The Monmouth inquirer., 1926-02-25

When she reached the lower trail
she slipped from Jeff's back and threw
herself fiat upon the narrow shelf
to look for some trace of Hiram be-
low. At the foot of the mountain.
she saw Lawrence's thoroughbred and
Hiram's bronco huddled together in
a mangled heap. At one side of
them was Lawrence Falk; his face
had escaped mutilation and he lay
white and handsome in death. She
looked around for Hiram, then, not
thirty feet below her, she saw him.
He lay motionless, one shoulder caught
between the ledge and the trunk of
stunted juniper that had, somehow,
got foothold in a crevice Of rock.
Hiram! Hiram p she called Again
and again Hiram Hiram y Not
sound or motion answered her. A lit
tie gopher came out of the rocks and
ran so fearlessly across Hiram's still
feet that she shuddered
She looked skyward and at the
mountains precipitous walls for help.
It would take hours to get help. and
II he were only stunned he might
recover consciousness and move his
shoulder from the juniper, then he,
too, would pitch down the mountain.
She looked at JEFF and. without an
instant's hesitation. took the long
lasso, made one end fast to the saddle
horn and swung the other end over
the cliff.
JEFF, she breathed, patting him,
81 must get Hiram, and you must help
me- She took small flask of brandy
from the saddle pocket Hiram had
put it there: one Of his provisions
for her In case of sudden sickness
or accident. She put 1t in the pocket
of her khaki blouse, then, with a
sharp command to jeff, seized the
lasso and swung herself over the cliff.
The moment jeff felt the lasso taut
he stiffened himself with feet braced
while Wilma went down, hand over
hand, until she reached Hiram. The
ledge wherein he lay was so narrow
that he was held there only by the
juniper, and Wilma could not find a
foothold, so she quickly made the
lasso fast about her body, then, part
ly supported by the lass0, half dang
ling by it, she leaned over Hiram and
called to him. He did not answer but
his hands were warm. She took the
flask of brandy, forced its neck be-
tween his teeth, and let some of the
liquor trickle down his throat. she
rubbed his hands and face, calling to
him by endearing names she never
before had spoken, all the time pray
ing that Jeff might stand the strain
she was making upon him. AT last she
felt, rather than heard a faint sigh
and the slightest culver of his body.
''Hiraml Lie stillw she cried, in
an agony of fear that he might wrig
gle himself from the Juniper. She took
the long end of the lasso, trailing be-
low her, and fastened it around him,
under his arms. BY the time it was
secure he opened his eyes.
wilma" he murmured, tried to
smile, and groaned feebly.
"Hiraml don't move; where are you
hurtY' Wilma asked.
It took him moment to recover
consciousness sufficiently to answer:
"My arm, he tried to move it,
ST think it's broken his voice
failed
Hiram! Hiram!" Wilma cried.
"try to keep awake. and think how
am going to get you out of here?"
IF | could use both hands, l could
go up the lasso"
''You can't, but can; do you think
you can lie here until can get help
from the ranch?" She took hold Of
the juniper to steady herself. The
added weight was too much for the
little tree; she heard the roots crack.
and let go it, but it was so weakened
that it might pull out any moment,
then they would be hanging by the
lasso, and JEFF would not be able to
hold them both after the long strain
that she had put upon him.
Hiram, I'm going up to the trail
and make JEFF pull you up; it's the
only way to save you" Before she
AdQ 41AASAC0 cRC0hAAE sic was hdlh
way up, clawing rapidly at the lasso.
in desperate attempt to reach JEFF
and rescue Hiram.
She pulled herself painting, over
the ledge, and went to Jeff's head.
JEFF, the hardest is to come. can
you do it? Oh, JEFF. don't fail now
If you do, we will all go down to-
gether' She half sobbed the words
into Jeff's ear then called bravely:
"All ready, Hiram, keep yourself
off the rocks"
San right, Wilma" he answered.
The last word was drowned by a
crash; the juniper had lost its last
roothold and gone down the noun
tain with loose rocks. Hiram started
with it, but brought up with Jerk
upon the lasso; Jeff was not prepared
for 1t and his feet slipped
JEFF! jeff! Get upl Get upl Jeff !"