South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-12-22

Continued From Our East Issue)
Your gun - empty. Beatrice" he
told her quietly. He heard her sob.
ana re smiled little. reassuringiy.
Never Ef.nd-and pray FOR good
voyage" he advised. Were going
through"
The craft and is occupants were
out o; sight by the tins JefSery Neil
son reached the river bank with his
rlne.
lie made his way fast as he could
toward the claim. Sensing the Oh
mans dStress Ray Strengthened
from his work az the sight OF him.
The face before him ives drawn
and white: but there was no time
for questions. Hard hands seized
his arm.
RAY. do you know OF a canoe
anywhere-uD or down this river?"
40! There Isn't one that you
could even dream about shooting
those rapids Ia. Tell me what's the
matter Has Beatrice"
Beatrice has gone down. that's
all
You don't mean-sse's run
awayg"
Don't be a fool. The prospector
I told you about-Darby-was the
a mans partner. He's paying us
Jack. Ray. I wish to God had died
before I ever saw this day"
Ray stared bCankly "Then he
found out--about the murder" he
gasped.
Yes. Here's his letter.
Ray read the letter carefully.
crumpling It at last in savage wrath.
lie can't do much II the claims
recorded i'm our names."
He can make us plenty OF
trouble. II you want the girl Ray
don't lose a minute. Put your things
together as fast as you can"
They crossed the divide thus
reaching the headwaters OF Poor
Mans Creek: then took the tran
down toward the settlements. But
the two claim jumpers had not yet
learned all the days i'll news. Half
way 10 the mouth Of the stream they
net Chan Hemiuway on his way
back 20 the claim.
At the first sight OF him. they
could hardly believe their eyes. 1t
was not 10 be credited that ne had
made the trip TO Bradleyburg ana
back IN the few days he had been
absent.
What IN the devil YOU coming
back for?" Ray shouted, when
CHAINS identity became certain.
Because the claims recorded.
that's why. Before old Hiram died
no wrote a letter 20 an official in
Bradleyburg and IN Il was a de-
fornalities was necessary was cut
out because the old man had been
too sick TO make tho trlp-the re-
>porder got special pcUmission from
rhetoric.
you see what that means. don't
you?" he asked Nelson.
'Tt means we've lost"
The eyes before him narrowed and
cleaned. so that's what If means
Ito you! Wen, I don't look at it just
that way It means TO me that we've
got to take these supplies and these
pack horses and start out and find
Ben Darby"
"Of course we've got to rescue
Beatrice
"Rescuing Beatrice lent all Of Il
now. by a long shot Didn't old Hi
ram leave a viii. giving this claim
10 his brother Ezra? And hasn't this
Ben got a letter from Ezra leaving
the claim 20 him."
you mean we've got 10 find him? ,"
We've got to; that's all"
Nelson breathed heavily. It's all
plain enough"
Beatrice Nelson was a mountain
girl. with the strong thews of Jael,
vet she hid her face as the canoe
shot into the crests Of the rapids.
The wolf crouChed on the heap OF
suppiesA fearful 10 ;he depths Of his
wild heart OF Ibis mighty stream,
Yet still putting his faith IN his mas
ter in the stern.
a sudden movement on the part
OF Beatrice. I'm the bow OF the canoe,
caught Beu's eye. She had leaned
forward and was reaching among
the supplies She lifted into her
Ahauds a paper parcel the same she
had brought from her cabin early
that morning.
His heart leaped. why ne did not
know. What - it," he asked.
BEN called YOU that yesterday
and there's no use Eoing back 20
last names now-Tve made an inn
pOrtant decision"
II hope lis happy one he
ventured
les as happy as IL can be, under
the circumstances. Ben, L came OF
a line OF frontersmen-the forest
people-aud IL the woods teach one
thing IL is TO make the best Of any
bad situation"
As she talked she was slowly un-
wrapping the little parcel she had
brought. Presently she held it on.
20 him.
IL was just n box OF homemade
candy that she had drought for their
DAYS picnic. But 70 was a peace
Offering not 20 be despl sed.
CHAPTER NJ
'Yhe Forest Stronghold.
When the swir..nE waters carried
the canoe down into the gorge OF
the Yuga both Ben and Beatrice
we're instinctively awed and stiIed
Ever the walls or the gorge grew
more steep. until the sunlight was
cut of and they rode "a II i'm tw--
light
in mid-aftenoon Ben began %
think OF making his nights camp.
In one OF the more quiet stretches
OF water he saw the place-a small