Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1924-05-10

Each plan was hopeless; but then ey-
erything else was hopeless.
The minutes seemed tengthening into
hours. At last Wlnton's plans had
simmered down to this: he would not
risk discovery until he was assured
that Sheila was in imminent CANCER
For the present she was probably safe
He felt sure she was not in De Wits
tent Where, then, was she?
As his eyes travelled from spot 10
spot they lit upon a 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, ard
he saw little chance of reaching It I'M
observed. There was 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 a 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 bnelt 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 a few drops Of rain began to fall
In half a minute a torrent was de-
scendng.
II was the characteristic beginning
of one Of the seasonal thunderstorms
AS WInton crouched near the cave
preparing to cross the open space
there came a fash of lightning that
made the world as bright as day. It
showed him the form Of the Hottentot
motionleSs where he had been watch
ing, the fingers stIll about the spear
But It showed him another sight that
drove the blood from his heart
He saw De Witt crossing from the
tent TO the cave
So momentary was the flash that the
mans attitude, his gesture, and the
movement of his body and limbs
seemed caught as on a Photographic
plate He was halfway to the cave
hurrying with head bent down to shield
his face from the rain. But Winton
could still see the look Of anticipation
on his features, and it was that which
gave him, for the second time, the
lust for murder.
1t was borne in upon him then that
by no possibility could De Witt and he
live in the same world together
4iC udSls 0uAAA idu given " mum
/ HIS final clue to Sheilahs hiding
place, had shown him the topography
| Of the mountain cleft. The place was
a natural fortress. The only apparent
approach was the narrow neck along
which he had come. Beyond the
mountain dropped in a vertical cliff
and beyond that was the stony desert
where no tree grew and nothing could
live.
In the interval between two sue
ceedng flashes Winton crept noiseles
! ly across the open space in front Of
the cave and crept forward into the
! darkness of the interior As he gained
the shelter OF the projecting wall, and
c-ouched behind ii. hidden alike from
the sight OF the Hottentots without
and from those within, he heard Sheila
speaking and knew that his search
was ended
CHAPTER XVI