The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1919-08-08

tors of the estate of John Carr, miner,
and joint guardians of his adopted daugh-
ter, Ethel, quarrel over the disposition of
the profits of the mine. Morgan secretly
makes several unsuccessful attempts on
the life of Davis in one of which the lat
ter is rescued by a mysterious hermit.
Morgan summons a villainous accomplice
named Spider Bellas and they plot to kill
Davis.
John Davis, tricked into crossing
the log which had been nearly sawed
In two by the would-be murderer,
Hawk Morgan, made wild sideways
leap as the trunk gave way beneath
his weight. Landing in the branches
of a nearby tree he went crashing
through them until by good fortune
he managed to hook one arm over a
slender bough and stay his descent.
From this he hung for moment, then
as he felt his strength come back he
reached up and grasped the limb with
his other hand. Hawk, seeing that
his intended victim was about to save
himself drew his weapon and fired.
The bullet half severed the limb which
gave away, and John again plunged
downward.
Had it not been that there were a
number of fir and cedar trees pro-
jecting from the side of the steep in
cline, Davis certainly must have ended
up dead man. AS 1t was, however,
their tops through which he fell while
not rugged enough to tear him limb
from limb checked his fall greatly,
IL. {pto -
snow which had avalanched down from
the ridge. Here he lay motionless, al
most completely buried one arm thrust
above the surface.
From the brink of the canyon side,
Morgan. the arch conspirator, peered
as the other man went crashing down
in his long fall. A wolf-like smile
spread the watchers face.
He's gone to glory this time, all
right, and the girl and mine will even
tually all belong to me-"
On the other side of the gap from
which Spider Bellas had been hurled
by John when the former tried to kill
him, the Spider arose from the little
ledge upon which he had fallen. little
me WoISt LOT tilt bdtilt ne ndu Deeu
engaged in. Limping slightly and ours
ing beneath his breath he started to
cross the ravine lower down. The
noise of Davis falling body made him
turn his head, and for an instant he
saw the other in mad flight. From
where he stood he was unable to SEE
The termination of the fall, but upoI
the opposite side of the brink he saw
the figure of his confederate. the
Hawk. and waved him a salutaton o
triumph over the success of their plan
This done the Spider resumed hi
way, his intention being to Join th'
Hawi upon the other side.
Mcogan. seeing his victim end up
motltnless body at the bottom of til
can.on, set about obliterating al
tra res of the fact that he had bee
tanpering with the fallen trunk of tn
pae, whereupon he began to retrac
the trail leading to the cabin. Ethe
neeing him approach, opened the doc
end came forth to greet him Hastil
the Hawk told her of the accident I
John. the breaking of the tree beneat
1im and his fall TO death. White g
face the girl paused only long enoug
10 throw on a heavy wrap, and closel
followed by Rainface they retrace
their steps to the scene of the TRACED,
The Indian. following with ropes an
blankets, met the Spider and was tol
who he was, whereupon that rasct
reiterated the story of Morgan and tn
four FASTENED on to their grewsom
task of rescuing the body.
While this had been happening tn
Hermit of the Mountain, fur dresse
and on hunting trip, CHANGING to pas
along the bottom of the canyon, saw
gun and cap lying upon the snow. Il
stantly his keen eyes swept the sic
of the descent, noting the broken tire
tops through which John had crashe
Realizing that someone had falle
through them he began casting abou
q moment later discovering the ou
standing arm Of the snow-buried on
Bending over him and finding hi
senseless. the old Hermit quickly e,
amine6 the body for signs of lif
Finding them, he Strengthened up an
looked around.
Above him some twenty feet was
ledge of rock from which a bowd,
projected, and unwinding his lari,
from his body he made cast that Sc
tied the moose around the bowlde
Then fastening the loose end of tt
rope about the senseless form, he a
cended the lasso hand over hand unit
he stood upon the ledge. This done,
was but the work of couple of mil
utes for him to hoist the recumber
hgure to his perch Next he raise
the form of Davis to his shoulder an
bore him away. having left no clu
behind him on the snow as to how h
had vanished with the unconsciou
man he had found
The rescue party finding the plac
where Davis had fallen saw the mark
in the snow where someone had AZ
preached him, but no trail leadin
avs" from the spot. SO far as the