Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-08-26
EPISODE il.
THE HUT or DISASTER


John and Ethel. having been con-
fined tn The little shack, the structure
Was shpn conveyed Into the swollen
mountain stream hy tho eight rufEians
employed hy Morgan md the Spider,
end there turned loose Immediately
It waa seized BY the angry tide and
I borne away. Locked Inside, the two
victims found the water squirting
through the walls md floor while MIN
ute by minute the hut sank deeper.
They COON found themselves upon the
verge of being drowned Ike rats In d
trap. Though John hal managed to
burst the window open, the aperture
was t00 small To admit their bodies.
Their nniy hope OF escape. therefore.
Iay through tic door which hads been
secured from the outside 50 firmly TINT
Ne wns unable 10 force the latch. Us.
lf1g the butt Of his gun as b hamnler, ne
welded ii IN. vigorously that he at last
beat iii part III the upper hplf Of 1t,
Only III find Ii Yedged beyond the pos
slsliHty of opening. With the water
already risen to their waists, he turned
his eyes to tho roof.
The covering Of the amir was ef
tight stuff, loosely nailed and careless
~ weather stripped. Could he have
reached 1t he easily might hive forced
tlla way through. hut with nothing In
the room upon which he might stand
such action WIS out of the question.
But one hope remained. Quickly ex-
plalning to the girl whit was necess
Anry, he give her the gun and halsted
her upon his shoulder. Desperately
she set to work.
She thrust the steel barrel Of the
weapon through chance opening
which aile encountered, and steadled
Nv the man below and using OH her
aIrengsr she managed To pry one Of
TIE boards short distance from It's
fellow. With this advantage gained
her work became fnster. Knowing TINT
their lives were lit stake she worked
eurlously and TO such good result that
she soon loosened Il board wide enough
Il, admit the passage of her body. THIS
done she crawled through and seated
berself upon the ridge pole, md the
man, leaning up md grasI,ing the
side Of the opening, quickly hauled
himself to her side. For the moment
they were safe, though the problem Of
Tier ultimate salvation remained still
10 be solved.
Looking across the angry water.
John pointed ahend ia where hIg tree
extended its limb far over the tide. He
turned 10 the girl.
There's nm eddy right under Tint
tree. Ii We can rot this craft Into.
Tint, we may be able to make the
limb seizfng the board which had
been prIetl from the roof, he began
gsatstiling and steering the unwieldy
bnik III the direction desired. Nearer
aud nearer the limb 1t swung. until
IS the moment ripened John placed
himself nstridc the ridge pole and lift
ed the girl In the air. ~ that instant
the house caught In the eddy and be-
mn 10 swing. and as 1t did so the man
lifted his burdetn 10 the supporting
branch. ethel, grasping the saving OBJ
feet frTtly. erlseonced herself Ia safety
Is the man arose for the lenp titat
would land him at her side. IS he
eprang, however; the treacherous foot
sng beneath him gave 4 sWerve and
missing his mnrk. he shot downsyaaa
BIS head striking the side Of the hut
and half stunning him as he plunged.
tnfo the torrent.
Seeing this from the bongh np0n.
which she sat, Ethel sat gazing With
helpless horror as the body at her
sOver was swept away.
By the dim light OF morning Morgan
and the Spider, watching the shack
ca its wild course down the stream,
saw two figures emerge from Its int
ssor and seat themselves upon the roof.
ghe Hawk faced his companion with
crest disgust
They've got out OF the box. Spider,
4ou and the mine boss ana Blackie
come with mo. The rest ef yan fel.
aows so back Id your blankets md say
Aofhlng. Ton don't need to remember
about This when you Get Nh. II was
anly dreamy
Followed hy the two men ne had
chosen Morgan started rapidly or to.
ard bend AZ which he could inter.
sept the floating hut Ethel from her
eereh saw their approach. and sliding
{ SO the ground fastened to meet them.
Together they all sel sut at full speed
SOr the bead. reaching II a few minutes
snter
The house. lodged against rock 10
ne foaming pass. was at sSanastill.
sad John, who had been dashed
against IL had managed TO grasp the
caves and pull himself once more to
- reOf where ne now lny gasping.
d1 soon have him eff. an right, :
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