Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-02-15
CHAPTER XII.

It was afternoon by the time Ethel
was ready to start on her ride. Out
wardly cheerful, she left the woundeo
man.
IF It's only I'VE miles," she said. an
be back with a car in two hours"
'You-you needn't come back" pro-
| tested Smell. 81 expect it's a hard road
with a machine. Here-you'n be need
ing money"
/ Painfully he dug at hidden belt and
pulled Out a sheaf Of currency.
( You'll be wanting to wire-your-
your folks"
1t was not until Ethel was well away
from the clearing on a short cut to the
canyon head that the big difficulty oc-
Cured to her. Unless she were to de-
nounce Smell as a kidnaper, how was she
to explain the situation to those who
would aid her In getting the wounded
man out?
And that thought brought another. She
( drew up her horse with a jerk. her face
going white, her eyes Wide with appre-
tension.
The note she had left In the road
What If 1t should be found now, and
rescuing party Of primitive mountain
I GERS should pounce upon the helpless
Snen1
she pulled her horses head around and
hurried toward the cottage on the road.
Her mind was full OF fearful possibilities.
Stories Of mountain lynchings flashed in
distorted pictures before her mental
vision
But as she approached the little cot
tage she breathed easier. or course no
one had entered the valley during the
storm. She would destroy the note and
no one would guess that she had been
a prisoner.
She rode out OF the timber in the rear
of the cottage. She hummed In her re-
| lief as she rounded the corner Of the
cottage. Then she gave a startled cry
and jerked ct the reins.
A mud-splttered automobile stood in
front Of the cottage. Two oldish men In
drab trousers and high boots were stand
Ing beside the obstruction in the road.
evidently discussing the note. One OF the
men caught sight Of Ethel.
That's her now" he exclaimed. "She
must have made a getaway"
Ethel's mind raced through weird OBJ
structlons such as pictured rOpe-nooses
and threatening guns welded by grim
faced men. And through the centuries
Of frantic cropping for a way out she was
never once free from the dancing picture
of a wounded man stretched helplessly
upon a bed calmly smoking a black pipe.
The comradely, trusting grin upon that
visualized face finally drove Ethel to a
terrified resolve. She must save Smell!
"Ohl" she cried falling awkwardly
from her horse and running to meet the
men. Take me homel oh, I've had
q terrible timel"
TITS all right" soothed the big,
sandy haired man who seemed to be
the leader You're safe now. But"
Ethel caught the grim change in his
voice-"Wh the party-that-" he
dropped his hard eyes to the note he
still held
"Oh. he-he's gonel" Ethel tried to
stiu the terrified beating Of her heart
She must think-think HE left just be-
fore the storm. II don't think he in
tended to come back!"
But who was he? Where did he head
for2 How"
law, cut that, Jack" put In his COM
panion. Cant you see she's all in. Let's
get her to town"
THAT'S right" agreed the big leader
and assisted the girl to the car ats
come up to see if the storm left any trees
across the road. You're all safe now"
Half an hour later Ethel found her
self in the little railroad town of Walker
City. During the ride she had forced her
mind to plan-and she was ready.
81 must send a telegram first" she
said "My father"
They drove directly to the railway sta
ton where Ethel wrote out a message to
her father. With an uneasy fear she ad-