
Copyright 1919, BY Yt.sr.g


til the fingers Of the rescucI sank in
his collar. Then hracinp himself for
final effort. Davis dragged him hod-
~ over the edge ana stretched him out
beyond the reach Of danger. Cutting
the rope free from the others body,
John tossed the loose end back over
the edge. then turned 10 make a closer
inspection of the injured man. fhe
eyes eff Morgan were closed, his cloth
ing torn TO rags and his cheeks lacer-
ated and bloody.
From distance the Spider who had
witnessed il all, came running toward
the pair at top speed. Arriving within
hailing distance he raised his voice
In shout. Hearing the voice of the
approaching one and not knowing who
WIS coming or what new danger
threatened. John sprang to his feet and
made grab for his rifle. A stone roll
ing from beneath him nj that moment.
he lost his balance and went over the
cliff
Instinctively his hand flew out. his
| fingers clutching the edge Of the cliff,
he hung suspended over the rocks far
below Desperately he tried to raise
himself above the edge of the elf and
might have succeeded had his hand
hold not proven false. But as he ele-
yated his head to point where he
could see over the top. the rock began
To erumble In his grasp and slowly but
surely he felt his fingers begin to slip.
| Realizing the folly Of attempting 10
draw himself further up with 50
treacherous a hand hold to depend up
on. he again lowered himself to full
arms length and hung Imply.
He turned his head over his Shout
der and looked Below him was the
dizzy height through which he must
| fall before he would land mangled
mass upon the granite teeth below.
Afar above him in the sky dim speeks
were circling, and he shuddered as he
thought of himself lying beneath their
talons and beaks. even though death
had robbed him Of all consciousness.
The thought gave him new strength.
Casting his eye little further along
the edge of the cliff, he saw the rope
dangling over its edge where he had
earelessly tossed IT after releasing
Morgans body from one end. The up
per end was still fastened to the rock
as 1t had been attached by the Spider
when he lowered the Hawk over. and
could he reach 1t, frayed though It
was. there was chance that ii would
support him and that by means of il
he could hoist himself UP over the Hip.
Slowly he began working himself side
ways toward it.
He reached ii and clutchcd 1t with
the grasp with which drowning man
clings to a straw Had he been fresh
he would have been able to pull him
self up without any particular diff
Guilty, but he had been hanging so long
and so desperately to the edge of the
rock with the tips of his fingers that
those members had become cramped
and stiffened. and instead of clutching
the swaying rope with grip that
would sustain his weight they closed
around ii but loosely. Slowly, surely,
gaining speed with each instant he be-
gan to slip down the rope-down to
its lose swinging end from which he
must make his last drop to the rocks
upon which the vultures he had slain
now lay.
Faster and faster grew his descent
until the friction of the rough fibre of
which the rope was made scorched and
blistered his hands. Yet mindless of
The pain of IL he chung ON as best he
could, knowing that the end was now
but a few seconds away. And that he
t,id moi give WAY IN despair and loosen
his hold served for the moment TO
save his life for the rope In falling
over the edge had formed loose knot
at its lower end and as the descending
nuns hands struck this his fall was
checked and he hung at full length
from the tip OF the rope.
For moment he swayed there. half
dead with the nervous strain and ter
ribly shaken from it all. Then know
ing he must regain the length of the
rope quickly if nj all. he began jerk
ing and clutching rs he strove 10 raise
himself hand over hand to the edge
- tt4f ibthS ST tidH3 ittt dBONt- tftu
though he was from his efforts. the
knowledge that his life was hanging
by 4 hair gave him renewed strength.
and foot by foot he fought his way
upward. Already he had half regain
cd the lost ground when there appear
cd upon the scene a malignant force
which rendered all his tremendous eff
forts of the last several minutes worse
than wasted.
The Spider. running up to the spot,
east one glance at the PROSTATE form
of his confederate, then peered eau
tiously over the brink. Some yards
below he saw John fighting his way
desperately UP the larlat, and with Il
vicious curse the Spider arose Then
his eyes falling upon the thin frayed
strength of the rope which ran over
the edge, he placed his heel upon 1t
and ground it savagely. And beneath
that dastardly act It parted with a
twang and Davis with Il cry went
shooting down.
GND OF FIFTH EPISODE3