The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1924-05-08

1Ou lolu the Tuln,
Sheila.
what do you mean? Suppose I tell
you it wasn't the truth?'
"But it was the truth" cried Sheila,
"for l have always felt it. Blood tells,
and mine has called out to me that ]
was white, white, ever since l was a
child in the village. 1 chung to that
belief in spite of everything"
"Well, it was the TRUTH said De
Witt grudgingly. Then his tone sof-
tened. "Sheila, I've got you now,
and, by Heavens, l won't let you go !"
he said.
There was a struggle in the ave.
The girl uttered a cry. And at that
moment Winton bounded forward.
The second cry that came from
Sheila's lips was drowned in the roll
of the reverberating thunder hat fol
| lowed a vivid lightning flash. In that in
slant Winton saw De Witt standing,
one arm g%rasping Sheila to him, while
his eyes dilated as he recognized her
rescuer confronting him, revolver in
hand.
The darkness and the echoes of the
thunder seemed interminable. Sheila
broke from De Witt with a cry and
ran to Winton. He felt her arms
about him, but he thrust her gently
aside.
Il have you covered" he called to
De Witt. eff hear you stir, or If
you cry out, l fire."
No answer came. WintOn waited,
tense, his revolver aimed at the spot
where he imagined De Witt to be.
The next flash showed the outlaw
standing with his back against the
wall of the cave, a dozen feet distant.
The flash and De Wits shot were al
most simultaneous.
Winton saw a chip fly from the rocky
wall beside him. He sprang for De
Witt, touched him, lost him, and stood
painting for the next flash.
1t came, and the two shots rang out
together, though the sound of the dis
charge was lost in the rolling thunder
and the pattering rain. Both missed.
Winton fired again and missed again.
He realized that his last bullet was
gone. He must catch De Witt at the
next flash and overcome him before
he could fire. But he could hear
nothing, and he lost his bearings in
the complete darkness.
In the light of the next flash Winton
saw that De Witt had disappeared.
He glared %furiously about him. Their
a bullet whipped his cheek, he heard
a faint crack from n side of him,
and he saw, before the light vanished,
De Wits hand emerge apparently
from behind the solid wall at the back
of the cave
A series of flashes Illuminated the
entire interior. Now Winton could
see a narrow opening in the wall at
the back of the recess De Witt did
ire-perhaps he thought that Win
ton had him covered. Winton leaped
forward, found the opening, and
Some instinct of caution held
him rooted to the spot.
The thunder peals were deafening.
The rain was driving into the cave,
which was ankle-deep in water. Sud
denly Winton realized that the rivulet
at his feet was feeding a waterfall.
And then he understood his situation.
was standing upon the brink of a
deep ~crevice. A single forward step
would have hurled him to destruction.
The same warning instinct that had
stopped him at the edge taught him
to spring back behind the ledge of the
p%rotruding rocks. He had just re-
this refuge when another flash
showed De Witt standing on the OPP
Dosite brink, less han six feet dis
-ant, aiming at where Winton had
been.
With horror Winton saw that Sheila
stood in the line Of fire. She was
~motionless, staring after
Winton, horror and anguish OF her
ACE. The sight of her peril electrified
Winton. He leaped into the darkness.
He heard the shot ring out, but his
inset had detected his enemy's aim.
And this time he had De Witt in his
lrms, p~inionfng the hand that held the
-evolver.
On the brink of the abyss the two
ought for their lives.
(To BE CoNTINUED.)
4