The Winslow mail., 1924-01-04

her. He was really here with you,
then? What-what happened? Can
you tell me? they will have those
rocks dug away in a moment"
Eyes. yes, he was here. he and Gar
rity-the judge, you know. They
they are both in there now. buried
under tons of rock. hardly know
what did happen; it all came on us
in a flash. There was a tunnel In
here, a room, where old Alvara had
been mining years and years ago. He
must have died there all alone. for
saw his skeleton on a pile of stone
Then those two went in-Meager and
Garrity-With broken lantern. l.
| think one Of them fell, and-there
must have been some powder left
there-pOwder old Alvara had. maybe,
lot of it. IL saw the flash, and
jumped back-they are there yet
buried"
"Bob Meager is dead?"
Crushed TO pulp
His head sank back helpIessly, and
his eyes closed. Carney and Jones
prfsoned limbs, but he lay insensible
The three soldiers bore him out
through the black passage to the en-
trance, and, with the assistance of
those others outside lifted his body
over the rock barrier, between the
clinging vines into the sunlight. Deb
Orah never left his side, and as they
placed the body on the short turf, his
head rested again on her arm. The
sergeant knelt, and felt the out
stretched limbs.
Badly bruised. and perhaps crushed
Bit" he said at last. "but / doubt
if there is a bone broken. He'll be
all right presently. One of you fell
lows bring a canteen. Now, miss, a
little water will do the captain more
good than anything else. What is it,
LieutenantY
1--WE can hardly move him at pres
ent. Sergeant. He'll have to rest
awhile before he can ride Perhaps
we better search those bodies back
there, and dispose of them in sOme
way"
"Very we'll, sir"
They disappeared together, all but
two troopers left on guard below in
the valley the troop horses grazed in
the sunshine. Deborah, bathing the
white face gently, waited with wildly
beating heart. She was free, free, and
Daniel Kelleen lived. There was
nothing else in life to think about.
He slowly opened his eyes. and
smiled up at her. as though her being
there was the most natural thing in
the world
"The blue sky" he said, his voice
trembling, chow beautiful it is Cd!
but it is good to get out of that hole,
with dead men everywhere"
YES" she replied "but don't try
to talk now; that is all over with"
But l want to talk" he insisted.
ut keeps me from thinking; it makes
me know it is all real-this blue sky,
and YOU"
"Then IL you must, tell me what
happened; 1t seems almost miracle"
ut was a miracle, and | am not
sure but you were Gods messenger"
he replied soberly. Then slowly, hesi-
tatingly, prompted now and then by
a question, he told his story, his voice
growing stronger rs he spoke. The
guard sat on a rock a dozen feet
away, their carbines between their
knees, eyes on the deserted valley be-
low. The girl bent over eagerly,
seeking not to lose a word. At the
end Kelleen asked suddenly:
"The paper you took from the boys
hand-what was it ?'
"Only a map. very roughly drawn,
and written on in Spanish. could
make little out of it-see."
She held it out before him, yel-
low. creased paper. looking a century
old. He held it for a moment in his
own hands, peering at the crisscross
of lines impatiently.
perhaps it was one Alvara left"
he said slowly, land the boy had
found. He followed the rainbow tc
the end"
"And we will never knowW
mo- the end was DEATH"
They were quiet long while; then
his hand moved and touched her own.
Her eyes, which had been on the Ya
ley, dropped wonderingly to his face.
"This is not all. is it-just to be
alive again?" he asked softly
I'll hardly know what you mean
Back there in the tunnel" he In
sisted, "when I first looked up inte
your eyes read a message; / want
to read it again"
"a message-are you sure?"
"Yes, dear. am sure; it was
message of love"
She was no longer looking at him
and she caught her breath. Then
their eyes met once more.
ut is the same message always
Daniel KellePn" she said simply.
1.-THE END.l