The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1919-08-15
EPISODE q.
SYNOPSIS.

and joint guardians of his adopted daugh-
ter Ethel, quarrel over the disposition of
tho profits of the mine. Morgan, unsus-
pected by Davis makes several unsuc-
cessful attempts on the life of the latter,
diverting suspicion to mysterious her.
nit Morgan summons villainous ac-
complice named Spider Bellas. Several of
their attempts to kill Davis, so that
Morgan can get the gold and the girl, are
miraculously frustrated by mysterious
hermit. Davis is bound to the traveller
of a saw used for cutting logs.
Bound to the traveller of the saw
mill and being slowly but surely con-
veyed against the whining buzz saw,
knowing that few seconds more must
find his body being severed by the
Jagged teeth, John Davis fought
against terrible death with all the des-
peration of a powerful and courageous
man. Had the fate which stared him
in the face been clean death at the
muzzle of a gun. or through fall over
a cliff, he might have resigned himself
to it and died then and there. But the
thought of being torn in two by the
steel teeth of this whirling monster
aroused him as nothing in his life
had ever done before. Beneath his
clothes his muscles swelled like whip
cords as he summoned every inch of
his splendid strength into the battle
for life.
The saw was but foot from his
body 1t would strike him at the
breast, pass through him as through
piece Of deadwood; leave him severed
in halves. Through his mind flashed
the vision of Ethel finding him thus
Ethel, the woman he loved! God He
could not endure the thought. He shut
his eyes and released his concentrated
strength as a steel spring unbends.
Before that terrific effort the cord
that had bound his right arm snapped
like a rubber band and the arm was
free. Quick as thought he threw out
his hand and braced it against the
beam running across the mill above
the whirling blade. Then stiffening his
arm until it became as a bar of iron
he pitted his strength against that of
the traveller.
Had it been a large mill designed
for the handling of heavy timber no
mans strength could have resisted 1t.
But fortunately for the victim of Nor
gan's treachery, when old John Carr,
the pioneer, had constructed it he had
Duiiutu ODly Will Tie Thought Ol SdW-
ing the lighter stuff that grew upon
the mountains. Furthermore the belt
which drove the traveller had gone
slack with age and no longer gripped
the pulley with its former tenacity.
By titanic effort of which few men
would have been capable, the desper-
ate one upon the conveyor so braced
himself between his lashings and the
beam that had his arm been a crowbar
it would have been scarcely less bend
able. For an instant the issue of bat
tie between man and machine hung In
doubt, then thanks to the loosened
gripping power of the ancient belt it
began slipping around the driving pull
ley and the movement of the traveller
ceased. Yet the instant the strength
of the man should give way the spin
ming belt would again assert itself
and the battle would have been useless.
The flashing teeth would bury them
selves in the helpless body and the end
would quickly come. Nor for long
could any man, matterleSs how power
full, hope to hold his own against the
tirelessness of the machine. And even
now John could feel his strength be-
ginning to run from him as sands
stream from an hourglass.
Within the cabin Ethel glanced at
her watch, then turned to Rainface.
"Mr. Davis promised to be back within
half an hour. More than that length
of time has already passed, and still
no signs of him. With so many strange
things happening l am becoming ner-
vous. Suppose we go and find him."
Silently the old Indian arose and
followed her into the open air.
A short distance up the trail the
girl whirled upon her follower.
listen. 1 hear the hum of the
sawmill. What business has 1t to be
running?"
bad medicine" murmured the old
man. 1--WE better hurry heap fast"
Without stopping for further words
they broke into a run in the direction
of the sound, the girl in the lead.
A minute later she burst open the
door of the mill and stood as one
transfxed. Before her lay John Davis,
bound upon the traveller, his neck mus
cles swollen from the frightfulness of
his exertion; his arm still holding the
saw at bay but beginning to tremble
as wind thrummed reed. Unable to
speak, he turned his eyes toward her
In wild appeal for help.
The wordless call aroused her as
though it had been an electric shock.
In the wink of an eye she was herself
again with every muscle taut as
harpstring. Her glance flew over the
mechanism of the machine, and bend
ing she picked up wooden billet from
the floor. Leaping forward she thrust
1t between the lop of the belt, then
giving her lever a sudden twist she
threw the belt from the pulley. Re
heyed of the pull the traveller became
an inert thlag, and with a long, gasp
ing bEeees of exhaustion John let his
srra f&il- TIE d0nger was past, but so
narrow hSd been his escape that the