The Lamar register., 1923-02-21


himself to one last forlorn hn9e--t'ar
Mercedes could defend her n. 20
had gun. He doubted not ;'l all ''.lt
she would use it. But. rensmbnr.Hr
her terror of this savage. ne feared
for her Rojas reached the level uf
the ledge He halted. He crnuc}oj.
It was the act of "A panther. Nt"i-
festly he saw Mercedes within Iha
cave Then faint shots patfed the air,
broke In quick echo. Ro'a> wont
down as II struck by heavy bios.
He was hit But even as Gale yelled
in sheer madness the bandit leaut.I
erect He seemed too quick. too sup
pie to he badly wounded. SLIGHT
dark figure flashed out Of the cave
Mercedes, She backed against rhe
heard report But the handit
lunged at her. Mercedes ran. not To
fry to pass him. but straight for the
precipice. Her intention was plain.
But Roias outstrlpped her even as
she reached the verge Then pierc-
ing scream pealed across the crater
scream OF despair
Gale closed his eyes He could not
bear TO see more.
Thorne echoed Mercedes scream.
Gale looked round Just In time to lean
and catch the cavalryman as he stag
gered. apparently for the steep slope
And then. as Gale dragged him back.
both fell. Gale saved his friend. but
he plunged into choya. He drew
his hands away full OF the great glls-
tening cones OF thorns
"For Gods sake Gale, shoot
Shoot. XIII her! XIII herl
ran't--you-see- Rotas-"
Thorne tainted.
Gale. stunned for the instant stood
with uplifted hands. and gazed from
Thorne across the crater Rojas had
not killed Mercedes He was over
towering her His actions seemed
slow. wearing purposeful Hers were
violent Lake trapped she-wolf
Mercedes was fighting She tore
struggled. flung herself
Rojas' intention was terribly plain
In agony now. both mental and
physical. cold and si,ss and weak, Gale
gripped his rifle and aimed at the
struggling forms on the ledge. He
pulled the trigger. The bullet struck
mp a clond of red dust close to the
struggling couple Again Gale fired
hoping to hit Rolas. praying to kill
Mercedes The bullet struck high A
third fourth-ffth time the Rening-
ton spoi;r-ln vain The rifle fell from
C,iIe's rac;ed hands.
How horribly piain thar fiend's In
III.
hut rnuld not H.. prayed wildly for
q sudden blindness-to faint as Thorne
had tainted. But he was transfixed to
the spot with eyes that pierced the
red light
Mercedes was growing weaker.
seemed about to collapse.
'Oh, Jim Lash, are you deadT' cried
Gale. "Oh. Laddyi E. Oh, Yaqui !"
Suddenly dark form literally fell
down the wall behind the ledge where
Rojas fought the girl. 1t sank in a
heap. then bounded erect
'Yaquii" screamed Gale, and he
waived his bleeding hands till the
blood bespattered his face. Then he
choked Utterance became impossible,
The Indian bent over Rojas and
flung him against the wall. Mercedes.
sinking back. lay still. When Rojas
got up the Indian stood between him
and escape from the ledge. Rojas
backed the other way along the mar
rowing shelf OF lava. His manner
was abject, stupefied Slowly he
stepped backward.
IL was then that Gale caught the
white gleam of knife in Yaqui's
hand. Rojas turned and ran. Yaqui
followed slowly. His figure was dark
and menacing. But he was not in a
hurry, When he passed on the ledge
RoJas was edging farther and farther
along the wall. He was cling!ng now
to the lava, creeping inch by inch
Perhaps he had thought to work
around the tuttresS or climb over it.
Evidently he went as far as possible.
and there he clung, an unscalable
wall above, the abyss beneath
Tho II ba Van,I NJ