The Washington times., 1930-01-06
CHAPTER 80
BY >ELEN0RE MEHERIN
Author Of "ChicIxie" and Other Famous Serials


and Billy had vanished. The
He stood clamrny. fighting
the horror that now sought en-
trance to his mind. This hor-
ror was O beast waiting. He
would not let it leap upon him.
He went back and pounded
the walls. He shouted, "Pat!
Billy! It's Guy. Answer. Pat
oh, God, can't you hear?"
Three hours he'd searched
the cave. He hadn't found
them. He'd gone down every
gallery - crawled along blind
tunnels. He'd shouted. Not
knowing it, he'd sobbed aloud.
And all along he'd left rocks
and scraps Of the parachute
sheik had cut to pieces. These
marked his route.
He said to himself in a still
terror, II haven't missed a
turn. It's not such a huge
cave" Then de wiped his fore
head; it was Immediately moist
again. The cave might not be
huge; it was ghaStly. It went
In bewildering parallels, in
dizzying circles. Twice he had
almost lost his way. "
And now he seemed to have
penetrated all Of its dark, echo
ing aisles. Now he was back at
the entrance. He had not
found her.
He stood for a moment, beat
ing the walls and shouting. His
hoarSe, imploring cries came
back in a dismal, hollow sob.
But she was here, she must
be here! Each lost moment
creeping upon her with added
menace. Each lost moment
bringing near an hour when he
would be too late. He grew
gray with this fear, with a
clammy, half-fainting alarm.
For the third time he went
up to the man he had tied to
the one lone tree on the can
yon floor. He shook him. He
stopped down and in a frenzy
demanded: "Have you lied?"
In the flashlight Sheik saw
murder and anguish in the
dark. thin face above his own.
"If she went into that cave,
shed be there! There's one
exit. ANSWER ME-what
have you done with them?"
He saw Sheik'S mouth work
ing, saw the lips framing words.
When no sound come, he
turned wild. He shouted: Did
she 60 in the cave? Did you
kill them? Did she Jump In
the parachute? or did you hurl
them over the cliff? Good God
--SPEAKw e.
She went in the cave" !
did she come out again?
Why isn't she there? Where
could she go that I've not
gomez"
Sheik's arms were bound to
his sides. His fingers touched
the ground. And these now
scraped up pebbles. He said in
husky gaSpS: did you see that
black pit? Not the step where
Slim fell-a black, bottomlesS
pit2"
"At the end Of a long gal
lery?"
"Yes at the end of it. Maybe
they fell down that" i.
Guy let the limp form sink to
the ground. He Steadied him.
SELF His whole body flung
against the tree trunk. No!
Pat hadn't stumbled in the
cave. She'd not plunged into
that binding abyss. Twice he
had stood above it and told
himself: "She didn't fall. God.
she's not down there!"
His light had not picked out
the bottom Of this formidable
pit. He'd drawn from it with
shudder. He had not wished to
see its floor.
But now for the fourth time
he went along that gallery par
aIlel to the entrance. Here
Sheik swore they had gone.
Here the child had cried. Dis
tinctly they had heard. All
along were avenues where
sound Travelled with piercing,
uncanny sharpness. Last night.
Sheik declared, the girl and the
lid were In the lofty vault at
the end Of this gallery.
TITS no lie look!" He
pointed to the erevice where
he'd hacked so violently at the
WaIl.