Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1924-09-11

aEE N4tA& II We rest Wits a1u cNt
something. Besides. the moon will be
up soon and walking viii be easier"
Bass laughed It was q rather weak
laugh. DuE Il was q laugh wed bet
ter get AZ our Bumptu0us repast, she
said, unless we want to eat In the
dark. Here goes the last piece OF flre-
wood. and the men say they can't
ind any more. And an electric torch.
though useful, will not illuminate
whole dinner table. Besides, we1I
need II later"
Bess was right The fre Was dying,
and long before the supper. simple AZ
II was, could be finished darkness had
again descended upon the scene.
When the last red ember winked ont.
several OF the party drew long breaths.
But nobody said anything. Their feel
Ings were too deep for words. Each.
however, undoubtedly took some com
fort from hearing the others MUNICH
ing away at their bareback In the |
darkness.
At last Lord George got up. '-rhe
moon Is up" he said. pointing to the
top Of the canyon. where the tree tops /
had begun 70 silver against the sky.
It's time to move
~Waltf" Miss Denslows voice came
kissing IN the gloom. ~Llsteni" I
0uf OF the water OF the inlet sound
ed the steady beat Of oars coming
nearer and nearer. Mrs. Archman
started up thankfully. They've come
for as. Oil They've come for us
shs murmured. II knew they couldn't
desert us. Call to them, Bess. Call
20 them"
"Waltr Miss DensIow and Lord
George spoke together. "Wait and
sss who they are 6rst"
But /,
For Gods sake be still r. breathed
Lord George. silence Keep we'll
back under the ledge, for your LIES
sake" /
Awed By his tones. ell shrank back.
6attsnlng themselves against the
rocks. and waited. listening.
The sound Of the cars against the '
oarlocks had ceased. Another instant i
and low order. followed by q con- o
certed rafting, showed that the crew
Of tire boat had shipped oars with
man-of-war regularity. Other orders
and other movements. The
trained ears OF Lord George and Col
Inns made out that most OF the mon
had landed, but that one or more had
pat or Ia the boat 20 lie away from
the shore A shuf3lng Of feet and
low click OF metal on metal showed
that those on land had formed into
e rough column and that they car
rfed rifles. AS they moved up the
cleft, more than one OF them growled
Dug curse as he barked his shlns
On an unseen rock. Only one Of fhe
listeners recognised the language.
Danish I. breathed Lord George, as
he steps Of the last one died away.
ina next moment Lord George
Itepped out. ''Follow me. quickly and
Iilently." he breathed. Don't lose
Ia instant" He waited while the
'thers emerged from beneath the
edge. and then he set or up the path.
hard on the trail OF the
mysterious column.
Ten minutes later be paused by the
ade OF the break IN the wall. which
Vas plainly perceptibls in the greater
Ighl that had come from the shallow
ng Of che gully. Silently be detected
ach Of his companions mp It. When -
be last one had passed he drew q
eep breath. 'Checkmate," he muir
nursd. a. he followed.
The trail around the mountain
roved to be easy 70 follow despite WI
be difficulties Of night travel. II was. int
q fact, real trail and not like the cal
rst they had followed merely the raj
oek-strewn bed OF 3 torrent which du
ad happened TO coincide more OF less qu
loosely with fanciful red line that
rice had drawn upon the forged map.
ne party made excellent time along
ana would have done even better
az e act been for Mrs. Archman. who
as utterly exhausted and positively
sfussd to consider even q suggestion Ne
ora Collins that he and Lord George a .
lould push ahead en- reconnoifer- w
g expedition and leave the Others to
Is and follow later der
IA e tnrned out. however. the party lily.
q rot have very far to 80. About thil
ldnl&hk. Just as the men figured out haE
st shey must be very near the inter
citing red line that ran up the moaQ- We
ia. the trail began to slant sfeeplS c
'wmwaFd. 80 sfeeply that lord lFu
ssswa who was lseains. stopped and .
'ex@a d0u6tkuliv downward into the Kru
80 81 hlaekmsaa that yawned bsfore he'I
- = -.