The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-01-29
THE SKYLINE
OF SPRUCE
BY EDISON MARSHALL
Copyright. 1894 little, Brown Company

but Ben recognized u In a fash. In
some great trouble and horror. In the
sullen light OF that distant camp fire,
Beatrice had screamed for aid
Only by the grace OF the Red Gods
had he heard tina, sound At ell Ex-
oept for the fac, that the half-mile
intervening was M utill as death, and
thar half the way the sound sped
over the water. he couldn't have
hoped To perceive H. n the wind had
blown slse~ here than straight toward
him from the enemy camp. or II his
marvellous sonsc Of hearing had been
less acute. the result would have been
the same. and there could have been
no answer from this dark man nj the
cave mouth who stood 30 tense and
sim, Finally. by instinct as much a.
by conscious Intelligence. he identi-
ned the sound. marked II As 4 reality
rather than a fancy. Rne read ne
tragic need behind ~ Swiftiy hc
started down the glade toward her.
Yet In a moment he knew that un
less he conserved his strength he
could not hope 10 make fourth OF
the distance. AZ the first steps he
swayed. half staggering. lie had paid
tho price for his weeks OF illness and
his injuries II he had been In
dck room. under physlcian's care
he would have believed II impossible
20 walk unsupported across the room
But need L. the mother OF strength
and this was the test Besides. ne
had had several days OF convaies-
cenee that had put back into his
sinews a measure OF his mighty
strength. Mostly he progressed by
holding on 20 the trees. pulling hlm-
SELF forward step By step.
Likely he would come too late 70
change the girls fate. Yet even now
ne knew he mus; not turn hack "
the penalty were death. there musS
be no hesiiancy In him: he must not
withhold one step,
But !, was a losing fight The hin
itself seemed endless: a hundred cruel
yards OF uIarsh must be traversed
before ever be reached She nearest
point by the lake. The enemy camp
from where Beatrice bad called 10
him lay on the far ode OF the lake. a
distance OF a full mile " he followed
around the curving shore. And black
and bitter sclf-hatred swept like fire
thru him when he realized tina; he
could not possibly keep on his feet
for 20 tong way.
Was this all ho had Tough, for
surging upward thru these long.
weary ~ee1s out Of the shadow OF
seath--only 20 fall dead on the trail
In tho moment OF Beatrice's need7
instantly he knew that nothing In his
life, no other desire or dream. had
ever meant as much TO him a. this;
that he might reach her ode In tina
Even his desire for vengeance. In
that twilight madness. like Roiand's.
that had shaped his destiny. had been
waverinK and frchie compared 20 this.
And no moment OF hss existence had
ever been 30 dark. 10 bereft Of The last,
dim star Of hope that lights mems
gay In tho deep night Of despair.
He CAV. no thought 10 the fact Of
his own heiplcssness against three
armed men In case he did ruccoed
in reaching their camp. The point
could not possibly be considered The
imperious instincts that forced him
on simply could not take II into
reckoning. He knew only he must
reach her side and put In her Serv-
icS all that he had.
He fell aE1in and again a. 10 tried
to make headwRy in tho marsh. But
always hn forced himself up and on.
Only too plain he saw that the Tins
was even now upon him when no
coaEi 70 longer keep his feet at all.
But sin be plunged on. and with
tragicaliy slow aneroachmsnts the
shore line drew up 10 him.
But he could NOT 81 on. The fire
itself was hardly n quarter Of mile
distant. directly across tho lake. but
70 follow the long shore was mn in
superabie mile. Already his leg mus
cles we've failing him. refusing 10 re-
spond 10 the Impulse Of bis nerves.
Yet II might 10 that n ne could make
himself heard his enemies would
leave the girl for a moment. at least
--givb her an instant's rsspi,e--whiir
they came and dispatched his own
life. Whatever they were doing 10
her. there in that ring Of freight
might be stayed Cor a moment. 1T
least.
But at that instant he remembered
the canoe. He had always kept 1,
hidden In a little thlcket Of tail reeds
III only the girl had not removed i,
! from Ito place in his weeks OF dck-
nessl He plunged down into tho tor