San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-22

Ned Cornct, Lenore Hardenwortl
and 'Bess Gilbert are shipwrecl;ed
Ned is engaged TO marry Lenore
The three take refuge on an island
they find Occupied solely by man
named Doomsdorf and his Indian
wife.
Doomsdorf turns out to be brute
and takes Ned and the two gas
prisoners. He tells them shat theg
are to be his slaves. Lenore is
spared hard labor, but Bess and Ned
are driven by their master until
they fall unconscious.
The prisoners build a cabin for
themselves and. after it is finished,
Doomsdorf tells Bess and Ned that
he means to have them do all his
winter trapping. Lenore is allowed
to remain with the squaw to help
with the homework. Ned falls into
n deep crevice and expects to die. Now
go on with the story.
He did not hear it again; but the
truth went home to him in one de-
spairing instant. Try as hard as he
could, his jaws had released their
hold upon the knife. and it had fall
len into the depths of the crevice be-
low.
XIV.
Bess had made good time along her
line that. day. She had not forgotten
that this was the day of her rendcz-
vous with Ned. and by walking swiftly.
eschewing even short rests, carrying
her larger trophies into the cabin to
skin them out over a fire. she arrived
Mt the FORKS hut at midafternoon. She
began at once to make preparations
for Ned's coming.
She built roaring fire in the little,
rusted stove, knowing well the bless
ing it would be TO the tired trapper,
coming in with his load of furs. She
started supper so that the hot meal
would be ready upon his arrivel. Then
she began to watch the hillside for
his coming.
On the glare ice Of the glacier. a
mile straight up the ridge from the
cabin, she saw the figure of man.
1t was Ned. of course, taking the
rerilous path over the ice. instead of
keeping TO the blazed trail of his
trap line. On the slight downward
slope toward her. clearly outlined
against the white ice, she could see
every step he took.
He was walking boldly over the
CLASSY surface. Didn't he l1now its
terrors. the danger of slipping on
the icy shelves and falling TO his
death. the deep crevice stunned by
the wild creatures? She watched
every step with anxious gaze. When
lie was almost to safety she saw him
stop, draw back few PAGES. and
then come forward at a leaping pace.
What happened thereafter came
too fast for her eyes to follow One
instant she saw his form distinctly
as he ran. The next. and the ice lay
white and bare in the wan light. and
Ned had disappeared as if by magi-
clans magic.
For one moment she gazed in
growing horror. There was 10 ice
prOmontory behind which he was
hidden. nor did he reappear again.
And pcering closely. she made out
faint. dark line, like pencil mark
on the ice, just where Ned had dis
appeared
She turned into the cabin. bent, and
added fresh fuel TO the stove. Its
heat scorchcd her face. and she put
up her hand TO shield it. The cabin
should be warm, when she brought
Ned home. She mustn't let the cold
creep in. She must not forget the
cold. always watching for every little
opening. Perhaps he would want
food. too: she glanced into the iron
not on the stove. Then. acting more
by instinct than by conscious
thought. she beam to look about for
such tools rs she would need in the
work OF follow.
There was niece Of rope. used
once on n hand sled. hanging on the
wall: but it was only about eight feet
in length. Surely il was not long
enough 70 aid her. yet it was oil she
had. Next. she removed a blanket
from her COT and threw it Owe hc"
shoulder. Thnre might he need Of
this. too-further protection against
the cold
Heretofore she had moved slowly.