The Elk Mountain pilot., 1924-12-18

DO TOu 0HuCTSkanol
hands clencled, facing this new ter
ror, striving to control herself before
this man whose very look discouraged
weakness. The coolness of his bear
Ing, as he stood playing with the
weapon in his hands, calmed her
bracing her to stimulation of the
same fearlessness
SHOW me-" she said, going to him
Quietly, as If explaining the mech
anism of watch, he explained how
1t worked.
Il will load 1t, and fix 1t ready for
use" he concluded.
And the girl who, in England had
shrunk from all firearms, took the liz
tie weapon from him eagerly. welcom-
ing 1t as valued friend bringing, pos
sibly, the greatest succor of ALL
AS they sat in the dark hut, upon
their upturned suitcases. near the
window aperture, the strain upon Bar
bara's nerves became almost unbear-
able. With every minute her faith in
the electric ruse, never strong, grew
weaker; until 1t ebbed away. leaving
only ghastly death. or worse. creep
ing nearer with the rising OF every
star. ;. She faced the moment
when, her companion slain, she would
seize the revolver. turn the dark muz-
zle to her fiuttering heart, place her
finger on the trigger. She
clasped and unclasped her clammy
hands, sitting upright: then crouching
back against the bamboo. :. Only
fear of disgrace in her companions
opinion restrained her wild impulse
to rise and flee Notwithstanding
to escape this fearful ordeal. Had
Croft touched her or spoken her con-
troll would have snapped altogether.
But he sat perfectly still. his gaze
fixed upon the dark slope down which
their enemies would come. his mind
apparently ObliviOus to all else.
AS she watched him. her fevered
her faith In his confidence and in
genuity to strengthen. e, The strain
relaxed. Hope struggled feebly with
In her heart She no longer felt the
wild desire to scream or to escape. Her
clenched hands parted, and she sat
back with a sigh.
Those who, from lack Of Imagination
ordeal with gallantry, are justly called
brave; but those who. tortured by
these possessions, foreseeing all with
shrinking dread. vet meet 1t with no
outward finch, deserve the laurels Of
heroism. Some such thoughts fitted
through Croft's mind, as he sat wait
ing. fully conscious Of the suffering
silently endured by his companion.
When she relaxed against his shoulder.
he drew breath of relief.
What seemed like hours passed In
the silence and darkness Then Bar
bara suddenly raised her head.
Have / been asleep?' she whis-
pered, In establishment.
He turned to answer. whipping sud-
denly back to the aperture and cram
ing forward A sound had reached
his intent ears-the faint distant
crepitation of swapping twigs.
Now that the dreaded moment had
arrived, Barbara was conscious Of an
utter lack of agitation. Save that her
fingers closed upon his arm, she gave
no sign: her eyes followed his, peer
ing into the starlit dusk without.
For several minutes nothing more
was heard. The girl was beginning to
think 1t had been a false alarm, when
all at once slight rubbing noise
reached them. as of something wrig-
Cling over rough ground. At the same
instant dark form was dimly dis
cernlble fitting, shadow-like, from
distant tree to the shelter Of large
rock, there falling to the earth. Pres
emily. from behind this rock, issued n
little, snaky. black stream-three or
FOUR bodies waddling along on their
fronts, their outline family distin-
guishable.