Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1919-07-24

! was IN HIS Arms.
the other side of the valley and rescue
the unfortunate who hung suspended
50 perilously above the rocks that lay
at the foot Of the cliff.
1t so happened that the land lay Ia
a conformation which enabled John to
reach the spot desired by making a
comparatively short turn around u
ridge which circled the end Of the
valley like the rim of a bowl. Several
minutes of fast travelling brought him
TO a point above which the form of
Morgan hung suspended. and throwing
his rife aside John Frustrated himself
upon his stomach and peered down at
the hanging one. The sight that met
his gaze made him SILVER with horror.
one side of Morgan's face was torn
and bloodcovered where the foul
brutes of the air had plucked at him
his head hung limp and he had tainted
through sheer terror at thought of be-
ing torn to pieces while alive. Cunning
though he and the Spider were, they
had failed to take into account the
fierce winged creatures who inhabit
the mountain tops, and the farce had
become a near tragedy.
AS his gaze ran down the lariat upon
which his cousins weight was suspend
ed, another thrill ran through the bo-
som of Davis. Just below the edge Of
the cliff a sharp fragment Of rock jut-
ted, and against this the rope, sawed
back and forth by the convulsiye jerks
of Morgan's body as he had tried to
escape his assailants, had become fray
ed so that but a few thin strands still
remained intact, 1t took but a glance
TO show that another convulsive move
ment of the suspended one would cause
them TO part, and seiZing the lariat
firmly just below the abraided portion,
Ohm began to haul the other upward.
1t was severe work even for a man as
powerful as was John, yet foot by foot
the SenseleSs one was hauled aloft I'M
III the fingers of the rescuer sank in
collar. Then bracing himself for
final effort, Davis dragged him bodi-
ly over the edge and stretched him out
beyond the reach Of danger. Cutting
the rope free from the others body,
tossed the loose end back over
the edge, then turned TO make a closer
inspection of the injured man. The
eyes of Morgan were closed, his cloth
Ing torn to rags and his cheeks LAGER
ated and bloody.
From u distance the Spider, who had
witnessed ii all, came running toward
the pair at top speed. Arriving within
distance he raised his voice
In a shout. Hearing the voice of the
approaching one and not knowing who
was coming or what new danger
threatened, John sprang to his feet and
made a grab for his rifle. A stone roll
ing from beneath him 1t that moment.
he lost his balance and went over the
cliff.
InStinctively his hand few out. his
clutching the edge of the cliff,
ne hung suspended over the rocks far
below. Desperately he tried to raise
himself above the edge of the cliff and
have succeeded had his hand
hold not proven false. But as he ele-
his head to a point where he
see over the topk the rock began
10 crumble IN his grasp and slowly but
surely he felt his fingers begin to slip,
Realizing the folly of attempting to
draw himself further up with so
I%reacherous a hand hold to depend up
IN, he again lowered himself to full
arms length and hung Imply. ,
He turned his head over his shoul- |
der and looked. Below him was the |
dizzy height through which he must
fall before he would land Il mangled
upon the granite teeth below. |
Afar above him in the sky dim specks
circling. and he shuddered as he |
of himself lying beneath their
and beaks., ever though death
had robbed him of all consciousness. |
The thought gave him new strength.
Casting his eye Il little further along
the edge Of the cliff, he saw the rope
dangling over its edge where he had
carelessly tossed 1t after releasing
Morgan's body from one end. The up
per end was still fastened to the rock
AZ II had been attached by the Spider
he lowered the Hawk over, and
could he reach IL, frayed though 1t
vas, there was "a chance that 1t would
him and that by means Of II
ne could hoist himself up over the lip
he began working himself side
ways toward II.
He reached il and ciutched It with
he grasp with which a drowning man
'lings to a straw. Had he been fresh
would have been able to pull him
self up without any particular diff
bur he had been hanging so long
md so desperately to the edge of the
'ock with the tips of his fingers that
hose members had become cramped
md stiffened, and instead of clutching
he swaying rope with a grip that
you'd sustain his weight they closed
s~~-H