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

powerful as was John yet foot By foot
the senseless one was hauled aloft uns
til the fingers OF the reseueT sank In
his collar. Then bracing himself for
final EFFORT. Davis dragged him bodi-
4 Ii over the edge and stretch, him out
beyond the reach ~ danger Cutting
1 the rope free from the others .Iodx,
John tossed the loose end back ever
the edge then turned tn make closer
inspection OF the injured man. The
eyes of Morgan were closed. his cloth
Ing torn to rags and his checks lacer.
ated and bloody.
From distance the Spider who lad
witnessed 1t all. came running toward
the pnir AT top speed. Arriving within
haiiing distance he raised his voice
In d shout Hearing the voice Of the
approaching one and not knowing who
was coming or what new danger
threatened. John sprang 70 his feet md
made grab for HIS rifle. stone roll
Ing from beneath him at that moment.
ne lost his balance and went over the
cliff.
4 Instinctively his hand flew out, his
fingers clntehing the edge OF the clIffs
he hung suspended over the rocks far
below. Desperately he tried % ralse
i himself above the edge OF the elf and
4 might have succeeded had his hana-
hold not proven false. But as ne ele-
waited his head to d point whore ne.
could see over the top. the rock begun
~ = u. b{ss s,.s s. ,lssSt =, f.4ft
surely ne felt his fingers begin "a slip.
Realizing the folly Of attempting 70
draw himself further M With 50
treacherous hand hold to depend M
on. he agnin lowered himself 10 full
arms length and hung llrnpIg.
He turned hisl bend over his shnnI.
der and looked Below HIN was the
dizzy height through which re must
fall before be would land ganngied
mass upon tho granite teeth below.
Afar above him ia the sky dim specks
were circiing. and al shnsitlered ns 10
thought of himself lying beneath their
falons aud hea even Though death
md robbed hlr nf nli con ss.lensrsrss.
The thought gave him new strength,
Casting his eye little further aI0ng
I the edge ~ the cliff. re saw the rope
dangling over its edge where 10 had
careIessiy tossed II inter releasing
Morgafl's body from one emil The up
Der end was sfsII fastened to the roek
as II had been attached 81 the Spider
I when he lowered the Hawk over. and
could Ne reach II, frayed though IT
was. there was chance that Il would
support him and that hy means of 1t
/ he could hoist himself up over the up.
/ Slowly he began working himself side
ways toward II.
He reached Il and ciutched II with
| the grasp with which d drowning nun
rIIngs I'd d straw. lind ne been fresh
he would have been able to pull him-
self up without any particular diff
i cuIfy. but ne had been hanging 50 long
md so desperately To the edge Of the
rock with the tips of his fingers that
those members had become crnmped
and stidened. and Instead OF cintching
the swaying rope with a grip that
would sustain his weight they closed.
around II but loosely. Slowly, surely.
gaining speed with each Instant he be-
gan 10 slip down the rope down to-
Its lose swinging end from which he
must make his last drop to the rocks
upon which the vultures he had slain
now lay.
Faster and faster grew his descent
until the friction OF the rough fibre OF
which the rope was made scorched md
Y blistered his hands Yet mindless Of
! the pain Of II he chung on as best ne
could, knowing that the end was now
but d few seconds away And that he
| did not give way to despair and loosen
I HIS hold served for the moment to
save his life. for the rope IN falling
over the edge had formed loose knot
T at Its lower end. and as the descending
mans hands struck this his fall was
checked and he hung at full length
from the tip Of the rope.
For moment he swayed there, half
dead with the nervous strain and ter
ribly shaken from 1t all. Then know
Ing ne must regain the length Of the
rope quickly Ii at all, be began jerk
8 IaS A4iu ElWAGNAtlE AI skle AtEOFG ~ EAEpts
himself hnnd over hand TO the edge
Of the rocks 50 many feet above. Tired
though ne was from his efforts, the
knowledge that his life WINS hanging
By d hair gave him renewed strength,
and foot By foot he fought his way
upward Already he had half regain
ed the lost ground when theES appear
ed upon the scene malignant force
which rendered ali bis tremendous Ell
/ forts o4 the last several minutes worse
than wasted.
The Spider. running up to the spot,
cast one glance at the PROSTATE form
of his confederate, then peered eau
fiously oyer the brink Some yards
below he saw John fighting his way
desperately up the lariat, and with
i vicious curse the Spider arose. Then
his eyes falling upon the thin frayed
strength of the rope which ran over
/ the edge, he placed hIa heel upon It
and ground Il savageIy And beneath
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