The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-11-20
Motion Picture Stories and Gossip of the Studios
Smashing Barriers
THIRD EPISODE
'"0The Tree Hut OF Torture"

After the collapse of the trcstle and
the plunge of the train nto the flood,
Bella finds herself imprisoned in a
half-submerged car. Her foot has
been caught in an overturned seatand
the water is slowly rising Dick, on
trainment that girl is helpless and
threatened with drowning in one Of
the cars. He piungs in and swinls to
the wrecked train. Finding the car
where Bella is imprisoned, he breaks
a window and tries to release her.
The overturned seat pins her fast
however, and, with the water rapidly
rising, the situation becomes deseper-
ate. Dick dives and manages to free
her foot, also bringing up with him
her hand bag. He gets her ashore
safely.
Bella is taken to house nearby
and revived. Dick buys her some
clothing and hires horse for her. He
telephones the news of the wreck to
Bullhead and Virgins. They, know
ing that Bella was on the train, be-
lieve that she may have persisted.
Much to their surprise and chaglin,
Dick arrives at the lumber camp ac-
companied by Bella. She immediate
ly accuses Virgins and Bullhead OF
having spirited her father away. Both
Williams vigorously deny this. They
offer to help her and her father and
blame his disappearance on lumber
thieves.
Bella leaves for town but is way
laid on the lonely road by
Squinty. She makes a brave fight
against him, throwing powder in his
yes and threatening him with her re-
volver. She is finally overpowered
and imprisoned in the same log cab
in where they placed her father. be-
fore removing him to a deserted mine
shaft.
She comes across the diary her
father has written on the wall and
is more determined than ever to save
him. She tries to free herself by
hurling a hole in one end Of the cab
in and while doing SO sets fire to the
whole shack. An iron door bars her
way OF escape and she has given up
all hopes of saving hereslt, when
Dick, worried about her absence and
following her trail, appears on the
scene. At great peril to him1clG he
rushcs into the burning cabin and
pulls her, unconscious. tn 60 '~'
Back at the camp, Wiggi-5 and
Bulhead contrivc 10 maze Acr par
TALLY believe that Dick j resp, iblc
for her mishaps and the inpIsoning
of her father Her great admiration
for Dick cannot be smothered, how
ever That night Bella is lurcd from
her cabin by on of Bullhead's gang,
who pretcnds to be her friend and
promises to lead her to her father.
She is captured again and placed in q
tiny hut built high up in tree out
side the camp. She is made to write
note to her father
Dick misses Bella and finds a note
she has writt!l, Between the lines is
u message that tells him she is iii
paper scraps she has left hebind
Bullhcad and Virgins have order
ed their gang to bring Bella's father
within sight of the tree where she is
imprisoned. From a distant knoll he
is forced to watch the gang start to
cut down the tree on top of which
is held the prisoner. Their intentions
ire only to brighten Manners into
signing the lumber lands over to
hem. The Williams estimate thier
chopping badly and the rusc is about
to turn into a tragedy as the tree be-
gins to fall unexpectedly, Dick has
followed the trail and comes to the
spot in time to see the danger threat
ening Bella. He climbs tree along
side and he is close to the tree-hut
and Bella when it starts to fall. The
tree falls down, the Williams run from
the scene, and Bella is, apparently,
killed.