The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1924-07-25

: Each plan was hopeless; but then ev
erything else was hopeless.
; The minutes seemed lengthening int
hours. At last Winton's plans hat
J simmered down to this: he would MOI
risk discovery until he was assured
that Sheila was In imminent danger
For the present she was probably safe
He felt sure she was not In De Wits
tent. Where, then, was she7
As his eyes travelled from spot to
spot they lit upon recess in a wall
Of rock at the summit of the noun
tain. The leaping flames OF the fire
Illuminated the interior of what seemed
little cave. And somehow Winton
sensed that Sheila was within that.
1t was some thirty yards away, and
he saw little chance of reaching it un-
observed. There was a fringe of grass
| through which he might crawl for the
greater part of the journey. but for
| the last few feet he would have to
traverse bare rock. within a few feet
of the fire. Yet he began his task. and
it was infinitely arduous and slow. 1t
was matter of inch-long move
ments-frst of one arm, then of the
other, then of the corresponding lower
limbs. The dry blades of grass
cracked under the slightest movement
The natives were doing over the
fire. Winton had gone perhaps six feet
when one of the Hottentots raised
himself suddenly to kneeling posi-
ton and thrust out his head toward
him, peering intently through the
grass. Winton, perfectly motionless,
stared for at least five minutes into
the yellow face within a few feet of
his own. The man knelt like a statue,
the eyeballs cleaning In the moon
light, the fingers encircling the spear
shaft
Suddenly the sight faded. The |
moonlight was cut Off abruptly, plung- |
ing the land into Immediate darkness.
Then few drops Of rain began to fall.
In half a minute torrent was de-
scending.
1t was the characteristic beginning
of one of the seasonal thunderstorms
AS Winton crouched near the cave,
to cross the open space,
there came a fash of lightning that
made the world as bright as day. 1t
showed him the form of the Hottentot,
motionless where he had been watch
Ing. the fingers still about the spear.
But 1t showed him another sight that
drove the blood from his heart.
He saw De Witt crossing from the
tent to the cave.
n 70 xroo ha 40 hot |
mans attitude, his gesture, and the
movement of his body and limbs
;eemed caught as on a Photographic I
)late. He was halfway to the cave,
lurrying with head bent down to shield
lis face from the rain. But Winton 6
.ould still see the look of anticipation 5
N his features, and 1t was that which I
ave him, for the second time. the I
ust for murder. (
1t was borne In upon him then that f
y no possibility could De Witt and he s
I've in the same world together. b
The flash, which had given Winton
is final clue to Sheilah's hiding 7
lace, had shown him the topography "
T the mountain cleft. The place was n
natural fortress. The only apparent q
pproach was the narrow neck along A
hitch he had come. Beyond the F
dropped In a vertical cliff, n
nd beyond that was the stony desert ',
here no tree grew and nothing could
We. =,
In the interval between two sue ;,
>eding flashes Winton crept noiseless- n
across the open space in front. of o,
lie cave and crept forward into the :,
irkness of the interior. AS he gained y,
e shelter Of the projecting wall, and r.
ouched behind it. hidden alike from h,
e sight of the HottentOts without
Id from those within, he heard Sheila =.
eaking. and knew that his search -
as ended NJ