Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1925-02-20

the left channel past the island, then
run ashore, and you'll be safe in the
forest, wherever you are gong.
Hurry hurry!"
Lee made no audible reply, but his
mind automatically registered Es-
telle'S instructions. He bent over the
girl again, raised her in his arms
so that her face rested against his
shoulder, and carried her out OF the
hut
AS he turned at the entrance he
saw that Railway had risen to his
knees again.
Blood was dripping from the wound
in his scalp, and he was staring about
him in the eager effort to remember.
Lee crossed the open space at
rum scrambled down the descent,
placed the girl in the bottom OF the
boat, and, seizing pair of oars, be-
gan to pull furiously for midstream.
The current caught him and sent him
whirling along toward the long, fiat.
wooded island in the middle Of the
lake that came into view.
In a minute or two, however, the
flow of the river, diffused over the
whole Of the lake, ceased to afford him
any appreciable assistance. The heavy
York boat responded only slightly to
the pull of the single Oarsman, SEEM
ing to creep on by inches.
Suddenly Railway appeared upon
ha hnci6Q
cllnging to him. He pushed her from
him, shaking his fist at Lee, and his
hoarse, furious bellows came across
the water like the roaring OF an en-
ragged beast of the forest. For few
moments he stood thus outlined
against the rising sun; then he dis
appeared.
Lee struggled at the oars. From
time to time he strained his ears to
catch the sounds of the oncoming
motor boat Although the new arrivals
would know nothing Of his activities
at the promontory. he was pretty
sure that any solitary oarsman ap-
pearing in that region would be
stopped by them; then he would be at
their mercy, for Pierre and Shorty
would be members Of their party.
If once he could round the point Of
the island, where he would be out
Of sight both Of the promontory and
of the motor boat coming up the chan
mel, he could pull straight for the lake
shore take to the woods, make for the
mission, where he meant to leave the
girl for safe-keeping.
Lee felt his spirits rise. 1t was a
matter only Of half hour. And there
were two packs in the boat. With
one of these they could live in the
forest till she was able to continue
the journey. And, looking down at
the unconscious girl, he felt again
that odd sense of tender companion
ship in his heart for her, fed, perhaps,
by the realization that the one thing
he had dreaded had not come to pass
He had feared that II ever again he
met Estelle the old passion for her
would flare up in him. Now they had
met, and that love Of the past filled
him only with wonder, and vast pity
for her that she should have come to
this-to be the discarded companion OF
an outlaw. He no longer condemned
her. He no longer resented his
wrongs. 1t was as If a cleansing
sponge had been passed over all that
had happened.
The left channel between the island
and the shore was almost blocked, in
places, with reeds and water growth.
1t was a huge water morass of dead
vegetation, nearly half mile wide. A
few more strokes, and he meant to
pl& toward the lakes shore.
The pulling had grown to be an
enormous effort. Lee was again con-
scious Of fatigue. He felt drowsy In
the increasing warmth Of the sun. He
could have fallen asleep in moment.
But suddenly his senses leaped Into
activity. From far away he had
caught the urgent warning OF immi-
nent danger, the faint put-putting OF
the motor boat.