Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-06-24

the spider reply. A n gef8nE uneasy
! about him. The Hermit may have
taken shot III him. Anxiety lest bis
reinark had caused the other man 50
ret into trouble. John reached Tor bis
rife.
stay here and entertain Ethel for q
while. III take peek around and see
] II can locate him. But the Spider
would have none OF t.
II Won't let sou 80 alone. We Will
inst have d look into Sweefwaier VII
ley. You 80 around the mountain md
meet me below With this understands
Ing they hastily parted.
John. coming 10 the top Of the hare
iIll overlooking the valley on theen-
posite side Of which Morgan was left
suspended to the cliff By his confed
crate. paused to scan the broad scene.
AS he did So the shadow OF b great
bird fell eft his feet. and gaxing into
the sky he saw dozen mountain lIl-
lures wheeling and sweeping fnthe
mir, their course ever narrowing tosthe
1 fur side og the valley. And as he laok-s
ed and wondered what prey they 81 p,
an object met his eyes that nude liIn
utter q gasp Of horror For suspended
] against the face Of the opposite 81 IL,
/ dangling III the air like d spider ppon
his thread, was the body Of man
about which the wolves uf the nir ssere
rapidly gathering. And even ass be
/ looked he saw one Of the vurac50us
.reaturSs swoop upon the defenseless
one with curved beak drawn md great
claws curved.
stopping to witness no more sank
upon one knee and leveled his fitie.
III was long shot and quick one
shot which might only be attempted
with hope Of success by mn expert
rifleman. vet at the crack of the yseaIa-
ON the wings Of the attacking creature
suddenly collapsed and the dark body
with It's white trimmed wings went
plunging downward like pIuynnet
ii the rocks below. A second shot
quickly followed with second great
| bird falling IT'S had the first and the
remainder IF the circling crew. fgsght-
sned by tho fate which had heSa1len
their fellows. withdrew ID rania up
ward splrais until they became mere
specks ID The clear sky
Arising to his feet John stood gazing
/ In the clear slsy.
Il wonder who on earth ne can ne n
/ he muftered Then seeing that the
danger was pass and the birds had
been frightened into the reaches ef the
sky. he threw the gun over his shoulder
and started On brisk run To reach
the otiar side Of the valley and rescue
/ the unfortunate who hung suspended
so periIousiy aboye the rocks that Ing
at the foot of the cliff.
II ID happened that che land by IN
q conformation which enabled John to
reach the spot desired hy mixing
comparatively short turn around
ridge which cIrcled the end &c the
valley like the rim of bowl several
minutes of fast travelling brought him
I To q point above which the fosIn OF
Morgan hung suspended. and throwing
his rifle aside John progtrated himself
upon his stomach and peered a0gn ct
I the hanging one. The sight tEtat met
/ his gaze made him sfiver with n0rror.
one side OF MQrgan's face WIS torn
and bloodeoyered where the foul
brptes of the air had plucked as him;
his head hung limp and he had fainted
through Seer terror ait thougitSof be-
ing torn to pieces while alive. aiming
though he and the Spider wez.6 they
had failed to take into accoE the
fierce winged creatures who's Ahnbit
the mountain tops, and the fsfse had
become d near tragedy.
AS his gaze ran down the lalak upon
which his cousin saNeight was spend
ed. another thrill ran through 1he bo-
som Of Davis. Just below thV dye Of
the cliff sharp fragment OF lsk jut-
ted, and against this the rofs sawed
hack and forth BY the conynl R jerks
Of Morgan's body dis he had xied to
escape his assailants. had becgane fray
ed SO that but a few thin strs1as still
remained intact II took but glance
to show that another convuisa move
ment Of the suspended one VOC 81 cause
them to part. and seizing larfat
firmly just below the abraides portion.
John began to haul the othef Upward.