White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1930-07-11
CHAPTER XI-Continued

t1eT au1llSSlOu VI HtI iONe iOi iiiiu
was made in quiet and interpretive
way, as If his physical self had ceased
to be a living part of 1t. 1t was this,
and her reference to Claire, which
strengthened his determination not to
weaken her faith in him again.
He moved to the edge of pfled-up
debris and began to investigate 1t.
cautioning her to stand back little.
The rubble loosened under his feet
and slid down. There was quite a
little rock slip before he had gone far.
sending up q cloud of dust between
them. Through this, when it had set
tied, Carla followed him. She heard
him calling to her to go back, but In
moment was standing at his side.
Almost above them, so steep was the
ascent, the assure narrowed to half a
dozen feet In width and was choked
with loose rock and sand. Paul looked
at II with somberly appraising eyes
and instinctively put himself between 1t
and Carla. Another explosion OF dyna-
mite sent scarcely perceptible tremor
through the earth. Slight as 1t was.
tiny stream of sand and pebbles came
trickling down from the suspended
avalanche. He caugh, her hand and
took her swiftly back to safety.
"A nearer shot would send that
thing down on u.s." he said. wait
here until find out more about It,"
"What are you going to dot" she
asked.
"First, climb the edge OF the wall
and see wha, Is beyond"
He did this and returned to her In
q few minutes.
Funny how little things put them.
selves In our wayl" He tried to speak
lightly. 1.-THE assure is clear as a
floor beyond that slug of debris. which
Is ready to topple. We could be out
In FIVE minutes If 1t were not for that.
AS 1t is, I've got to take chance"
"And-the chance?"
"We must get over the loose stuff.
Either that or 60 back-to the little
fire."
1--WE must go on" she said.
"Yes, we've got to go on. We
passed stick back there five or six
feet long. By hugging close to the
wall ] think can reach one of the
keystones in the slide and loosen 1t.
1t won't be difficult. and the whole
thing will come down like house
with the foundation pulled out from
under it. I'm going to take you back
distance"
"And when the slide comes, where
will you be?''
against the rock wall, as small as
i can make myself"
"You mean," said Carla, with quick
understanding in her eyes, that you
are going to take the stick and pry
one of the rocks loose, but not from
the edge of the wall, for no foothold
in front, and make an effort to get out
of the way when the avalanche starts"
IL am sure | can do It,"
'If it comes slowly, yes. But what
If 1t should come the other way? Let
US 60 together, Paul. 1t may be that
we GILL Eel OScI IL Sdlcly.
''Wait here until get the stick"
IF we try to climb over II together
we will not .leed the stick.'i
"But we cannot climb it. know.
have seen a hundred of those things
In the pit. They are like hair-trigger
guns, even when they look solid. 1t
is necessary to loosen rock and then
make a run for it. The stick will
give me few feet start"
"But it may be more firmly fixed
than you think"
''My stick will prove It. Until then
you must remain here"
She accompanied him to the down
ward exit of the small, room-like
prison they had entered. and listened
to his footsteps until the sound of them
grew faint. Then she assembled to the
crest of the rock slip again. A score
of feet beyond lay the danger point
Between it and where she stood was
the rough depression, out Of which
Paul would be compelled to race for
his life should he loosen the avalanche
There was an overhang of rock, high
ND, and she did not see how he could
escape it. She turned to look back
in the direction he had gone. Ii was
like Paul to take the situation in
this way. as If II were an unIm
portant incident rather than q tragic
thing.
Light was fading swiftly, and eve
ming shadows were falling between
the deep, close walls of the crevasse
A radiance was In Carla's face, as if a
voiceless spirit within her were send
ing a message to some one in the
world above She could hear Paul's
footsteps returning, the iron nails in
his boots striking on rock, and her
lips moved. yearning Il. call his name
Then she ran down into the hollow
and up it's farther edge After all. 1t
might not be such sword of Immocles
over them II 1t were not. then Paul
could only scold If II we're
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