The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-11-13
|, SMASHING
BARRIER"
I'd EPISODE
"The Plunge of Death"

Just beforethes avalanche of logs,
loosened accidently by the lumber
jacks in their attemp to initiate Dick,
brushes the cabin in which he is
quartered, he seizes the first log that
comes down through the ceiling and
with great show of strength props it
against the side wall of the cabin and
crouches behind it, This presence of
mind, in providing himself with a
protective barrier, saves him from the
fall of logs that followed.
The lumberjacks rushed down the
cliff alarmed and sure that they will
find Dicks crushed body beneath the
logs. Dick raises the pile of logs
covering him and energies unframed
His great show of strength in push
ing the logs aside astounds the men
and delighted to see him safe they
cheer him and decide he has the nee
essary mettle.
Henry Manners arrives at the camp
and with the aid of few of their
henchmen, Bullhead and Virgins take
him prisoner and place him in a shack
far away in the hills, on the bank OF
mountain stream that flows past the
camp.
Dick, in the meantime has had
another narrow escape from death
He climbs a tree to tie rope in the
upper branches. The rotten base OF
the tree gave way and although the
lumberjacks strive to save him, the
tree falls across a chasm, throwing
Dick down into a swift mountain
stream. He is rescued by Long Tom
who has come to admire Dick greatly
because of his strength and manly
qualities.
Laer Dick is called upon to put
his skill in various contests with the
lumberjacks. He matches all of then
stunts and they try one at which they
wager he will fail. One of the men
an expert axe-man, places a potato
on Dicks open hand and cuts it il
two with a sweep of the razor-edget
woodmen's axe, without injurinl
Dicks hand. Dick startles them by
performing the same trick with {
potato placed on one of the mems
neck. Another encounter with Bull
head results from this show of hi
skill. He further demonstrates what
he can do by defeating Bullhead Will
the axe and then he display wonder
full ability with the revolver. Bull
head and he gave shooting contes
in which Dick again bests the fore
man. Although he covers it with ;
grin, Bullhead comes to hate Dicl
more than ever.
A holiday at the camp finds Dicl
fishing along the nearby stream. IL
the meantime Manners has been Ian
gushing in the deserted shack ant
Stubbornly refusing to sign over tn,
rights of the lumber camp to Wig
gins and Bulger. In his despair h
writes a message, ties it in water
proof paper of his own making anC
attaching it to small log, throws i
out the window of his shack into the
stream below. The letter is address
sed to Manners attorney in New
York. Dick, while fishing, notices tht
message tied to the log as it goe:
floating past him. He catches i
with his fishing line and reads the in
structions to mail it. He hurries tc
town on horseback to catch the mai
train. Bullhead learns of the mes
sage and Dicks intentions and trie.
in vain to intercept the letter.
Manners attorney receives the let
ter and infroms Bella of her father
predicament. She sells her jewel!
and heads West to rescue him. A
dam along the route and near the
camp, overflows and Dick, discovering
it, rides to stop the train, but it is
too late. The train plunges through
IA trestle weakened by the flood. Bella
is in one of the cars when it goes
down into the torrent.
Continued next week)