Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1923-05-03
Copyngbf 1929 By Sidney GoRins
Continued From Last Week
SYNOPSIS
CHAPTER XIV

as she had ever been yet when, after
overhearing from her coign of van
tage in the second floor window the
questions of the police, she saw them
start for the crag pits.
The only bright feature of the stu
alton, though not dazzllngly bright,
was that de Jussac was already on
his way, in the same direction. She
had seen him go, and guessed his
errand. Bertrand, at least, was an
ally.
"Td rather they got me than Billy I"
she said with a little sob.
The one obvious and reasonable
thing for Aimee to do, was to remain
where she was. To lie low, like Brer
Rabbit, and take no part in the COM
ing crisis. AS a natural consequence,
it was precisely the thing which her
mind refused to entertain. If Billy
was going to meet trouble, she deter
no knowing to what lengths he might
go, in his passion for self-sacrif1ce.
Ten minutes later Aimee was in the
bushy dip of ground leading into the
crag pits. The police were well ahead
of her, converging round the far end.
Aimee had taken some trouble to avoid
being seen by them. At the moment
she could not see them at all, and
took 1t for granted they could not see
her either.
Bending low and running between
the bushes, Aimee made for the en-
trance of the Sphinx's cave. It
seemed to her that must be where
Billy had gone. On arriving at tiIe
mouth, however, she discovered ner
mistake. Through a gap in the brusn-
wood she caught sight of Billy a con-
siderable distance farther along the
pits. And with him was de Jussac.
The police arrived almost immedi-
otely afterward. Aimee, %crouching be
hind the bushes, watched the meeting.
Her throat felt dry and hot, her
hands opened and shut nervously.
She hesitated, uncertain what to do.
Would Billy "get away with itT" A
CLEAN Of hope and confidence re-
turned. Billy had a wonderful knack
of getting away with things.
She saw the party disappear into
the cave nearest them; she witnessed
the emergence of Billy, and was aware
of a certain relief of tension when
the police returned and spoke with
him. Finally, wondering as she
watched, Aimee observed the arrival
Of the gate-saw the PROSTATE body
of Jake carried into the open. The
distance was considerable. But the
significance of hat pathetic figure on
the gate came home to her. Aimee
was not slow of comprehension. She
began to realize the meaning of 1t all.
The police had what they wanted.
The captive could be no other than
Jack the Climber himself. Billy had
"got away with it, with a vengeance.
Aimee was staring dumbly at the
group, when she heard a faint animal
like noise close beside her. She turned
sharply, to find that she was not
alone.
A woman, in a stained and ragged
d~ust-cloak, was crouching behind the
screen of brambles a few yards away.
She was young. and not Unlocking,
for the deathly pallor of her face
and the disorder of her hair. Indeed,
there was a wild gipsyish beauty
about her, that survived even the
hunted expression in her eyes.
She was staring through the bushes
at the distant group.
'They got him" she said in a
strangled whisper. She huddled her
self together trembling.
SAN they'll get me, too. Let 'em.
No good my runnin' for it.
81 dunno who you are y she NUT
tered. "What you dom here? Are
you goin' to gimme awayf"
Aimee did not move. Her heart
beat fast. But there was no menace
in the woman's eyes; only an express
sion so broken and piteous that some
how a lump came into Aimee's throat.
She had not the faintest doubt who
this hunted woman was.
"You know who l am" the woman
said thickly; II can see it In your
face" She came a step nearer. "Are
you goin' to call outT'
Aimee did not answer that question.
"Is he much hurtY' she said quietly,
looking towards the distant group
round the man on the gate.
"Hurt?" said Calamity Kate. He
smashed himself days ago, it was"
She had subsidized IN the sand, and
embraced her knees with her arms,
staring before her with unseeing eyes.
Il got him down here. Tried to help
him along-couldn't walk. Then I
had to carry him"
"Youl" said Aimee, looking wonder-
ingly at the girls slight figure